There are few games that can truly claim to have defined a console's life. Super Mario World for the SNES stands a chance, as does Sonic the Hedgehog on the Megadrive. Both became so indelibly etched into the very core of their host consoles that to this day gamers of a certain vintage instantly think of the SNES and Megadrive respectively whenever their names are mentioned.
Halo: Combat Evolved was that game for the Xbox, with its addictive and well put together take on the FPS genre pulling in millions of players and helping the fledgling Xbox gain a foothold in the console market in the process. Of course the series has since gone on to spawn a host of sequels and spin-offs, all of which have sold in the millions to make the series one of the most popular of the current era of gaming.
So when it was announced that the original Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary was to be brought to the 360 during E3, gamers everywhere rejoiced. Many would argue that the original Halo is still the best that the series has managed to produce and the Anniversary Edition of Halo: Combat Evolved will look to put players back into the boots of Master Chief, the last remaining Spartan, as he endeavours to battle the threat of the Covenant.Those who missed out first time will certainly be looking forward to it; however those who remember their first experience were also overjoyed at the announcement, especially after it was revealed that the game will also sell for a budget price. That should be more than enough to convince gamers that this is something they need to own right?
Not according the Bungie, who apparently felt that an extra cherry needs to be placed on top of the deal. The company have announced that those who pre-order the game will receive a couple of bonuses that are sure to tantalise any Halo fan.
Firstly, anybody who plonks a bit of cash down to reserve a copy will gain access to a Master Chief avatar for use on their 360 dashboard. Specifically gamers will be offered the ability to dress up their existing avatar with Master Chief's MJOLNIR space armour as a tribute to the Chief's first decade of mascotdom.
Additionally early adopters will also be granted a game changing bonus skull for some particularly explosive action. The skull, which will be called Grunt Funeral, will serve to turn every grunt into a deadly plasma grenade when killed, creating the potential for plentiful chain reactions of explosions that those who don't pre-order are going to miss out on.
If you fancy a sample of what it will look like, just check out the Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary Pre-Order video.
