Fable 2 has been years in the making, but it's only recently that we started to get details of the game's cooperative mode.  We know that the game will support another player in a drop in/drop out fashion on the same console.  We know that this player can have an incredible effect on your game world - killing loved ones for example.  

But there's also a lot we don't know.  We don't know though is whether or not the game is going to have online co-op via Xbox Live.  We don't know if/how the two players can interact.  We don't know what affect a 2nd player is going to have on the story...if any. 

So with that Mr. Peter Molyneaux let this little nugget slip in a recent presentation of the game this week.   "There is another big surprise, a very big surprise about co-oping," he said, before adding that Fable 2 is a "Hell of a game."

I do like surprises.

Well, it looks like the Pandemic is setting its eyes on another classic series. With their success with the massive battle-fest that was Star Wars Battlefront, they have decided to create a spiritual successor to the superb Battlefront series. That game is The Lord of the Rings: Conquest. IGN has kindly detailed the game, which will feature the epic battles depicted in the movies and will have players fighting Balorgs, Sauron, and the like. So what's the co-op appeal?

Up to 16 players will be able to clash online, with four players able to play cooperatively through the main campaign either online or via four-player split-screen.

Yup, you and three buddies can fight Middle Earth's most epic battles, including some "what if" scenarios, like if Sauron had regained the One Ring. Nice. The game will come out on the Xbox 360, PS3, and PC. Suit up, folks, because Middle Earth is at war!

We've just uncovered an ancient tale, one of dragons and fire.  This tale isn't of just any dragon, oh no, this is a very special dragon.  Everybody's favorite purple dragon is coming back in a brand new game for Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PS2, and Nintendo DS.  The game is called The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon and it will be the first Spyro game available on the next-gen platforms like the Xbox 360.

The latest Spyro title will feature true drop-in/drop-out co-op play where players will use either Spyro or Cynder.   Cynder was actually an enemy from a previous game, but in Spyro's latest journey they need to team up to defeat the Dark Master (a.k.a. Mark Hamill - no really).  There's no word on online play, or whether the cooperative aspects will carry over to the DS, but we'll be sure to keep you informed!

Full Press release available here.

Wizard needs food...badly.  But Wizard doesn't need voice chat, because the Nintendo DS version of Gauntlet will have that feature built in!  According to VideoGamer.com, the game is set to feature a 4-player cooperative mode via Nintendo's Wi-Fi connection with full voice chat capabilities using the DS microphone.

Gauntlet DS will feature 40 levels in the single/co-op campaign as well as deathmatch, team deathmatch, online leaderboards and more!

The original Gauntlet is available on Xbox Live Arcade with 3 player co-op, while Gauntlet II is available on the Playstation Network and features 4 player co-op.

Be sure to check out our brand new gallery feature after the jump.

We've just posted our review for Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom on the Xbox 360.  The game is an action/RPG game that sort of a cross between Dynasty Warriors and Diablo.  The great thing is the game features 4 player drop-in and out co-op action.   But as you will see...that isn't necessarily a good thing.

CounterAgent has a short little article up covering the upcoming Xbox Live Arcade title, Castle Crashers, from The Bohemeth.  For those that don't know, Castle Crashers is from the same company that made Alien Hominid.  Both games feature a unique hand drawn art style with a bit of comedic relief.

Castle Crashers is a high intensity, 4-player co-op, action hack and slash game. The game is all hand drawn and rendered in beautiful HD. The gameplay is very much like the old two and a half demensional side scrolling co-op fighting games like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, X-Men, and The Simpsons arcade games.

I had a chance to play some 4-player Co-Op of Castle Crashers at the Penny Arcade Expo last year, and I gotta say - it was the game of the show.    I liked the game so much I dropped a few ducets on the full four figure set.

There's also a new video from GDC08. While it doesn't show the co-op action, it worth a watch to see how the game will play. Now imagine that insanity with 4x the enemies and 3 more friends!

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Word out of IGN Land is the newest Chronicle or Narnia game titled Prince Caspian (after the movie) will feature some local Co-Op action.  

Caspian will also have local-only co-op play, a choice Barder said Traveller's Tales made to keep the game accessible to players who may be too young for Xbox Live.

We saw Caspian running on an Xbox 360, and Barder showed us several chaotic battle sequences in which dozens of Telmarine swarmed on screen as the Pevensies and Narnians jumped into the fray. There are between 15 and 20 playable characters in Caspian, and the first chapter contains content new to the Narnia universe that's not seen in the books or films.

It's ashame they didn't even give the option to play online.  But some co-op is better than no co-op.  The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian will be available for the Playstation 3, Xbox 360, Playstation 2, Nintendo Wii and various handheld platforms.  Right now co-op is only confirmed for the Xbox 360 version and the Playstation 3 version.