1. Button Layout Basics

Halo 3 offers a variety of different controller schemes. In addition to the button layouts you have come to expect from the Halo franchise, a few new schemes have been added in order to cater to the Xbox 360 controller. At this point, two button layouts seem to be the choice of the majority of competitive players: Default and Bumper Jumper.

2. Default

Default has been the standard button layout since the days of Halo: CE and is still widely used to this day. Over the course of time, Default has often become locked into the subconscious of the player, giving them the advantage of familiarity. However, a disadvantage of Default comes when a jump, reload, melee, or weapon swap is needed. Doing so requires you to take your thumb off of the right thumbstick, leaving you partially immobile. Many good players, however, overcome this "disability" due to mere intelligent positioning or adaptation.

3. Bumper Jumper

Bumper Jumper was introduced with the release of Halo 3 and has gained popularity with the competitive crowd. Bumper Jumper caters to the Xbox 360 controller by making use of the left and right bumper buttons (left for jump, right for melee). Unlike Default, Bumper Jumper allows you to perform other functions when performing these two common acts.

With the addition of Bumper Jumper, new forms of strafing are starting to evolve. This is commonly referred to as jump-strafing. Jump-strafing adds the element of a vertical strafe, as opposed to the often predictable horizontal strafe. Jumping while in the midst of a battle-rifle fight can often cause your opponent to miss, giving you extra time to finish off the kill.