Blastacular Pack

The Blastacular Pack is a downloadable content package for Halo 2. It was released on April 17, 2007 for $4.00, and re-released as an updated package on May 7, 2007 (still for $4.00), as several glitches discovered in the included content had been fixed. The Blastacular Pack was made permanently free on July 7, 2007. This download was required in order to play Halo 2 Matchmaking over Xbox Live. Both maps in the map pack were created by the video game studio Certain Affinity instead of Bungie.

Due to the pack's release in 2007, it is not included in either the Halo 2 Multiplayer Map Pack or the PC port of Halo 2, making the content now unattainable for the original Halo 2 game. However, it is included in the release of Halo: The Master Chief Collection.

Desolation
Desolation is a remake of the Halo: Combat Evolved level Derelict, set in the jungles of Installation 05.

Tombstone
Tombstone is a remake of the Halo: Combat Evolved level Hang 'Em High, with several alterations to map layout to account for the differences in gameplay offered by Halo 2.

Production notes
The Blastacular map pack was originally slated to include three maps; two remakes and one original map. The map pack's original release date was to be set later in 2007, but Bungie's release date for the Halo 3 Beta ultimately forced Certain Affinity to scale back the map pack to ensure it could release before the Halo 3 Beta and not clash. As a result, the original map design was cut, a decision said by Max Hoberman to be one made for the wrong reasons, as the cut map had potential and was turning out well. The cut map would have been asymmetric and very similar to Zanzibar, focusing on one-flag CTF and other similar gamemodes with lots of dynamic elements, with a major element being a light bridge that could be turned on and off.

During the map pack's development, the Halo: Combat Evolved PC map Timberland was considered by Hoberman for inclusion as a remake in Halo 2. The map was eventually remade as Ridgeline in the Anniversary Map Pack for Halo: Reach.

Trivia

 * The Blastacular Pack takes up 142 MB on the Xbox's HDD.