Deja vu.

It's not often that a console gets a launch title that can easily stand the test of time, long after the demise of that console. I can think of only a few exceptions, most of which fall into Nintendo's camp of early releases. But it would be impossible to not include Halo for the original Xbox on that list. It's been years since I played the first game, but upon revisiting the game for this release, Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, I'm happy to say that it holds up ridiculously well.

It helps that the game has been given a fresh coat of paint from the guys and gals over at 343 Industries. This isn't a simple HD up-res that we've been seeing on consoles for older games over the past couple years. Instead you're getting both re-mastered graphics and audio, bringing the original Halo more in line with what we've come to expect from this current generation cycle of hardware. I won't go so far as to say it tops the visuals in Reach, but it certainly gives Halo 3 and ODST a run for their money. The only drawback is that the human character models to still look a little stiff and lifeless, but everything else is rendered extremely well.

Another cool aspect about remaking the graphics is that you can also switch them off if you want to compare. By pressing the back button on the 360 controller, you can change the view of the game from an HD upscaled version of the original game to the new graphic style, and it only takes a handful of seconds to switch between the two. You can literally do this at almost any point in the game, outside of the cutscenes. It really helps to show off the amount of detail now present in the game in comparison to the original, but at the same time is a cool option to have for people that actually prefer going to through the game the way it originally looked. It also helps to show that 343 didn't run wild with what they did, every little rock, outcropping, and structure is still placed exactly as you remember it.

Of course the gameplay for the original Halo is still great, even if it is a little odd to step back from some of the mechanics introduced into the series over the years. Going back to health packs, no dual wielding, the lack of items like bubble shields, and sticking to the core weapons of the Needler, Assault Rifle, Plasma Rifle, and so on can take some getting used to. Also, the difficulty is certainly more amped up than most of its successors, in part due to the not as forgiving checkpoint system used. I did find myself getting frustrated in pretty much the exact same spots as I used to, but the combat remains one of the most satisfying FPS experiences out there, so you just keep coming back for more punishment.

The game does benefit from some of the more modern Halo trappings, and this ties into the way multiplayer works in Halo Anniversary. It uses the Reach system, and if you own Reach, you can install the new Anniversary maps onto your 360 hard drive and use them for online play with the disc for Reach. Or, if you want to stick to the classic maps, you can boot into the online servers right from the Anniversary disc as well. Online multiplayer through Anniversary offers up new maps, which are taken from Halo and Halo 2. The matchmaking is identical to Reach, and the playlist is composed of five modes, consisting of 4 vs. 4, 8 vs. 8, Free for All, Classic, and one new Firefight map.

Multiplayer feels consistently great, as you might expect. The new maps based on the older titles are definitely welcome additions, and it definitely brings back a warm sense of nostalgia running through maps like High Noon and Battle Canyon. And if vs. mode isn't quite your thing (which would be mind boggling for Halo fans I'm sure), then you can also opt to play the game via online co-op for Campaign.

There isn't much in the way of additional material, but one of the more significant inclusions is the terminals you can locate within each stage of Halo's main story. These terminals seem to tie into 343's upcoming Halo 4 title, and are mostly told through the perspective of Guilty Spark, the robotic administrator of Halo, and constant thorn in Master Chief's side. There's some heavy allusion to upcoming events and possibilities, and I definitely found my interest piqued after uncovering a handful of them on my first playthrough. Besides the terminals, skulls can also be located in the various levels, and of course the expected additions like achievements are present.

I have very few complaints about Halo Anniversary. The biggest, which is relatively minor overall, is that the framerate tends to hiccup a bit in certain cutscenes. I found this to be a little surprising, because while actually playing the game everything runs fine regardless of the onscreen action. I played the game with the disc installed to hard drive, and then played without it installed, and it seemed to still occur. It wasn't constant, and certainly doesn't ruin anything, but it would be nice to see it run smoothly throughout.

And like I mentioned earlier, the checkpoints of classic Halo are a little off putting in comparison to modern games. I suppose you can chalk that up to the fact that I've grown used to slightly easier experiences in video games. But I had more than one death in the game that forced me to retrace a number of steps leading up to the battle that killed me, and at times that felt a little tedious. I imagine it's difficult to toss out a checkpoint right before a fight in this game, especially since the way you can approach and tackle a battle can be so varied, but I found it annoying nonetheless.

But the good here definitely outweighs any negative feelings I have about the game. Seriously, this sets the bar when it comes to HD remakes or ports. And that whole pressing the back button to change to the older graphics thing is such a minor detail, but becomes really fun to mess with. 343 have done a fantastic job updating a 10 year old game into something that feels entirely modern. Of course, a lot of that is thanks to the groundbreaking work Bungie did a decade ago too, but 343 has given this release the appropriate attention to detail that really helps to show the game off again for modern players. If you're any kind of Halo fan, I highly urge you to check this out. And if you haven't given a damn about the series since the first game, well, this is certainly a good way to jump ba