I covered Wii Shooters a few weeks back for Co-Op Casual Friday.  Nerf N-Strike was clearly the cream of the crop as far as I am concerned.  I thought it was worth taking another look at it for a Co-Op Review.  We'll take a look at each of the multiplayer modes in the game, separating the co-op cream from the rest.

Everyone appreciates the value of a good, reliable breakfast appliance.  And of course, samurai are totally awesome, too; just go watch this sometime if you don't believe me.  Putting Samurai and toasters together seeems brilliant, and when you add in the cool art style and, most importantly, co-op, you get a package that is hard to resist.

Ars Technica recently sat down with the developers of that odd mashup, Eduardo the Samurai Toaster, recently released on Nintendo's WiiWare service.  It's an interesting read, for sure, and they even have a bit to say about the co-op.

By having Eduardo on the Wii, Semnat was also able to emphasize one of the more important aspects of the game: the co-op. "Having a multiplayer mode where fooling around and allowing people to have as much fun in the levels and with each other seems like a good idea for the console," he said. "We always wanted to do co-op but were never able to until we started work on the Wii game."

I agree with these guys!  Co-op is a great way to get the more casual folks involved in more traditional games.  Hey, don't we have a column dedicated to that?

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The new column has a name!  It seems totally obvious in hindsight, but what better title could there be for a series dedicated to the casual gamer that happens on Fridays?  Congratulations to Co-Optimus reader "roland", who won our "Name the New Co-Op Column" contest.  He'll get a brand spanking new copy of casual-friendly title Rock Band 2 for the Xbox 360 and a set of the critically acclaimed Co-Optimus stickers!  Read on to find our thoughts on a colorful, family friendly title for the Wii!

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Remember last week, when we discussed the rise of family gaming?  Yeah, we were totally right.  Word has just reached Co-Optimus HQ of a new website dedicated to family video game safety, with tons of resources for both parents and kids.  Microsoft and Best Buy are the key partners behind the website, located at GetGameSmart.com.  All sorts of information is available, including how to set up parental controls, a quiz, a blog with ideas from experts, and much more. 

Perhaps the coolest thing about the site is a video contest, where families can submit their own ideas and rules about using video games safely and appropriately.  The winners of the contest, besides getting some truly epic swag, will become Get Game Smart Ambassadors.  These lucky folks will help promote smart, safe video gaming practices to teens and their parents.  (Let's hope a Co-Optimus reader gets picked!) 

Even if you don't submit a video, there's plenty of chances to win other cool stuff.  Parents and kids who take a series of challenges will be entered in a sweepstakes for Best Buy gift cards, for example.  The activities are meant to get parents and kids talking about and more familiar with games and using them wisely.

We have the full press release after the break, and of course, more is available at GetGameSmart.com!

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The Wii has quickly established itself as the domain of the casual gamer.  Mortimer Beckett and the Secrets of Spooky Manor fits in this niche perfectly.  Is there a decent game here, or is is more of the same shovelware we all loathe?  Would this be a good way to play co-op with your friends and family?  Find out in our review!

Today, we begin a new series of articles here at Co-Optimus.  You might have noticed that Co-Op Classics went to Fridays biweekly during the holiday news frenzy.  It will keep that schedule, and now, we'll have a new column for you on the off-Fridays.  This column will be dedicated to Family and Casual gaming.  In true co-op fashion, we want your input into the name for the column!  We'll even give you some swag, but more about that later...

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