The MCC has got some problems, but I've gotten my money's worth. I've played through several levels of Halo CE co-op. I've played through all of Halo 2 solo. I was reminded of why it's my least favorite of Bungie's Halo games--the difficulty spikes, too much of the story for one game crammed into the audio during the last third (now less audible with the new sound mix), and on another level too little story. But I enjoyed seeing Blur's work, most (but not all) of the new graphics, and the Terminals I've seen are an improvement for 343i (I still believe their conception of what would be a terminal is flawed, but these are better). During the game I've discovered ways of getting through parts that I used to find frustratingly difficult 10 years ago, but I guess I'm a better gamer than I used to be. It's been a nice trip full of nostalgia. Halo 2 co-op beckons--something I've rarely experienced.

I've played a few matchmaking games (this was before the patch), and it took a while, but it worked, and I had a fun time on Lockout, which seems exactly the same as it did 10 years ago, only bigger, brighter, and smoother on my HDTV. I can understand the frustration of those who bought the game to play matchmaking, but I haven't felt that frustration, and I'm not getting upset about it until it becomes apparent the issues won't be fixed, but even then, there are things about the package that still make it worth it to me.

Last night an old Halo buddy (IRL) and I played one-on-one classic slayer on Hang'em High, Longest (shotties), Prisoner (rockets), and Foundation (rockets). These were staples we used play split-screen--no screen-peeking now! I haven't laughed so much or had so much fun playing a game in a long time.

I bought the digital version. I can now almost instantly play three (okay, four) games I really like with buttery smooth graphics for the foreseeable future. I like the playlist idea. It might take me years to complete many of them, if I ever do, but it's cool.

I see a lot of genuine unhappiness here, along with a lot of unnecessary (and potentially contagious [sadly]) snark, sarcasm, and pessimism about 343i, but I just wanted to say that I admire what they tried to do here, even if they haven't quite successfully pulled it off yet. For the parts I care about, the game has delivered a lot of enjoyment already, and I'm glad to have it in my library.

Good luck fixing the bugs, 343i, and thanks.