Way back in the early history of Co-Optimus, my first news article was a story on Aliens Colonial Marines. I have had today’s game in mind for a Co-Op Classic ever since the beginning, but wanted to tie it in to Colonial Marines’ release. So I waited, waited, and then waited some more. Colonial Marines has arrived, and the bad news is, it’s pretty bad. The good news is, almost five years later, I can finally talk about one of my favorite co-op games ever: Alien Vs. Predator.

After a lengthy hiatus, we are back with another video edition of Co-Op Classics. I've been looking forward to featuring this pairing of games for a long time, and as the release of Aliens: Colonial Marines looms, it's finally time. Come celebrate two arcade classics from the golden age of the brawler, all featuring the famous xenomorphs of the Alien movies: Aliens and Alien vs. Predator.

If you've never heard of Total Carnage, it's the sequel to the co-op arcade game Smash T.V.  It's also one of my favorite co-op games ever.  It takes the twin stick formula of Smash T.V. and adds in heavy doses of comedy and continued over the top violence.  I've logged countless hours on this game over many different versions since it was released to home consoles on the SEGA Genesis.  One thing that's always bugged me, at least I thought, was that I never received the true ending to the game.  It turns out that's the result of a bug that's been there since the game was in the arcades in the early 90s.

Last time on Co-Op Classics, we brought you two extreme games from 1987. The first was Xybots, an unusual third person shooter taking place in a series of mazelike, isometric view levels. The second, Xenophobe, was just as unusual, with three player co-op allowing each player their own section of the screen for maximum freedom. Today, we've got gameplay videos for these... er, excellent titles.

I'm always amazed by the sheer number of video games that are out there. This weekend, I had some friends over, and we spent some time playing games on my arcade cabinet. While scrolling through the list, one buddy was overjoyed to find Xenophobe, a game I was previously unfamiliar with. Later on, a different friend was similarly thrilled to find Xybots, one of his favorite games from many years ago. Today, we'll take a closer look at these twin X-titled classics.

In this installment of Co-Op Classics, we have two brand new retro videos for your entertainment. Tying in to the theater release The Amazing Spider-Man, we looked back through the old catalog for two co-op 90s brawlers. One was an arcade hit: 1991's Spider-Man the Video Game. The other was available on home consoles in 1995: Spider-Man & Venom Separation Anxiety.

The past few years have given us Spider-Man games on an almost annual basis, including the recent Amazing Spider-Man movie tie in and the excellent Shattered Dimensions. Sadly, only one Spidey game in this console generation offered co-op: 2007's mediocre Friend or Foe. If we head back in time even further, we have to travel quite a ways until more co-op webslinging shows up, and one of these games is the topic of today's Co-Op Classics: Spider-Man the Video Game, which hit arcades in 1991.

For your viewing pleasure today, we've got a gameplay video for the game we covered most recently for Co-Op Classics: Wild West C.O.W.-Boys of Moo Mesa! It absolutely screams "early 90s brawler", from the anthropomorphic protagonists to the run and gun gameplay. It's so great we gave it the super sized treatment and feature it all by itself! (Besides, there's no room left in the article title for any other game!)

Moo Mesa is one of the better games in its genre, and compares favorably to many others of its time, the heyday of the side scrolling fighter. While it's very true to its era, with garish colors, a goofy concept, and the semi-knockoff pedigree, the game stands up even today. Wild West C.O.W.-Boys of Moo Mesa is undeniably a Co-Op Classic.

We've got two great examples of Co-Op Classics for you once again, in glorious video form. Both of today's games are shoot em ups, so there are plenty of bullets to dodge and fire buttons to mash. The first is one of the most beautifully rendered games, with an unusual setting, that I've ever seen. The second is very different from other genre classics, including a heavy amount of customization. Progear and Rohgah Armor Force are headed your way.

As 1996 drew to a close, a new chapter in videogame history was beginning. On December 31st of that year, Diablo was released. It was a smash hit, and forever altered the gaming landscape. Diablo was a hybrid, blending action and RPG elements together, and it was incredibly fun to play, especially in cooperative mode with a few friends. Today, we’ll take a look at each game and expansion in the series, tracking the evolution of Diablo in anticipation of the launch of Diablo 3 next week.

If you were a gamer in the 90s, and spent time in arcades, Capcom was a name you knew very well. Street Fighter II was released in 1991, and was a smash hit, popularizing the one on one fighting game genre. But if you were looking for a less competitive experience in your video gaming, Capcom was still a big name, producing some of the greatest co-op arcade games of all time. Cadillacs & Dinosaurs is one of them.

Once more, we take a look back at some co-op gems from the past. Both of today's video offerings are Sega Genesis (or Mega Drive, the international equivalent) games. My own experience with the Genesis was quite limited, so both of these were new to me. Step back into the 16-bit era as we investigate sci-fi brawler Alien Storm and platform/shmup hybrid Wonder Boy 3.

Last summer, I had the opportunity to spend some time at the magnificent arcade at the Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio. One of my personal highlights from the arcade visit was seeing all the old electromechanical games that were on the floor. These games were the direct predecessors to video games, and though they are primitive from a certain perspective, the intricate mechanisms and ingenious gameplay methods they exemplify are wonderful in their own right.

Another month has come and gone, and we're back with a couple Co-Op Classics for your viewing pleasure. Today, we've got a nice contrast for you, with a game from the infancy of the video game era, coupled with a strong entry from the heyday of the brawler. Where else can you find Caddilacs, dinosaurs, and sea wolves, folks? (And what exactly IS a sea wolf anyway?)