The Stronghold series has been around now on PCs for over 15 years, with the RTS garnering millions of sales over its lifetime. Honestly, it's surprising there aren't more games out there that are similar. While the series started out set in medieval England, the Crusader branch took things to the deserts of the Middle East. Now that series is getting a new game on a brand new 3D engine and being self published by Firefly Studios. In an AirStream trailer across from the LA convention center we went eyes on with the new game.

Stronghold Crusader 2 is still early in development but it's already shaping up to have many of the core gameplay elements that made the original so popular. While the game will have a campaign, which will serve as both a tutorial and a series of challenges, the meat and potatoes of Stronghold is the game's skirmish mode. It's here that Firefly has put a lot of attention and added the ability to co-op with a friend.

Some of you may be aware that a film called R.I.P.D. is out in cinemas this summer, whilst others may be aware of movie tie in games.  Slam these two concepts together and what do you get?  The 2 player online co-op R.I.P.D. The Game coming to XBLA, PSN and PC on July 16th.

When I play 2 player side scrolling shooters I just want to hang from a missile with a pal, is that too much to ask? Apparently not with the Contra series, as this is one of the selling points of the series.  You can now get your hands on the undercarriage of a SAM in the latest port of the PlayStation 2's Contra Shattered Solider on PSN.  

What the Smurf?  Smurfette has gone missing and we need help to get her back; 4 player co-op help.  The Smurfs 2 is an upcoming co-op title linked to this summer's box office behemoth of the same name.  The game is Smurfing out on the 23rd of July across PS3, 360, Wii and Wii U.  As a special Wii U treat, these gamers will be able to have an additional 5th player on the GamePad - that Smurfs!   

One of the more classic forms of co-op games is the brawler/beat-em-up genre. From Streets of Rage to the up-and-coming Dragon's Crown, we all enjoy a solid co-op brawler from time to time. The developers at newly formed Dinosaur share that sentiment are currently developing their first game, MechKnight Chronicles. We only have a little information at this time about the game, but so far, it's looking very promising. Inspirations for the title read like a greatest hits of the brawler and they're currently working to ensure the game has 4-player online, local, and, ideally, LAN, co-op.

You have to love those tenacious Keflings, like some sort of mutating super virus they are spreading from XBLA over to Windows 8 and Wii U.  The original Live version of A World of Keflings was a great 4 player online/2 player offline co-op title, so it is good to see the potential audience widen.

There is some good mojo in the air today as Over the Top Games have announced a brand new 4 player co-op title called Full Mojo Rampage.  Although the game is currently planned for PC only, there is a strong possibility it will work its way onto PS3, 360 and WiiU download services (or 720, PS4 etc).  You can preorder the game for $10 at the OTT site, or pay $15 on release.  More details follow.

LittleBigPlanet 2 has been out for two years now and over that time seems to have had more DLC than the entire Wii catalog combined.  It is hard to know what to buy and what to miss; thankfully Media Molecule have removed this tricky life decision and created the LBP 2 Extra Edition.  This new retail version of the game is coming soon and will contain the original game, plus a 'best of' selection of DLC.

  Trine 2 remains one of the best looking and most impressive co-op downloadable games, receiving the ultimate Co-Optimus accolade of 5 out of 5 when released on PC, PSN and XBLA.  With its reduced power the Wii never received the game, but with the Wii U only weeks away, fans of Nintendo systems can buy the game on launch, bu...

Tanks for the music.  There are fewer more pleasurable things in life than a bad pun about a tank.  If you combine this pun with the ability to play 4 player local co-op and take snaps of yourself, it is even fuller of win.  Tank! Tank! Tank! is an upcoming tank based shooter that will allow you to do just this.

Many Co-Optimus readers are just like me.  They bought a Kinect for their 360, but it sits there gathering dust, making you feel guilty.  The only time it gets used in my house is when my nephews come to visit.  One of their favourite games is Happy Action Theater.  They will be giddy with excitement now that Double Fine have announced a sequel containing 17 new mini games over at GiantBomb.

Welsh band Super Furry Animals, once sang to me that they needed medication for their sleep deprivation, GUACAMOLE!  Firstly, there is no need to shout and secondly, I may have found a cure for their Mexican dip based insomnia in the form of Guacamelee!  This 2 player local co-op platformer/action game is coming to PSN soon and appears to be as mental as that song.  Check out Read More, for details and a trailer for the game, the visual style may knock you unconscious!  

The word scourge is not used frequently enough in common vernacular, losing most of its kudos after American Prohibition and the Scourge of Alcohol.  Well pour yourselves a pint, because not only is booze legal, but a new game is coming called Scourge: Outbreak.  This 4 player online co-op game is coming to Mac, XBLA and PSN later in the year and confronts the player with stumbling enemies.  These enemies are not drunk, but a bit dead.  Find out more and check out some screens after the jump.

For denizens of co-op boardgames, Scotland Yard is a name that should have crossed their path.  It is a classic game in which up to 5 co-op partners play police officers as they hunt for the mysterious Mr X around London.  The boardgame is a co-op experience for most of the players, except for Mr X who must run on his own.  The new Scotland Yard iOS for iPad and iPhone aims to remedy this and can be played pure co-op if 5 players chose to go up against the Mr X AI.

Gamers under 25 don't know how lucky they are.  When I was a lad all of this was fields and the arcade was full of games with near impossible difficulty.  A prime example of this was Don Bluth's Dragon's Lair, a spectacular looking game that was harder than Jason Statham holding a diamond tipped hammer.  Now you can relive this glorious gaming torture on XBLA from 18th April.   This time bring a pal in local 2 player co-op, but is it co-op?