The Best of Big Download: November 24-30

by Joystiq Staff @joystiq on Nov 30th 2008 9:00AM

The last week of November was all about giving at Big Download as we posted up a ton of holiday gift guides and started a contest that will net one of our readers a tricked out gaming PC rig. Let's look at the highlights for the past week:

Exclusive features

Holiday gift guides: We have tons of suggestions and opinions on buying games this season: How PC gaming saves you money; Big Download's 2008 PC Gaming Holiday Gift Guide; Big Iron's 2008 Holiday Wish List; Big Download's 2008 Holiday Gift Card Guide For Future Games; 15 Indie Games For The Holidays; Black Friday 08 Virtual Bargain Bin
Contest: Would you like to win a $2,499 gaming PC from iBuypower? Then check out our biggest contest yet for all the details.
Reviews: We have our final verdict on Call of Duty: World at War and Penny Arcade Adventures Chapter 2
Mac Monday: Our regular Mac game column takes a look at the 2D adventure game Aquaria.
MODmonday: Our mod column takes a look at the Half-Life mod Action Half-Life
Boot Disk: Our retro gaming column takes a look at the original Half-Life.
Big Ideas: Our weekly look at game industry themes is all about the children.
Freeware Friday: Our weekly look at free games takes a gander at the indie fighting game Toribash

Downloads

C&C: Red Alert 3 demo: Check out this single player demo for EA's RTS game
Pyroblazer demo: It's the demo to the recent indie sci-fi combat racing game from Eipix
Zombie Shooter 2 demo: It's the demo to the arcade shooter game from Sigma Team
Starcraft patches: We have the latest patches for Blizzard's original RTS game and the Brood War expansion
PRISM: Guard Shield full game: We have the latest version of the full multiplayer game designed as a US National Guard recruiting tool
ARMA II trailer: Check out the first gameplay trailer for Bohemia Interactive's military shooter
Batman: Arkham Asylum trailer: It's the first gameplay trailer for the super hero action game from Rocksteady and Eidos
Wanted: Weapons of Fate trailer: It's the first gameplay trailer for the movie based action game from developer GRIN