But until video games deal the final blow to action figures, there's still time for the 3D plastic play things to live off them like a parasite. Every popular video game has had an action figure line, sometimes successful and sometimes not.

Halo, and it's sequel Halo 2, have certainly been successful games. They chronicle the exploits of Master Chief, who battles the evil Covenant. The original game helped sell the Xbox, and Halo 3 will likely be released to the Xbox 360 at about the time that Playstation releases it's next console, in an attempt by Microsoft to steal some of their thunder.

Joyride Studios has had a successful Halo action figure line based on the license, in both a larger scale and in mini format. Tonight's review covers one of the mini five packs.

If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, you can always reach me at mwc@mwctoys.com. If you enjoy this review, take a minute to check out my other site at Michael's Review of the Week, and let me know what you think. Now on to the review!

"Halo 2 - Active Camo 5 pack"

This set is exclusive to Non-Stop Toys, and is a limited run of 5000. There's five figures in the set - a painted Master Chief, a clear Elite Guard, a clear Spartan, and two clear Grunts. These clear figures approximate the look of the 'active camo', a Predator-like cloaking device.

Packaging - **1/2
The packaging is fairly basic, with a bubble and cardback. The graphics are straightforward but not flashy, and the packaging is utilitarian in design. No big marks for creativity, but at least it does the basic job well.

The back of the card declares the set's exclusivity, and includes a unique number out of the 5000 run.

Sculpting - ***
The sculpts on all five figures are fairly detailed, but the only one that's easy to truly see is the painted Master Chief. The downside to clear figures is that much of the sculpt detail is difficult to perceive, especially in this small of a scale. Of course, the upside is that they have a natural cool about them, sort of like the Barry White of action figures.

The Master Chief and Spartan figures are identical sculpts, as are the two Grunts. That means that of the five, three are truly unique figures.

All of these stand well on their own, and they can hold their accessories with the sculpted hands. However, the Master Chief and Spartan had a little trouble keeping the gun in their hands, as the fit is a bit loose. I was surprised at how well both the Grunts and Elite stood, considering the larger upper bodies and the tiny feet.

Scale on these is about 3", smaller than your usual Star Wars figure, and on par with a large PVC.

Paint - ***
The only figure here with a paint application is the green Master Chief, but the work is quite good at this scale. There's some nice small detail work, with good color consistency and very little slop.

While the camo figures lack paint ops, I have to admit to being a sucker for clear figures. There are some folks that collect any clear figure as a subset, and I have a ton of them myself. There's just something cool about the icy appearance.

Articulation - Master Chief, Spartan ***; Elite **; Grunts Bupkis
The Grunts are simply PVC's, with no articulation. Fortunately the sculpted pose works well on its own.

I was actually surprised that any of these figures had articulation. I was expecting simple PVC's when I first saw them, but was pleasantly surprised to find articulated shoulders on the Elite, and a cut neck, ball shoulders and hips, pin elbows and pin knees on the Master Chief and Spartan.

The ball joints on these two don't have a terrific range of movement, but the sheer number of joints for this size figure was still quite amazing. Some additional cut joints might have helped, particularly at the wrists, but it's a minor quibble.

Accessories - **1/2
Each figure comes with one accessory. The two grunts include their blaster pistols, both the Master Chief and Spartan have a rifle, and the Elite has his blue thingamijig. I don't recall the name, but I know you don't want to be around it.

Fun Factor - ***
Kids really enjoy small scale figures, and these combine solid sculpting with some fun articulation and accessories. They aren't likely to be high on any kid's wish list, but they'd be happy with them once they found them in their stocking.

Value - **
Ah, the old value score. Many an action figure takes it in the groin in this category. This exclusive set of five is selling for around $20, which is due largely to the exclusivity. With only 5000 sets, it drives up the production costs. Of course, balancing that out is the fact that only three unique figures are in this set, and you're paying $4 each. That's no small potatoes.

Overall - ***
The big Halo fan will find these interesting and unique, with great sculpts and a quirky visual appeal. Kid's who enjoy the game may also like them, as will the cat if you're not careful.

Where to Buy -
Non Stop Toys is your answer, as this set is an exclusive to their store.

Related Links -
This is my first personal Halo review, but I have a guest review of one of the larger Grunts, the Elite Guard and of the Master Chief.