List of outside references to the Halo series

Halo 3 gameplay as seen in Cavemen.

Halo 2 matchmaking satirized in the webcomic VG Cats.

This following is a list of references to the Halo series made by notable sources outside of the series itself.

Television

30 Rock

• Halo is mentioned often in the show. Liz's boyfriend is seen playing Halo. Tracy Jordan is also seen playing Halo many times throughout the show. During a discussion about playing Halo, he says that "I love Halo. I love it so much, I want to take behind the school yard and make it pregnant!".

Cavemen

• Episode six starts with Andy playing Halo 3. The on-screen gameplay is inconsistent, jumping from High Ground to campaign co-op from shot to shot.
• Additionally, he shouts "Die, Tartarus!", a character from Halo 2, while fighting Grunts.

Chuck

• Chuck plays Halo 3, specifically Oddball on Snowbound.
• A Halo 3 Legendary Edition can be seen in Chuck's bedroom in the episode Chuck Versus The Ring.
• In "Chuck vs. the Couch Lock" Master Chief's helmet can be seen on the table in Chuck and Morgan's living room. Also Morgan's Girlfriend tells him to "Have fun playing HALO for the rest of your life." when she breaks up with him.

Code Monkeys

• In the episode "Valley of the Silicon Dolls", plasma grenades are shown on a wall of Mr. Larrity's office, along with other weapons.

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

• In the 17th episode of the ninth season, while a group of investigators walk past an ambulance to a shoot-out scene, one person remarks it's "like Halo 3".

Dexter

• In the third season episode Go Your Own Way, while camping out in Miguel's office, Dexter entertains himself playing Halo 3. This is a joke where he narrates about setting up to kill people, something we imagine he's preparing for Miguel, but it turns out to be a game. Oddly, the game is played on the computer, which while not impossible, is unlikely to have been set up in such a way as the game itself has no computer port. In addition the sound effects are different.
• In the fifth season episode First Blood, Detective Debra Morgan and Office Cira Manzon stop their vehicle by a wall containing numerous posters, many featuring the cover art for Halo 3: ODST. Later, it's found that underneath some of these posters are signs relating to the Venezuelan gang.

Glee

• In an episode, Finn has a flashback of him playing Halo 3, and states that can he barely finish level one, Sierra 117.
• In another, Artie claims to have been "playing a marathon round of Halo" all summer.

King of the Hill

• In an episode Bobby has the choice to take "Virtual P.E." Hank, his father, walks into the Virtual P.E. room and finds the school principle playing a video game. The game appears to resemble very closely to Halo. The footage shows a "scoped" magnum shooting at creatures vaguley resembling Grunts. The HUD also looks very similar to the Halo 2 HUD.

Knight Rider

• In several episodes of Knight Rider, it shows the main characters playing the first mission in the campaign on Halo 3. Although it shows them playing, the sound effects are incorrect and mostly generic.

MAD TV

• Shortly before the release of Halo 3, the show featured a sketch about the Master Chief having a date.

One Tree Hill

• Two times during the shows 6'th season Millie and Lucas respectivelly plays some Halo Campaign. The Gameplay is from the Halo 3 Level "The Storm"

Psych

• In the episode Not Even Close...Encounters a poster for Halo 3: ODST is shown as well as the Halo Reach Multiplayer Beta. The characters are playing Split screen on Powerhouse and the Loadout choices are seen.

Robot Chicken

A Spartan in Robot Chicken.

John-117 and Sergeant Johnson spoofed within Robot Chicken.

• One episode features a short skit of three Spartans (all wearing Mark V and wielding Assault Rifles) going into the Donkey Kong game where they kill Mario and Donkey Kong and rescue Princess Peach.
• Another sketch within Robot Chicken features makes fun of John-117's hidden physical traits within the game. The sketch begins with a Squad of marines preparing to fight the Covenant. John-117 combat briefs them and mentions that they have his support, but they cannot see his face and physical features. As soon as they begin to fight with the Covenant, John witnesses a heavily wounded marine. As the marine claims that he is dying, John immediately states that he cannot show his physical features as a dying request.

