LCD HDTV: These items used to cost an arm and a leg several years back, but with the emergence of LED TV technology, LCD HDTVs have become more affordable than ever. Now, you can upgrade your viewing experience and enjoy remarkable picture quality at a fraction of what they used to cost. Whether you’re looking for a 22″ or 40″ LCD HDTV, expect a great selection of brands and sizes during Black Friday.

Digital Photo Frame: Replace those old photo frames with a digital photo frame that will create a slideshow of all your photos. Simply load your photos in the digital photo frame via memory card and watch as several of your photos become revealed.

Digital Camera: No matter the price, digital cameras are always going to be a wise investment. It’s a convenient item that allows you to capture all of life’s special moments to cherish forever. If you still own a camera with less than 8 megapixels, consider upgrading to a 10 or 12 megapixel digital camera for sharper and clearer photographs. If you’re really big on photography as a hobby, many stores will also be offering deals on DSLR cameras.

Video Games and Game Consoles: Great for all the avid video game enthusiasts, certain video games and game consoles will be available at discounted prices. For your convenience, watch for deals that include games and the console as a bundle deal.

Storage Device: To store all your important files, storage devices like external hard drives and USB flash drives are always great for backup memory. Expect 1 TB (terabyte) external hard drives to be a must-have for many consumers this Black Friday.

To see all the available deals and ads, check out our Black Friday page for a list of the items that are being offered by many retail stores.

-John

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Street Fighter IV Review. Capcom has brought one of their best franchises back with Street Fighter IV and it packs a punch, kick, and much more. Advances like high speed internet and awesome online console support via Xbox Live and the Playstation Network have elevated fighting games from being fanboy favorites to mainstream monoliths of gaming today. Capcom has managed to cater to the hardcore fans and make the game very accessible to new players. If you have not traditionally played many fighting games, now is the time to start.

One of my favorite features of SFIV is the trial mode in which players perform moves and combos. The trials for each character get harder as you continue to unlock them. This is a great way to familiarize yourself with each characters normal moves, specials, and combo mechanics. For the more serious fighter there is a training mode that allows you to display attack data such as damage and your controller inputs. In this mode you can practice against a dummy, CPU controller opponent, or even against a 10 second recording that you can make and playback. Other challenge modes include survival mode, and timed attack. In survival you keep fighting in stages without regenerating health, or regenerating a small % of health. In the timed attack mode you have to try to finish your opponents against the clock.

If you want to forego any training or challenge modes, no matter what your skill level is you can hop right into the game and have fun. There are 8 different difficulty levels in the arcade mode ranging from easiest to hardest. Each character has their own little hand-drawn anime story that includes an intro and ending, but to be honest they are my least favorite part of the game. Most of the stories hardly make any sense and they are super corny. There is a portion of the game where they use the in game engine for some story telling right before you fight your “rival”, right before the final boss fight. In my opinion the whole game’s story telling should have been in this manner. The single player mode offers up a good amount of challenge, but there is not much to keep you coming back in terms of storytelling. However, you do have to beat the game with varying characters to unlock the 9/25 hidden characters. If you want to unlock them as soon as possible you can set the difficulty to easiest, rounds to best out of 1, and time limit to 30 seconds. Personally, I don’t mind having to unlock characters, but it becomes a problem when you want to play the game at a friend’s place. If you bring your copy of SFIV to your friend’s apartment you will probably find that your favorite character has not been unlocked yet! The unlocks are linked to your specific console and cannot be copied over on a flash drive.

There are some new gameplay mechanics in SFIV that have not been in the previous titles. There are two meters at bottom of the HUD. The EX meter fills up as you attack and can be used to perform your character’s super move when it is full, or EX moves for ¼ of the full meter. EX moves are stronger forms of normal special moves performed by hitting two or more of the attack inputs while performing the same joystick movement. These moves perform more damage and some generate armor that can absorb one attack from your opponent and still come out. Super moves are unique attacks that do a lot of damage. It is fun to try to strike a balance between using the EX moves and when to save for your super. There is also the revenge meter which fills up as you get hit and can be used to perform the very cool looking ultra combos. These are unique attacks that have amazing animations that can rotate the camera angle and inflict loads of damage if pulled off correctly. The presence of the revenge meter means that the tides of battle can turn very quickly, but if you miss your ultra you leave yourself wide open for counterattacks. In addition to the meters SFIV also implements focus attacks. In order to perform a focus attack you hold down medium punch and medium kick. Your character begins to glow with a shadowy aura and you can release the buttons when you want the attack to come out. What is unique about the focus attack is that it can absorb one of your opponent’s hits, similar to certain EX moves. Landing a fully charged focus attack crumples your opponent and leaves them open to a big combo or an ultra/super attack. You can also cancel the focus attack by dashing out of it. This technique is used to absorb fireballs, fake out your opponent, and perform more complicated combos.

