If you had the choice to play an epic adventure of a character seeking redemption... a fight against an evil so  terrible that the battle stretches across many fields...would you rather play alone or with a buddy? Don't get me wrong, I love a good single player game...but an awesome CO-OP game is where my heart lies.  I think it dates back to titles such as Double Dragon, Streets of Rage, even Captain Quasar on the 3DO! 

With the addition of Xbox live, the PSN and the Wii Network playing with friends does not have to be limited to hanging out on the couch together.  (Nothing wrong with that as well) The gaming industry is moving towards inclusion not exclusion.  We can see what our friends are playing...we can chat, text or even send pics in some cases to our friends while we are playing.  Gaming is becoming a more social event and even purchases are sometimes determined by what your friends are buying.

I recently purchased Resident Evil 5 on 360 instead of PS3 because I have more friends on that system.  Left 4 Dead sold more copies simply based on the fact that it is a 4 player co-op title.  

I have found memories of staying up late with my older brother trying to conquer the streets as Billy and Jimmy Lee trying to get our girl back! (Billy's girl actually)   There was magic in those hours of beating the crap out of an enemy and their was a bond being created with my brother at the same time uniting against a common enemy to win as a team. 

The game was simple enough...two attack buttons...a punch and a kick.  With those two attacks and a jump button we created a tandem so dangerous we took out hundreds of cloned enemy types and countless bosses.  There are other co-op games of the past but Double Dragon stands out as a special title.  

Another co-op classic title is the Simpson's Arcade Game.  Why this is not available as a downloadable game is beyond me...Playing this game with a group of friends at Chuck E Cheese was the highlight of many parties of my past.  There were plenty quarters plopped into that game...it was worth it I tell you.  The game came out in 1991 and to date is one the best Simpsons' title to play.  

A year later the Opus of team based co-op gameplay was released.  X-men the arcade game.  If this title was released by Konami of PSN or Xboxlive or even the Wii channel for 20 bucks...I would buy it in an heart beat!  Players had their choice of one of six X-Men: Cyclops, Colossus, Wolverine, Storm, Nightcrawler, or Dazzler. The plan was simple...stop the villain Magneto.  Players had to fight through an army of hundreds of Sentinels and supervillains such as Pyro, Blob and the Juggernaut.  I really do miss this game...another nice title was Captain America and the Avengers and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles The Arcade Game.

Throughout the years there have been other team based co-op games as well that have been pretty decent.  The Streets of Rage series was a blast.  An obscure Pirates of Dark Water added some co-op action in there for the Snes.  

Altered Beast was a nice title at the launch of the Sega Genesis..who can forget the "Powered Up" battle cry from the game.   There was also Battle Toads, and even Donkey Kong for the Snes.  There is a special feeling when sharing a game experience with a friend or two.  I know there are some nice titles I didn't mention but that would take a while...

There is a difference for a game to offer two player by having a versus mode and a co-op mode.  There are times when that is a fun thing..but most people would rather play with their friends and not against them.  Even some semi-recent titles like Splinter Cell Chaos theory added some extra fun by including a co-op mode.  Sneaking around as a spy became even more fun when you and a partner coordinated attacks on the enemy.   

Then there was Guantlet: Seven Sorrows a title that brought back memories of classic beat em ups with new flair.  With combos and multiple attacks available it was a blast to run through and level up.  

The Halo Series has sold a lot of Xbox's that is for sure...but the Co-op gameplay is what made a great game into cult classic.  Even the multiplayer componet has a co-op feel to it.  Sure fragging oppenets sure is fun but doing it with a group of friends it even better! With a 4 player co-op campaign and a roboust multiplayer Halo 3 has brought a lot of friends together selling aorund 9.1 millions copies (tops for a 360 game!) 

With the Gears of War series Microsoft had another Co-op gem.  Great campaign in co-op and an awesome team based versus mode.  Gears of War 2 opened up a whole new bag or co-op worms.  First there is the nicely paced co-op campaign.  Then, the best feature by far is the Horde mode.  By playing with up to 4 other people you have plan out your attack against multiple enemy types over 50 levels.   With every multiplayer map that is available Horde follows as well.  Horde really makes me wish other games would at this mode as well.  If Halo 3 had it...JOY!  I know Resident Evil 5 has mercenaries mode... however with the inclusion of a mode similar to horde with more than just one partner it would have been even sweeter! 

Speaking of Resident Evil 5...Holy Co-op Goodness. The game may not be a survivor horror anymore...but as  an action title it soars, leaps and bounds.  The Chris Redfield and Sheva Alomar combo works just as good and Marcus and Dom! 

Playing with a friend instead of against them will always be a winning choice.  Tackling an adventure with a buddy will always be more attractive than playing alone.  There are some single player games that need to be single player...that is no problem...but a great co-op title will be a winner every time.  

Here are some nice co-op teams

Billy and Jimmy Lee -Double Dragon

Marcus and Dom- Gears of War 

Master Chief and the Arbiter- Halo 3 

Chris Redfield and Sheva Alomar- Resident Evil 5 

Tyson Rios and Elliot Salem -Army of Two

Pimple, Rash, Zits- Battle Toads 

Axel, Adam, Blaze- Streets of Rage

For a list of Co-Op games old and new check out co-optimus. Remember playing games is always better with a friend! 

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