We previously reported a few bugs with the PSN version of Trine. It was brought to our attention that our source had a few issues with the game that weren't directly related, and it was recommended we take on the challenge of playing Trine ourselves to see how it works. We've now played Trine in our very own co-op brand of reviewing, and are ready to set the record straight.

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It would be wise to follow the signs advice.

After a short delay on the PC, Valve finally released the demo for Left 4 Dead 2.  We got a group together and headed to New Orleans in the demo's Parish campaign.  After firing it up it became immediately apparent that quite a bit has changed in Left 4 Dead 2, despite people's perception of the game.

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Three weeks ago, IGN graciously hosted the demo for Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, the upcoming PSP game that will feature 4-player co-op. It's completely in Japanese, but thanks to a couple of handy guides, it's playable for those of us who can't read Japanese. We posted the link as well, hoping to get some time in with the demo...

...and that we did. We're pleased to tell you that Peace Walker is on its way to becoming a definitive game for the PSP in terms of innovation and overall enjoyment. Unfortunately, the co-op in the demo is a bit lacking...but the groundwork is there for a great experience.

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When purchasing headphones, I will rarely if ever even glance at ear buds for any reason. To me, ear buds are the cheap inserts that come with products, mildly uncomfortable with sub-par sound. That is, until I tried out the Tritton AX Ear buds that I received at the Blue Skittle Party at PAX. Starcraft was my first test with its phenomenal in-game sounds coming through loud and clear, then on a Nintendo DS to see if they worked just as well on the road.

Game Name: PixelJunk Shooter
Co-Op: Yes
Co-Op Type: 2 player local co-op
Publisher/Developer: SCEA (publisher) / Q-Games (developer)
Release Date: Fall 2009

Q-Games has been making a name for themselves as a developer that creates games that are a little bit different than the usual.  PixelJunk Eden, for example, put you in control of a little creature called a Grimp, whose goal was to make gardens grow by swinging about a psychedelic landscape looking for Spectra.  Their latest game, PixelJunk Shooter, puts you in command of a ship that is out to rescue trapped miners.  Of course, it’s not as easy as just flying through a tunnel and picking the miners up along the way; devious enemies, pools of lava, and cooling lakes of water turns what should be a simple rescue mission into a wonderful co-op experience.

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Game Name: Spyborgs
Co-Op: Yes
Co-Op Type/Multiplayer Type: 2 player local, Drop-in/drop-out
Publisher/Developer: Bionic Games, Capcom
Release Date: September 22, 2009

Fire up those cybernetic implants for some quality time with Spyborgs straight from the PAX showfloor. Spyborgs looks like a quality Saturday morning cartoon (before they killed all of the good ones off,) with a great set of humor, webisodes, and comic books to support the antics held within. The game covers 3 Spyborgs, or cybernetic spies; a hulking robot named "Bouncer," to the female ninja named "Clandestine," and a Bionic Commando nod named "Stinger." Follow these three on their co-op brawler adventure in Spyborgs.

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Game Name: Max Blastronaut
Co-Op: Yes
Co-Op Type: 4 player drop-in/drop-out local co-op
Developer: Coin App
Release Date: Fall 2009

Coming out of Microsoft’s Dream.Build.Play. contest was one particular co-op title that managed to score second place overall.  Max Blastronaut places you in command of the titular hero who is charged with defending his little piece of the galaxy from the evil Dredge Miners; a group of space farers that roam the universe plundering entire galaxies for fuel and leaving destruction in their wake.  Poor Max doesn’t have it too easy, but fortunately, he can bring along three friends to help take down the Dredge.

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Game Name: James Cameron's Avatar: The Game
Co-Op: No
Multiplayer Type: On-line team deathmatch and capture the flag modes
Publisher/Developer: Ubisoft (publisher) / Ubisoft Montreal (developer)
Release Date: November 2009

There were a lot of games out on the show floor during the past few days, but one that caught my eye in particular was the Avatar game that is coming out soon as a tie-in to the movie.  Intended to be a prequel to the movie, and based on a third-person shooter mechanic, the game was a bit of a surprise for me.  Regardless of how the movie fares, there is a great deal of potential for the game to do well; assuming, that is, that the story tie-in will leave the game with enough freedom to do its own thing and do it well.

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Game Name: Muramasa: The Demon Blade
Co-Op: No
Co-Op Type/Multiplayer Type: N/A
Publisher/Developer: Ignition Entertainment (Publisher) / Vanillaware (Developer)
Release Date: Sept. 8, 2009

There are a lot of games out on the show floor, but the one that immediately caught my eye was Vanillaware’s latest release, Muramasa: The Demon Blade.  This Wii game is perhaps one of the more visually unique (and stunning) titles that was on the show floor, and is a game that is definitely worth playing.  While the initial impression may be that it’s just another 2D action platformer where you run around hacking up demons, there is far more lurking under the surface of this unique title…

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Game Name: Army of Two: The 40th Day
Co-Op: Yes
Co-Op Type/Multiplayer Type: Full “organic” campaign co-op; on-line and couch co-op
Publisher/Developer: Electronic Arts (publisher) / EA Montreal (developer)
Release Date: Jan. 12, 2010

Jim “txshurricane” McLaughlin and Jason “OrigamiPanther” Love had a chance yesterday to sit down with the folks from EA Montreal to not only get a hands-on preview of Army of Two: The 40th Day, but to talk with the game’s producer, Matt Turner, and get a few exclusive reveals.  All of that and a few pictures from the event can be found after the break.

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