Lastly, John-117 encounters Sergeant Johnson. Johnson is aggravated by John's poor combat performance, lack of a weapon, and the fact that he cannot understand any of John's use of facial expressions. John then asks if he can trade his needler for Johnson's. Johnson then misinterprets that as insult against him.

Scrubs

• In the second episode of season seven, Turk and Carla are attempting to complete a video game at the hospital. Carla refers to Warthogs and Jackals while playing, but when the screen is shown, it is clearly not Halo. In fact, it is Enemy Territory: Quake Wars. You can clearly see for a few seconds when Carla pauses the game, the logo of one of the factions along side the avatar on the right.

Supernatural

• In the episode "Swap Meat", Gary in Sam's body enjoys wielding a shotgun and says, "Booyah! Master Chief is in the house bizatches!"

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles

• During the 8th episode of the first season, some kids can be seen playing Halo 3. At the beginning of the next episode, a guy can be seen playing Halo 3 also.

The Big Bang Theory

• As revealed in the episode The Dumpling Paradox and frequently referenced in subsequent episodes, the nerds have a Halo 3 match every Wednesday night. Aside from the MJOLNIR shield depletion and recharge sounds, all the sound effects are very generic and are not from the game.
  • Leonard, trying to romance Penny, suggests that they play at a Halo competition together. She declines, saying that "...unlike him, she has a life".
  • Later, when Leonard mentions that the nerds are going to play Halo, Sheldon corrects him, stating, "No. We're going to play Halo 3." Sheldon then lists the improvements Halo 3 makes upon its predecessors.
  • Penny continuously kills Sheldon immediately after he spawns, prompting him to criticize her lack of regard for basic multiplayer etiquette. While doing so, she mentions blowing Sheldon's head off and watching it "fly away"; such dismemberment is not present in the game, aside from the Flood. Near the end of the episode, Penny exclaims that she needs a health pack; at the time the episode aired, Halo: Combat Evolved was the only game in the series to feature health packs.
  • During the episode, Sheldon states, "Halo 3 is better than sex."
  • At the end of the episode, Sheldon is stuck by a plasma grenade. Howard yells, "He's cloaking!" and "He's charging his plasma rifle!", the latter of which is not possible.
• Throughout the second and subsequent seasons, the Halo 3 Legendary Edition replica of the MJOLNIR Mark VI helmet can be seen in the background in Sheldon and Leonard's living room.
• In the third season episode The Bozeman Reaction after their apartment is robbed, Sheldon notes that the thieves took their copies of "Halo 1, Halo 2, [and] Halo 3." Interestingly, he does not refer the first game by its proper title, Halo: Combat Evolved, (calling it "Halo 1"), which does not seem to suit his character, though he subsequently identifies several games by their full titles.

The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy

• On the Billy and Mandy Christmas Special there's a shelf in a store with video game boxes entitled, "Hello #2" as a spoofed version of "Halo 2". The boxes also had crude doodles of Master Chief on them with a grin on his face as he waves.

• In the Billy and Mandy special, "UnderFist", Hoss Delgado is seen with an Energy Sword attached to a robotic arm during the credits.
  File:900hossunicorn-2-.jpg

  Hoss Delgado with an Energy Sword

The Sarah Silverman Program

• In one episode, Brian Posehn's character is playing Halo 2 on Xbox Live (despite the fact that the television displays campaign mode, while cooperative play was not available on Xbox LIVE in Halo 2).
• In an episode where they have a video game party, Brian's character states that he brought over Halo 3.

The Simpsons

Both Marge and Homer Simpson playing Halo Multiplayer.

The Master Chief costume on the left.

• In the episode "Waverly Hills 9-0-2-D'oh", Homer Simpson is seen playing a Game parodying Halo's Multiplayer. He then proceeds to teabag a player he had killed.
• In the Halloween special "Treehouse of Horror XX", Master Chief is seen as a Halloween costume worn by Jimbo Jones in the opening of the episode.

Two and A Half Men

• In the second episode of the first season "Big Flapping Bastards", near the end Charlie buys Jake an Xbox and behind them is a Halo: Combat Evolved cardboard cut-out with Master Chief holding an Assault Rifle.
• In the later episodes, a Halo 3 Legendary edition replica of the MJOLNIR Mark VI helmet can be seen in Jake's room.

