I have a confession to make, Co-Optimus readers. There is a truly excellent co-op game that I have neglected to play until only recently. My status as editor and resident classic gaming guru is in serious jeapordy. How could I have put off buying a game with "Retro" in the title for so long? How foolish it was for me to overlook Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2!

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Microsoft is holding their second annual Xbox Live Arcade Awards, and just like last year, all voting is done by users of Xbox Live.  

The arcade games are broken down into categories, and you have all the usual suspect;  Best Overall Game, Best Graphics, Most Innovative, etc.  There's also a a separate category for Best Co-Op Game, which is a nice treat.

And the nominees for Best Cooperative Multiplayer in an arcade game are....
 

Castle Crashers

Schizoid

Bionic Commando Rearmed

N+

Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2

So there you have it!  There's even a few of those nominated for best overall.

Make sure you head onto Xbox Live to cast your ballot.  Voting begins tomorrow and runs until March 10th.  More information can be found at the official website.

I know what I'd vote for....

Source: Link

I have stated many times my love of Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2. It's a great game for both single player and cooperative experiences. Indeed, I've had Geometry Wars RE 2 as my co-op game of the week once before. However, until recently, I've not dumped a large amount of time into the game. I've played it for small bursts, but not really enough to truly appreciate it. Well fortunately I had a dull week and a roommate willing to try some Geometry Wars.

I play Geometry Wars and Castle Crashers on a nearly daily basis, but just for a little relaxation, like 5 to 10 minutes. However, this week my roommate and I spent a solid half hour (a few times, too) figuring out what we liked about the game so much. Well, we came away with a great deal of info and opinions, most all of them rather glowing.

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Apparently August is going to be the month of casual and arcade games for me. I've played some Lego Star Wars, some Rock Band, and now I'm playing Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2. The game has many of the signature features of good casual/arcade games. Its gameplay is not too complex and you can play it for ten minutes (or less, really) and have a blast. However, like the best casual and arcade games, it still has depth and soul.

I mainly play Geometry Wars RE 2 on single player, but that didn't stop me from teaming up with a buddy to play some co-op. Once again, my single player snobbery was utterly set it place. The fact is that the game is much better when played in co-op, and that really is saying a lot. This is because Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2 has what I consider the trademark of a good co-op game: seamless integration of a second player.

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The king of arcade shooters returns in Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 for the Xbox Live Arcade.  The sequel has gotten proper treatment with the addition of co-op.  Read our review to find out if it's worth your buck.

Xbox 360 Fanboy points out a unique little post in the Bizarre forums.  Someone found a small little hack that allows you to see what Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 would look like if it was fully 3D (which technically it is).   The trick is simple, simply press right bumper and the back button at anytime to enter a 3D mode.  The game pauses though, so you won't be able to actually play, but you can fly around and change the perspective for some neat screenshots. 

We've included a gallery of a few after the jump as well as a video of it in action.

Also, I'd just like to say, this game is complete video game crack.  If you haven't played it yet, do yourself a favor and go download it right now.

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In case you haven't heard Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 is hitting the Xbox Live Arcade this Wednesday for 800 Microsoft points.   The new game will feature 4 player local co-op for some truly frantic action (see above).  GameVideos has three new videos of the co-op action and if this doesn't give you a seizure or get you excited...well nothing will.  Hit the jump for the videos of Evolved, Deadline and Waves mode all in co-op.

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I've got some good news and I've got some bad news.  The good news first.  Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 has been moved up a week and should hit Xbox Live Arcade next Wednesday, July 30th for 800 Microsoft Points (up from 400 for the previous).   Thankfully there are tons of new features and game modes that help justify the cost.

The bad news is, we previously reported the game would have online 4 player co-op.  Unfortunately while the game DOES have 4 player co-op it is only offline due to the game's "hectic nature."

I do have more good news, we have a ton of details on the GWRE2's new game modes like Deadline, Pacifism, and Waves all posted after the read more link.   What's even better?  We have wallpaper sized downloads of the above graphic for both widescreen and standard monitors!  Score.

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As we previously reported, the upcoming sequel to Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved (called Geometry Wars 2, natch) will feature a 4 player co-op mode!  The first title was a blast to play, and the addition of co-op should make the sequel even more enjoyable.  Just hope you don't have a seizure or something!  To tide you over to the game's release on August 6, check out the gameplay trailer after the break.  It's single player, but still worth checking out!

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While looking through the press kits for all the stuff Microsoft showed off today, I came across a fact sheet for Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 and it will indeed have 4-player online co-op.  

Update: Yes the bad news is it won't be online co-op.

The game will feature 5 new game modes, including a Co-Pilot mode where one player steers and one player shoots.  Geometry Wars 2 is set to drop exclusively on Xbox Live Arcade on August 6th. 

We've also posted some new screenshots after the jump.

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