Sure we clamor for Co-Op in just about every game that's released around here...but I think CTRL+ALT+DEL has a point.

Good news folks!  After a few weeks of a rumored 1800 MS Point price tag,  The Behemoth Blog has revealed that Castle Crashers is officially priced at 1200 MS Points, that's 15 real dollars.   For those that don't know, Castle Crashers is a four player co-op side scrolling beat-em up, similar to those classic franchises like Golden Axe, Streets of Rage, and others.  There are dozens of characters to choose from including some from previous Behemoth games like Alien Hominid. The game is set to be released on Xbox Live Arcade at the end of this month. 

Interested in Left 4 Dead?  So are we.  The game looks amazing, quite frankly, and will likely be one of the best co-op titles of the year.  However, waiting until the game's release on November 4 is enough to make you run through a corn field screaming, even without being chased by zombies, as in the screenshot above.  There's hope, though; Valve has announced that Left 4 Dead will be playable at several events in the near future.  The first is the Penny Arcade Expo, where the 360 version will be premiered.  If you live in or near Seattle, and are a gamer, you are probably going to PAX anyway, but now there's even more incentive to attend.  Euro gamers can find the game at the Leipzig Games Convention, (Germany), the Festival du Jeu Video (France), and the PC Gamer Showdown (UK).  Valve has already confirmed there will be no demo of the game available before release, so attending one of these functions is likely the only way to get your hands on it until launch.  More's the pity!

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.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then surely the above screenshot could replace the quite lengthy title of the game.  Flames?  Check.  A mercenary?  Yup.  So there it is, Mercenaries 2: World in Flames.  IGN has posted a hands on preview of the game as played in co-op.  Perennial favorites like seamless drop in-drop out co-op make the feature list, and there are a few other nice little touches as well.

We are one week away from Too Human!  One week!  The onslaught of media continues as Gametrailers is hosting a new video from Too Human entitled "Insane Combos."  Combos in Too Human can be one by yourself, but really gear up in Co-Op play as players can juggle enemies between them for lots of bonuses.  Check out the full video after the jump and be sure to look out for some exclusive Too Human content later this week!

Along with the Collector's Edition Details came some assets from Microsoft with Fable 2.  Among those comes a little treat - a Master Chief model from Fable 2.  While it's not known exactly how and where John 117 will be showing up, but the character in the game looks awesome.  You can see the full picture after the jump.

If you don't know what The Dishwasher: Dead Samurai is, here is a brief refresher. The game was a product of Microsoft's XNA platform, which allows indie developers to create games. The game was also part of Dream-Build-Play and was available in demo form for a limited time on Xbox Live. Well, Xbox360 Fanboy has news that the game will feature 3 player co-op. The details are from the blog of the one man team behind Dishwasher, James Silva. Having played the game, it seems very impressive for a game consisting of a one-man dev team. I'm also excited about the co-op capabilities, since the single player mode was pretty epic.

For some rockers, the glamour, the money, the groupies, and the fame are enough to keep you playing.  For others, well, achievements can be a big incentive as well.  A good part of teh Rock Band 2 achievements have been revealed, and they look quite well thought out.  Some will present a serious challenge for even future Rock Hall of Famers, which was something the first game sorely needed.  Here's a highlight to illustrate the difficulty we're talking about here:

Some great news for co-op fans has popped up, and it's almost too good to be true.  A list of achievements for the upcoming Viva Pinata: Trouble In Paradise has been revealed.  In addition to your standard gardening type achievements, similar to the first game, there is a rather intriguing one called "Full House".  Worth 10 Gamer score, the achievement is unlocked after you "Play 4 Player Online Co-op for 1 hour".  If the list is legitimate, this is serious news, as 2 player local co-op was all that had been announced so far.  Fire up the cameras and get your watering can ready!

bapenguin says YOU should buy official Co-Optimus Gear. 

There are two co-op games hitting this week, one a remake of a classic title, while another is a new game in a familiar series.