After unlocking your characters and getting used to the new gameplay mechanics you can hop into online play. You can play in non-ranked matches called player matches or you can play ranked matches. The ranked matches award battle points. When you beat an opponent with more battle points than you, they lose points and you gain points. The greater the disparity of battle points, the more is transferred. Capcom has also patched in championship mode, which is basically a tournament mode. There are different tier levels that you can work your way up as you continue to win. Sometimes it is hard to find a game in championship mode because you have to wait for someone who has also won x amount of previous matches and is in the same position as you in the tournament. Fortunately SFIV has a feature where you can play in the single player while still waiting for an online game. When a game becomes available you are pulled out of the singleplayer straight into the online lobby just like in the arcades. One of the things lacking is support for group lobbies. You can’t join a room with your friends and play your own little tournament. You are limited to playing with one friend at a time, and you cannot watch other people fight online. The netcode for SFIV is done very well and provides for a smooth online experience, but there can be some lag during peak hours if you are playing someone that is located far away from you. There are players of all different skill levels online and the challenge will keep you coming back for more. If you like the game and are looking to improve your skill the online portion of this game offers near endless lasting appeal.

Street Fighter IV is dubbed as the first 3D street fighter experience because the characters are rendered in 3D as well as the backgrounds. However, with the exception of the ultra combos the gameplay is limited to a 2D fighting field. At heart it is still a 2D fighter, except it is animated in 3D. Still, the character models and backgrounds in SFIV are brilliant and bring a fresh new face to a classic game franchise. One gripe I have with the character models is that some of them are just too buff! Half of them look like body builders that can barely scratch their own heads. The game has a lot of style and each character is unique. The ultra combo animations are very cool and allow you time to take in the beauty of the game.

Some say the only way to truly enjoy a fighting game is to play it on an arcade stick. Not everyone is going to dump the extra cash on a Madcatz Tournament Edition Fightstick, but there are cheaper alternatives such as the Hori Fighting Stick 3 that pack a lot of bang for their buck. With all that said, the game is perfectly playable with a normal PS3 or Xbox360 controller. It is all about personal preference. No matter what you use to play this game it is going to be fun.

One of the great things about this game is the devoted online community. There are several websites and forums such as Eventhubs and Shoryuken dedicated to Street Fighter games that you can use to learn and explore the true depth of this fantastic fighting game. Street Fighter IV is one of the best games this generation and is a must own for any fighting game fan, or casual gamer.

This game scores a 4.5 out of 5 in my book.

Guest Blogger: Oliver K.

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wooden swing set

Children today have so many reasons to stay indoors with their video games, internet and great television shows.  Why not give your children and your grandchildren a reason to go play out side?

Other then the obvious health benefits to naturally  increase Vitamin D and decrease depression [Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)], children need a little more enticing to play outdoors.  Here are some tips on how to give your child fun in the sun, safely in your own backyard.

Wooden swing sets are the prefect customizable playsets for children of all ages.  Newer swing sets enable you to pick and choose the features your children and grandchildren might find enjoyable and even challenging.

buoy ball swing

• Molded swing allows infants a secure seat while being pushed
• Bucket swing lets toddlers learn how to pump their legs while still being secure
• Tire swing enables room for multiple children to swing and spin each other
• Disc swing challenges the more agile children when sitting or standing
• Buoy ball swing promotes balance and upper body strength for older children

To find the best wooden swing set and customizable swings for your children, be sure to check out Become.com.  There you can see pictures and details of different wooden swing sets while you can easily compare prices at a glance.

Enjoy fun in the sun!

-Desiree

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Backcountry

This Highgear Loft watch is 33% off at Backcountry.

Xbox 360

the Xbox 360 platform is selling for only $180.

Snowboard Jacket

This snowboarding jacket is not only 30% off from Backcountry, it also ships for free!

Les Paul Xbox 360 Wireless Guitar

This Guitar, for use with the Guitar Hero game on the Xbox 360, is 43% off!  Based on the famous Gibson Les Paul Guitar, this wireless controller will rock your world.

Canon PowerShot A590IS 8MP

The Canon Powershot A590 IS is a digital camera with 4x optical image-stabilized zoom.  It’s a powerful camera that is onsale for an astonishing 54% off!

Look for these and other great deals for Cyber Monday at Become.com!

Will

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Here are 5 awesome ways to relive the glory days:

5) Video Games
Video Games are awesome, and we all know it. There is one particular system that now lets us relive our epic childhood adventures, and that’s the Nintendo Wii. The Wii has gotten some criticism that it really doesn’t have the greatest selection of games, and while this may be true, it does have some of the best classic games out there. If you’re looking to capture some memories, why not go back and battle Bowser’s minion’s again in the original Super Mario Brothers? Or best the evil Dr. Robotnik in Sonic the Hedgehog?

4) Old Cartoon Shows
We all have fond memories of sitting in front of the TV on Saturday morning watching our favorite cartoon shows. Who didn’t love the original X-men series, Captain Planet, Ren and Stimpy, Doug, or Rocko’s Modern Life? Consider picking up the DVD sets of these shows and kicking back over some Cinnamon Toast Crunch for a marathon of classic goodness. You can even find some of the more amusingly bad cartoons like The Legend of Zelda Animated Series, or the Mario Brothers Super Show.

