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While Xbox 360 and PS3 users have worked themselves into a veritable tizzy over downloadable content, PC users have been accustomed to having the lifeline of their favorite games extended far past their in-the-box values since the days of Doom - and even before that. What's more, we're used to downloading new levels, weapons, characters, and new episodes absolutely free of charge.

Big Download understands that a five-hour game can be extended by hundreds of hours via total conversions, brand new monsters, and weapons you've always wanted to see in your favorite title. In the spirit of extending a title's longevity beyond mere out-of-the-box expectations, MODmonday celebrates the best modifications for games new and old. Half-Life, Half-Life 2, StarCraft, Diablo II, Doom and more will all be represented here, ensuring a wide spread of mods available across every possible genre of PC gaming.

This week's MODmonday modification is Polar Paradise, a total conversion for Max Payne that casts players in the role of Dinky, a big, angry polar bear with an automatic snowball rifle. Stay tuned to MODmonday as we count down until the release of the Max Payne movie on October 16 by covering some of the best mods for Max Payne and Max Payne 2.

Welcome to Freeware Friday, a weekly column showcasing excellent games that you can play free of charge!

Before Cave Story, there was a Metroidvania that really caught the eye of the indie community. It was a superbly polished gem of a game, and also incredibly hard. During development it was highly anticipated among a fair bit of gamers. Most fans of indie games, after playing it, realized that they had never played an indie game with that much polish. No game really approached its level until Cave Story a few years later. The game in question is Eternal Daughter, made by Jon Perry and Derek Yu (who is perhaps even more well known for the award-winning game Aquaria).

In a review of a previous American McGee's Grimm episode, I wrapped up my analysis by stating that each of the games has been fun, but those who don't feel like shelling out bucks for each entry's admittedly cheap fare should wait for their favorite fairy tales to come around. I'd like to amend that statement. True, Grimm episodes have focused on and will continue to feature popular fairy tales such as Little Red Riding Hood, but for many, the appeal of little-known tales (whether personally or universally) could be the saving grace of this platformer whose mechanics don't change much between episodes.

Take this week's installment: Godfather Death, a chilling tale with which I was unfamiliar despite being a fan of the Brothers Grimm. Grisly though they usually are, the brothers' tales are not quite macabre enough for Grimm, the titular protagonist of Spicy Horse's episodic series. In episode six, Grimm not only darkens the tale of Godfather Death, but manages to traverse many of the series' most clever and beautiful playgrounds yet.

We here at Big Download love indie games. From telling you about them, playing them, or offering downloads for them, we are all about helping lesser-known developers get their name out into the world. Each week on Saturday, we'll give you the Indie Wrap-up, a collection of all the indie news stories and features during the previous week.

It was a slow week on both the news and features fronts for the indie scene. No in-depths, no interviews, and no MODvelous Monday graced us this week, and the TIGSource Procedural Generation Competition has wrapped up. Here's looking at next week for more interesting indie news and features!

Features

Freeware Friday: Battleships Forever James Murff takes a look at yet another freeware game. This time, it's the IGF finalist Battleships Forever!