With a pang of nostalgia in our hearts, we trod through miles of memory lane. From popping in the old Halo's, to picking apart the most similar parts of the remakes, we were struck with a longing for some of the greatest maps gone by. Luckily for us, you guys have some superb talents, and managed to subside our hunger for some of the greatest Halo:CE and Halo 2 maps we were no longer able to play.
A note to all competitors
On behalf of all the Forge Hub staff, I would like to thank you all for competing in one of the most successful contests we have ever had. With upwards of 60 entries, judging was a long and arduous process, but the gems you created made it well worth our time. That being sad, our judging and scoring process was fairly complicated. Basically, it was grading on a curve. Each map was given an initial score, usually a few points higher than what would be its final score. The maps over 7.5 were chosen to move on to the second round of judging, a more rigorous comparison, as well as longer playtests. Out of these 14 maps, there happened to be 5 after the curve standing with a 7.5 or higher. These maps were again given play tests, nitpicked and compared as we chose the overall winner. Because of this, no scores will be listed. Don't feel bad, as we judged pretty harshly. Inaccuracies in game play, missing parts of the map, breakability and other issues all detracted from an overall score. Many maps were also disqualified under the pretense "spiritual successor". Alas, we thank you all for participating - the contest would not have been successful without its many contestants.
The Winners Circle
The winners circle consists of the top five maps. A first place, a second place and the remaining three runners up are placed in this category. All five of these maps showed extreme promise, and prove that with attention to detail and great item usage, it's possible to bring back some awesome moments from your favorite old school maps. We congratulate the five contestants who achieved this level of success, without your awesome maps, we'd be forced to play some Halo 2.
The Runners Up
First I want to thank you guys for competing. All three of your maps were extremely fun to play, and brought for some good custom game action. I hope you all enjoy your shiny new custom title of "Forgotten Forger".
Turf (Turf, Halo 2)
By Engine
A very solid rendition of a Halo 2 favorite, complete with warthog fits perfectly in the Sandbox Crypt. With a lacking of great FFA maps in Halo 3, Turf fills that spot with its great run 'n gun action. On top of the hectic moments, some tactical and competitive Double Team is still king.
http://img5.imageshack.us/i/turf.jpg/
Ber Ber Creek (Beaver Creek, Halo 2)
By xXOmgEazyBizzleXx
This one surprised us. Not only was it stunningly beautiful, it was quite accurate in structure, complete with its own floor. Minor issues such as jumping to and from the base/top mid/sniper and the cramped teleporter areas held this one back from utmost greatness. Having said that, no map has done a better job capturing the magic of Beaver Creek, and is most definitely a fun map for a variety of gametypes.
http://img3.imageshack.us/i/72779476.jpg/
Unforgiven (Tombstone, Halo 2)
By centurionomegai
Complete with its own floor, this Tombstone remake feels perfect in the Crypt. Anyone who misses their favorite FFA, Snipers, Slayer or SWAT moments from Tombstone should definitely look into this map. No Tombstone/Hang 'Em High remake yet has done such a great job of capturing the scope and size of Tombstone, along with utmost accuracy.
http://img40.imageshack.us/i/77670873full.jpg/
Download Unforgiven
Second Place Winner
Congratulations sir, this was one tough remake and you pulled it off wonderfully. Somehow, we had overlooked this map in our numerous scans through the submission thread preceding the contest end. That being said, we hope you enjoy you custom title of "Forgotten Mason" and a feature count towards premium. One more front page map will gain you entry into the coveted Hub Pub.
Blamnation (Damnation, Halo CE)
By XxmrmojorisinxX
Impressive in both scale and accuracy, Blamnation was a welcome sight for Halo:CE fans. As long as everyone stays inside the map, you'll feel right at home. This Damnation remake nails both the size and scale of the original. Not only does it remain quite accurate, it adds some new elements to gameplay with Halo 3's absence of fall damage. Dropping from top snipe to rocket for an assassination has never felt so awesome. The breakability is a minor issue, but this superb recreation could not be ignored.
http://img40.imageshack.us/i/dam1v.jpg/
Download Blamnation
First Place Winner
Congratulations sir, you have done a mighty fine job creating the most accurate forge remake of any map to date. Not only is this the most easily recognizable recreation, it matches the game play from Halo 2 near perfect, as well as fitting right in to Halo 3. I tell you one thing, I would not be opposed to seeing this map in the matchmaking rotation, that's for sure. Congratulations again, and enjoy your Custom Title of "Forgotten Architect", 1500 Microsoft Points, and a front page feature post for your map.
Electron -2e (Warlock, Halo 2)
By ScarecrowXavier
Mr Xavier has created the most accurate remake of a Halo:CE/Halo 2 map using Halo's forge to date. Past this, there isn't much else to say. Make sure to look for the Featured Map post tomorrow for more information on this great map.