Whenever you discuss a "classic" in any field, nostalgia plays a large role. The lens of nostalgia makes any old thing you remember look much better than it may actually deserve to be. Today's co-op classic, Twin Cobra, is a good example of this effect.

The weekend stretches ahead, full (we hope) of free time for gaming.  Here are the games of choice for Co-Optimus staffers.

Nick - "Getting to see some family this weekend I haven't seen in a while so we'll check out some DJ Hero co-op and possibly Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2.  I plan on enjoying some Uncharted 2 in both single and multiplayer"

Marc - "We'll be out of town this evening, which limits me to Fire Emblem on my DS.  When we return, Guitar Hero Van Halen and more of the Left 4 Dead 2 demo!"

Mike - "It'll be a bit of a light weekend for me, but I'm definitely going to be playing more Borderlands and perhaps gun through the Left 4 Dead 2 demo a few more times."

Jim - "I'll be playing Star Wars Battlefront: Elite Squadron for PSP, Call of Duty 4, and the Left 4 Dead 2 demo."

Katrina - "Fairytale Fights will be my big co-op fun (hit up "Shadokat Regn" with a message to play Fairytale Fights if you have it!) Otherwise I'd really like to get in some more Overlord 2 or Batman: Arkham Asylum."

Jason - "Borderlands whet my appetite for dungeon crawl/loot-whoring so I picked up Torchlight earlier this week so I'll be getting my fill of it this weekend. I also need to play through the latest chapter in the Tales of Monkey Island, and hopefully checking out the Left 4 Dead 2 demo with some folks instead of comp AI."

How about yourself?

From the darkest depths of the internet, we bring you this startling insight into the minds of today's youth.

Begin chat transcript.

TaylorFan4Evah: r u buying band hero?

Sparkles14: omg ya of course it has Taylor! why wouldn't I buy it? you can meet her if you buy lol

TaylorFan4Evah: MEET HER?  how?

Sparkles14: just buy the game and enter a code u can go backstage and meet her i think i would die shes so awesome

TaylorFan4Evah: i know right? but what about gwen stefani she's all mad at band hero or something

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It appears the boycott isn't really working at all!  Preorder sales for Left 4 Dead 2 are doing quite well, according to CVG's interview with Valve's Chet Faliszek.  How well?  Try four times the level of the original Left 4 Dead.  After playing through the demo, I can easily see why; the game looks to be one of the year's best.

Maybe you are on the fence about the game, and can't decide whether to preorder?  You might want to check out this video at G4TV.  It's a twelve minute walkthrough of the new "realism" difficulty level.  There's quite a lot of interesting information, including a few tidbits about the AI Director, which controls in-game events.  The new and improved Director will monitor how well players are progressing, and alter the environment to compensate.  For example, if a group of players is working well together, the amount of rainfall might increase to make shooting more difficult.  A nice touch, for sure, and we can't wait to get our hands on Left 4 Dead 2 later this month.

Source: Link

I want you to take a good look at the picture above.  Upon first glance, it looks kinda cute, right?  Shorty, super-deformed versions of classic Marvel heroes are absolutely adorable.  Who can help but smile at the sweet lil' Silver Surfer?  Cap is cute too, and even Wolverine looks positively huggable.  Now, count the number of fingers they have.  WHOA!  They have three fingers and a thumb!  That's a bit disturbing.  This swing of emotion, from the initial "awww how sweet!" to the eventual "Oh gross, that's abominable!" exactly describes the feelings I had while playing Marvel Super Hero Squad.

Let the carnage begin!

Eager to test out the demo for Left 4 Dead 2, but didn't pre-order, or lucky enough to get a preorder code?  Wait no longer, my undead slaying friend!  The Xbox 360 demo for Left 4 Dead 2 is now available in all regions.  The demo takes the four new survivors through New Orleans, and by all accounts shows off all the new bells and whistles quite nicely.  Add the demo download to your queue here, and reread Nick's impressions of the PC demo to keep you occupied until you can dash home and play.  Is it quitting time yet?

Expect the demo on Steam later today for everyone else as well.

Source: Link

A truly titanic tussle of tremendous talents hits your favorite console today.  LEGO Rock Band in one corner, Band Hero in the other.  Plastic David Bowie versus sparkly Taylor Swift; who will prevail?  Not your wallet, which is likely still empty after Guitar Hero 5 and The Beatles Rock Band.  Though both games are intended for the younger set, there's still plenty of good songs for all to enjoy on your well-worn fake instruments today.  Remember to purchase through Amazon using the links below to help support Co-Optimus! 

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Is Dad killing zombies or minotaurs in there?  Sounds fun.

If you have children, and are a gamer, you have probably run into some awkward situations.  There are some games that are perfectly acceptable for adults, and yet wildly inappropriate for children.  Some parents may disagree, and buy Grand Theft Auto for their first grader, but for most of us, there's a line between what's a "me" game, and what's a "kid" game.  This line varies from gamer family to gamer family, of course, and by child, as well.  For my youngest, who is eight, we have a higher tolerance of sci-fi violence (such as that in Halo's campaigns) than we do human on human violence (Call of Duty comes to mind).  Excessive realistic gore is a no-no (Left 4 Dead), but heavily stylized cartoon blood (Castle Crashers) is acceptable.  For our older son, fifteen, all the above games are probably OK, but I'd draw the line at games with strong sexual content or excessive language.  The point is, there are going to be some games on the shelf that your kids are not allowed to play.

We finally know the details about the first DLC pack for Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2.  Most of us will be able to purchase the pack on November 5, though European PS3 users have to wait until November 12.  The DLC will set you back $10, or the MS Point equivalent.  So what do you get for the money?

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The first expansion for Magic the Gathering: Duels of the Planeswalkers has been out for just over a week now.  Titled Duel the Dragon, the expansion adds some much needed variety to the original game, including another two-headed giant style co-op campaign.  We've spent quite a bit of time with the expansion, and have our impressions to help you decide if it's a worthwhile purchase this crowded gaming season.

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