3) Pogs, Magic Cards, Dungeons and Dragons, or Other Collectibles
No matter how cool we currently think we are, we all had a hobby that could be defined as incredibly geeky. Remember how cool you thought you were with that giant metal slammer and the collection of 10,000 Pogs (including that full set of rare holographic Ninja Turtle Pogs). How about your unbeatable deck of Magic the Gathering cards, or your level 9 thief and collection of dungeon master books? It may be time to dust those off and gather the old friends together for some good old fashion fun.

2) Nerf Weaponry
If your adult life has lead you to the tiny cage they call a cubicle, then you may want to consider arming your private corporate castle with some of top of the line weaponry. While flamethrowers and spear guns would certainly keep Frank from accounting at bay it probably wouldn’t be the best for your future employment. This is another area where memories of childhood fun can help out again. The science of Nerf weaponry has improved over the years, and while the classic crossbow still exists in some form you may want to consider upgrading to something with a bit more…kick.

1) Classic TV show t-shirts
Remember how much you wanted to be on Legends of the Hidden Temple? Your longing to spend the summer at Camp Onawana? Or the long hours of training to be on Guts? Well unfortunately you’re not cool enough to be on any of those shows, but that shouldn’t stop you from pretending you were. Past Blastin’ Shirts lets you do with money what were never able to do with talent, kind of like college

Kris

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Must an art form be depressing, or at least capable of being depressing? First of all, the nature of the experiment was such that it could never have produced a complete result. While Bioshock does give the player a certain sense of power, and doesn’t leave the player “depressed” so the speak, there is a definite emotional reaction to the story that is portrayed. Throughout the story the player experiences everything from complete shock at the atrocities which have befallen Rapture (the little sisters anyone?), to terror, to moral satisfaction. There are many points in the game where the player must make a moral choice (whether to harvest or rescue the little sisters for Adam), and making that choice can make the player feel remorseful or justified. Bioshock does end with a certain satisfaction, but this is not true for every game. The Darkness, for example, leaves the player with a serious sense of failure after beating the game. The player isn’t dissatisfied with the result, but feels as though they have lost the real battle.

Musgrove makes the point, “Would anybody play a game that makes him sad.” My answer to that question is a resounding “yes,” as long as there is a element of “fun” along with that sadness. In fact, if a player is seriously emotionally connected with a character in the story (see death of Aeris) they are far more likely to enjoy the experience they are having. Since the player gains control of a character in a video game their emotional attachment to that character is more powerful than with books or movies. This is why Dirda found it so easy to become lost in the story of Bioshock. Since he was controlling Jack’s actions in the story, he was a moral actor in the same story that was being told to him. That is the power of video games as an art form.

One can say, “video games are not literature,” and be entirely accurate. Video games should not be held to the same standard as books (not that they should be held to a lower standard either). In the end it seems as through Dirda has an open mind to the concept of Video Games as art, which is more than you can say for many. There is no denying that this medium has reached a critical mass, and there is no stopping it.

Thanks to Joystiq.

Kris

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1) Gamefly Account: How often have you seen a really cool game featured in an ad, or on some review site but didn’t know if it was for you. In days of yore we’d have to trek down to Blockbuster and see if the game wasn’t rented out by the 40 other people with the same idea. If we were lucky enough to get the game we’d have to return it in 3 days. With Gamefly you can nearly always get the game you want, and you can keep it until you’ve crushed every last alien zombie ninja in the thing. If you don’t have a gamefly account then you’re probably spending far too much money on games you don’t really need.

2) Gametap Account: Gametap is one of the most underrated things in gaming at the moment. Every week they keep surprising me with the quality games they are putting on the site. Gametap can connect you to all the great classics that you remember as a kid, as well as hit you with originals that quite often knock you off you feet. These guys have exclusive rights to the new American McGee game. If that doesn’t make you bust out your credit card then nothing will.

3) Bioshock: I snuck this in here. Honestly, this is probably one of the greatest games to come out this year. If you have a computer that is good enough to run this (which you should, see 5), then you need to pick this up. Amazing visuals coupled with a fantastic storyline and an amazing atmosphere makes this game something that every gamer should have played through at least once.

4) Next Gen Console: Are you seriously still playing on an original Xbox or Playstation 2? If you haven’t picked up the next gen console then you really have just allowed the rest of the world to leave you in the dust. I don’t care if it’s a Wii, PS3, or 360. You are way past your prime in gaming if you’re still using a last gen system. So go upgrade.

5) Quality custom built gaming computer: This is an investment, but a real gamer needs to make this investment to keep up. One this is absolutely certain, Dell does not make good gaming machines. If you want to get the most out of your money, you need get a computer that was built for you. Digital Storm Online is a new company that can offer great products at a low cost. If you have the money, a Voodoo PC or Falcon Northwest machine can give you everything you’re looking for a more. If you’re using a Dell XPS or something by HP then you are really not getting the most of your games.

Kris

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