Veronica Mars

• The eighteenth episode of the second season, "I Am God", contains a flashback in which Logan scornfully suggests that Lucky and Dick plan to spend their time smoking pot and playing Halo. Lucky informs him that the plan is to prank back their rival high school. Dick then asks if afterward they plan to smoke pot and play Halo. Lucky ignores him.
• A deleted scene from the third episode of season one, "Meet John Smith", has Wallace telling Veronica that he's playing Halo as he chats with her on the phone.

Drawn Together

• One of the main characters, Captain Hero, in a scene is seen wielding in one hand an assault rifle resembling a M-16, while in the other he wields a Needler.

Video Games

Bayonetta

• The game uses "halos" as currency. One of Rodin's lines when you enter his shop: "You bring me enough of these halos and maybe I can buy a ticket to space. Always wanted to be a bald space marine."

Borderlands

• One of the control schemes is called "Angelic" and mimics Halo's controls.

Brute Force

• A weapon called the RVG50 Minigun has the same crosshair as the Assault Rifle (and in Halo 2, 3, and ODST, the SMG).

• The games two Sniper Rifles, the L-Shot 50 and L-Shot 75, have the same crosshair and scope screen as the Sniper Rifle as well.

Dead or Alive 4

• After beating the game with every character, you unlock Nicole-458. You also get the Nassau Station level.

Destroy All Humans! Path of the Furon

• During a mission, Crypto and Pox begin to discuss good ideas for video games. Crypto suggests three ideas for some successful video games. His first and second idea have the same premise as the Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog games. His final idea involves a "futuristic space marine" surviving the dangers of a "ring shaped world". This is both a reference to John 117 and "Halo: Combat Evolved".

• While fighting soldiers there is a chance that Crypto will state, "Maybe you boys should have brought the Master Chief along."

Duke Nukem Forever

• Early in Duke Nukem Forever, Duke is offered some green power armor to use when taking on the alien menace in downtown Las Vegas. Duke dismisses power armor as something for "pussies". The chest piece of the armor is the Mark VI chest while the helmet looks like a cross between the early version of the Mark IV and the Mark VI.

Fable II

"Hal's Armor" in Fable II.

"Hal's Rifle" in Fable II.

"Hal's Sword" in Fable II.

• In Fable II the Collector's Edition came with a code to redeem on the Xbox Live market place that gives access to a set of Mark VI MJOLNIR armor and an energy sword. The armor is called Hal's Armor and the Energy Sword Hal's Sword. It also comes with a 5 star title "Master Chief" available for free from the town crier.

• Downloading the Knothole Island DLC gives the player an opportunity to unlock a weapon called Hal's Rifle, which heavily resembles the MA5C Assault Rifle.

• On the map Bowerstone Cemetery under bighorns, there is a collections of blue flowers under a statue that resemble the Halo 3 logo.

Forza Motorsport 4

The Warthog featured within Forza Motorsport 4.

• The Halo 4 Warthog will be featured in Forza Motorsport 4, although it will not be driveable.

Gears of War 2

In the level Disturbing Revelations, upon approaching a subterranean Locust structure, Dominic Santiago says, "I think it's safe to say that's not a natural cave formation." This is a reference to Cortana's infamous line, "This cave is not a natural formation," in Halo: Combat Evolved.

Grand Theft Auto IV

• In the in-game television program, Republican Space Rangers, the three soldiers wear armor similiar to MJOLNIR Armor, although with less detail and clear visors. A ringworld resembling a Halo Installation is also featured several times.

Guitar Hero III

• MJOLNIR Mix, a remix of the Halo theme, is included as a free downloadable extra.

Mass Effect 2

• In the debris field around the Collector base, a ship bearing a striking resemblance to a Halcyon-class Cruiser can be seen.

• A machine called the "Oculus" becomes very similar to 343 Guilty Spark when it goes rampant. Both are spheres with red glowing eyes/eye that shoot red lasers.

Perfect Dark

• The Xbox Live Arcade remake of Perfect Dark allows you to pick between "Classic", "Spartan" and "Duty Calls" controller layouts; "Spartan" mimics Halo 3 controller layout.

Red Dead Redemption

• On a tombstone beside Blackwater Chapel it reads, "Wake me... If something interesting happens". This is possibly a reference to the last known words of Master Chief: "Wake me...when you need me."

Saints Row 2

• An achievement called Splatster Chief can be unlocked by completing all of the Septic Avenger levels. The title of the achievement is a reference to John-117.

Kinectimals

• The game has three unlockable Halo-related toys: a RC Warthog, a RC Ghost, and a Grunt plush doll.

Movies

Accepted

• Two characters are seen playing Halo 2. They are playing the level Cairo Station, on co-op. However, it was never stated by the characters they were playing Halo 2. Also, no NPCs are seen. It can only be determined that they are playing Halo by the heads-up display, and they are using SMGs, single wielded.

Aliens in the Attic

• During the film, while the characters are seen floating, one says, "Wow this is just like Halo!"

Bride Wars

• The grooms-to-be are playing Halo 3 on The Ark.

Dane Cook ISolated INcident

• Dane makes a joke about a girl being raped by a gravity hammer wielded by a camper.

Dead and Deader

• While the main character begins to access a computer, one of his companions questions if he is playing 'Ever-Quest' he replies with his reason for using the machine but afterward states "Besides, I'm more of a Halo guy"

Gamebox 1.0

• During the opening credits, there's a montage of gameplay from various video games. One of these is Halo 2.
• When Charlie goes to take pictures of his friends, they're busy playing Halo: Combat Evolved multiplayer.

Grandma's Boy

• During the title sequence a clip from the Halo 2 level Cairo Station can be seen briefly. Also later in the movie some of the testers can be seen playing a match of Halo 2 multiplayer.

Jumper

• In the movie the second Jumper in his desert lair can be heard playing Halo 3 on the mission The Ark. If you listen carefully you can hear the in game characters say "Tank beats everything! Oh man! I could do this all day!"

Spy Kids 3: Game Over

• While attempting to reach the Toy Maker's headquarters, Junie complains that every video game features lava. In response, another character points out that there's no lava in Halo.

The Longest Yard (2005)

• Halo 2 is played by the guards. However, if looked at closely, the game is only the gameplay footage released for the game. The player had no HUD and they were watching as the Artillery Cannon destroyed a building. One character remarks, "You guys have Halo 2! I didn't think it was out yet!"

17 Again

• At one point in the movie, Mike's friend Ned is playing several video games at once, one of them being Halo 3.

The Prince & Me

• In the movie, the Crown Prince of Denmark comes to Wisconsin to go to a college and take a detour from his destiny as king. With him is his companion and assistant. They get an apartment which they share with a roommate that owns an Xbox and Halo: Combat Evolved. While the Prince, at one point, goes off to another state for a short vacation, the assistant starts playing Halo. The Prince comes back to find his companion sleep deprived and his eyes glued to the TV screen, playing Halo. When the owner of the Xbox tries to take the controller, the assistant viciously yells "GET AWAY" and scares him back, all the while staring at the screen and playing the game.

40 Year Old Virgin

• Andy is seen playing Halo 2 during one scene. When he is interrupted the game is not paused, but an image on the TV of a BR55 Battle Rifle being zoomed in on two Hunters during either Outskirts or Metropolis.

Webseries

Will It Blend?

• In episode 62: Will It Blend? - Halo 3 Tom Dickson states he gets mad at the fact that his 4 and 5 year old grandchildren beat him at Halo 3, so he takes away the game from the standard edition case and blends the game disc telling he will press the "Master Chief" button in the blender.

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog

• In Commentary!, Nathan Fillion references his role in Halo 3 as Reynolds in his song Better Than Niel: "I make seven-layer bean dip of the gods. / I'm also in Halo 3. / What are the odds?"

Smosh

• In Season 2010 Episode 7, Anthony is playing Halo and Ian remarks "Wait. Your tank was upside down and then your Master Chief guy just came up and flipped it right back over?"; also you can hear a Grunt screaming and a Elite saying "Wort, wort, wort". Towards the end of the episode Ian is walking to his mother's house until a dresser falls on him. John-117 appears to assist but cannot lift it. Eventually the Chief says "F*ck this" and walks off, leaving Ian.

The Angry Video Game Nerd

• In Season 1 episode 12, the Nerd reviews Friday the 13th for the NES by LJN, a video game company with a history of making bad games. During the review, the nerd is forced to play the game and give a positive feedback or Jason Vorhees, the antagonist from the film series, will kill him. Near the end of the review, when the nerd has had enough, he claims he would "rather play Halo on a Tiger Electronic wrist game."

The Guild

• In Season 2 episode 10, Riley describes herself as an "FPS girl," noting that she plays Halo.
• In Season 3 episode 6 while Riley and Codex are playing a first-person shooter with generic sound effects a portion of On a Pale Horse can be heard. Later, while Riley is giving Codex a backrub, a sample taken from the Halo: Combat Evolved Opening Suite is played.
• In Season 5 episodes 5-12 while at Megagame-o-ramacon Zaboo recruits two Spartan cosplayers as assistants/goons, referring to them has his "Master Chiefs." Zaboo later discovers, much to his surprise, that the Chiefs are in fact attractive female cosplayers.

CollegeHumor

• In a CH original video "PWN'd Support Group", one player states that she was teamkilled when her teammate drove a Warthog off a cliff.
• The CH original video "Halo 3 Homicide Detective" features a CSI-style investigation of the death of a Spartan in Halo 3 multiplayer.
• An episode of the video game segment "Bleep Bloop" features the cast playing Halo 3: ODST Firefight and Halo 3 multiplayer.
• The CH original video "Halo Spartan Goes to Heaven" features a Spartan who keeps being killed and sent to heaven, only be frustrated when he is pulled back and respawns.

How It Should Have Ended

• How Halo: Reach Should Have Ended features SPARTAN-B312 being introduced to the rest of Noble Team, each of whom makes jokes foreshadowing their deaths before Carter offers him a red shirt. Noble Six screams and runs away. After the credits, Master Chief suggests that next time he be the one to give the orientation talk.

Comics

• In X-force #14 the character Deadpool is wielding a BR55HB SR Battle Rifle and a M6G Magnum Sidearm.

Webcomics

College Roomies from Hell!!!

• This strip from the "SOB Story" storyline features Mike fighting his way into a limo where he thinks his girlfriend is being held captive, only to find two goons playing Halo.

VG Cats

• #36 The Blue Grenades Stick makes fun of anti-Xbox users in a Halo environment. The title refers to Plasma Grenades.
• #123 Alien Abductions makes fun of Halo 2 matchmaking.
• #128 The Crying Game jokes that Samus Aran, heroine of the Metroid games, spent the night with John-117 while drunk.
• #151 Tea Bag makes fun of the Corpse Humping practice in Halo multiplayer matches.
• #163 Coco Beans in Warm Water mentions a patch in Halo 2, as well as a questionable scene involving two Scorpion tanks, as it comments on some controversy in certain video games.
• #182 It's The Thought That Counts features Christmas gift-giving scenes using characters from various video games, including a blue Spartan giving a red Spartan a blue flag in front of a holographic tree.
• #231 Spoons pokes fun at the close proximity of Mongoose riders.
• #285 Obligatory focuses on Halo: Reach and its jetpacks and assassinations.

Music

Fabolous

• In the Music Video for the song "Baby Don't Go", the singer "Fabolous" (John David Jackson), is seen playing Halo 3. The video was created before Halo 3 was released, so the video features the Starry Night Trailer instead of actual gameplay.

Madcon

• Halo 3 gameplay can be seen throughout the Music Video for Madcon's version of the song "Beggin".

Weird Al

• The song "You're Pitiful", has a direct reference to playing Halo 2: "You're half undressed / Eatin' chips off your chest / While you're playin' Halo 2 / No one's classier than you."

Son of Dork

The song "We're Not Alone" features the lyrics "I know you're up there somewhere playing Halo with E.T"

Books

Little Brother

• In the book Little Brother by Cory Doctorow, the "Xbox Universal" is an Xbox that was handed out for free by people dressed as characters from Halo.

Fragment

• In the book Fragment, by Warren Fahy, page 164 (425 some editions) has the character, Peach, playing a game called "Halo 5" on the 26th level.