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Articles by Paul Acevedo
Abyssus Arrives on Xbox Series, PlayStation 5, and Game Pass; Steam Version Updated Too
Abyssus is a "brinepunk FPS" (whatever that means) from DoubleMoose Games, The Arcade Crew, and Dotemu. After arriving on Steam last year, it has received a handful of major updates. The latest update, version 1.3, does not seem to be popular with Steam players. On the plus side, Abyssus also just launched on Xbox Series and PlayStation 5, and those players probably won't be attached to a previous update.
Gal Guardians: Servants of the Dark
One of 2023's best Castlevania-style platformers was Gal Guardians: Demon Purge from PQUBE. As such, there's a good chance that the sequel, Gal Guardians: Servants of the Dark, will end up knocking our socks off this year too. We'll find out when the digital version comes along at the end of March. Physical collectors won't be left in the cold, however, because the physical PlayStation and Switch editions now have a firm June 12 release date.
Dora: Rainforest Rescue
Dora the Explorer is a heartrending tale of a girl who gets lost in the jungle and must evade a carnivorous fox called Swiper. At least, I think that's what it's about; I haven't seen the show in several years. Well, nowadays, there's a CG-animated series called Dora on Paramount Plus. That show will soon have a video game adaptation from Outright Games, Dora: Rainforest Rescue, and it will feature 2-player local co-op.
Joe & Mac Retro Collection
Help fund this collection of all three Caveman Ninja Super NES games for modern platforms. Data East's classic arcade game, Joe & Mac: Caveman Ninja, was recently delisted from consoles and Steam due to expired licenses. New Joe & Mac is still available, but that's a full remake rather than a truly classic experience. Thankfully, French publisher Red Art Games (publisher of Sonic Wings Reunion) is on the case. They h...
Alien Hominid Invasion
The Behemoth, the makers of Castle Crashers and several other gorgeous games, likes to release their games on Xbox before PlayStation. Bless their colorful hearts for going against the grain like that. In late 2023, the studio released Alien Hominid Invasion (a multiplayer-focused sequel to Alien Hominid HD) on Xbox, Switch, and Steam. Good th... When Alien Hominid Invasion and Alien Hominid HD arrived on everything but PlayStation in late 2023, nobody was very surprised.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Empire City
The Ninja Turtles are experiencing a gaming renaissance at present, with several games released last year, TMNT: Splintered Fate just arriving on PlayStation and coming soon on Xbox, the (shamefully single-player) TMNT: Tactical Takedown recently released on Steam, and TMNT: The Last Ronin coming at some point in the future. We can now add one more to the list: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Empire City from Cortopia Studios and Beyond Frames Entertainment.
Nightmare Busters Rebirth
Back in the memorable year of 1995, a French developer called Arcade Zone toiled away on a Super Nintendo game called Nightmare Busters. Sadly, the arrival of the PlayStation led to the game's cancelation. It is now 100 years later, and that injustice is finally being corrected. Aurora Game Studio and Pix'n Love are teaming up to bring that long-lost game back on modern platforms as Nightmare Busters Rebirth. The Kickstarter is going strong already and will end on June 19.
Revenge of the Savage Planet
Online Co-Op: 2 Players Couch Co-Op: 2 Players + Co-Op Campaign Journey to the Savage Planet is a co-op cult hit that arrived way back in 2021. It features a colorful alien world to explore and plenty of crass humor. Well, it turns out that there's more exploring to be done, as Raccoon Logic Studios has just released a sequel called Revenge of the Savage Planet.
Spray Paint Simulator
PowerWash Simulator is a sleeper hit (other than the unfortunate VR version), so it makes sense that other developers would draw inspiration from it. That's clearly the case with Spray Paint Simulator from North Star Video Games and Whitethorn Games. As the name implies, this one involves painting environments instead of washing them. It will support 2-player online co-op, and it's due out in May.
Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion
Daemon X Machina is a popular mech game that debuted on Switch in 2019 and then on Steam the following year. One thing that has always held it back, however, is that it's not available on Xbox and PlayStation. Well, the sequel sure won't make that mistake! Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion is coming to all current platforms this September, and it promises more co-op goodness than ever before.
MARVEL Cosmic Invasion
Tribute Games and DotEmu struck gold with TMNT: Shredder's Revenge, one of the most popular beat 'em ups in recent memory. After years of updates, the team has finally released their big follow-up: MARVEL Cosmic Invasion. The new brawler promises all the style and charm of Shredder's Revenge but with a fantastic lineup of Marvel heroes and villains. It's out now on all current-gen platforms.
Super Technos World: River City & Technos Arcade Classics
Spring is an excellent time for retro games, and Arc System Works knows it. That's surely why they've recently released Super Technos World: River City & Technos Arcade Classics, a collection of 12 classic Super NES and arcade games. Technos games always held a cult appeal, and retro gamers will love the chance to revisit games like Super Dodgeball, The Combatribes, and River City Renegade. Five of the included games feature local and online co-op too.
THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD 2: Remake
As a part of the Steam Next Fest event, Forever Entertainment has released a free demo of THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD 2: Remake on Steam. The demo allows 1-2 local players to try the first level of the remake. Join James Taylor and Gary Stewart as they fight stop an army of undead zombies and monsters from taking over the world.
Care Bears: To The Rescue
The Care Bears have always been a decently popular children's property, but they've never had a proper console game (just a GameBoy Advance title). That will change on October 24 when Forever Entertainment releases Care Bears: To The Rescue on Switch and Steam. This one is based on the Care Bears: Unlock the Magic show that's apparently streamable on Max, and it will support 4-player local co-op, baby. That's enough players for a real Care Bear Stare, I reckon.
Night Slashers: Remake
A year ago, Forever Entertainment announced Night Slashers: Remake, a modern remake of the classic Data East arcade beat 'em up. The remake will feature updated 2D visuals, a new playable character, and 4-player local co-op. The wait will soon be over because Night Slashers: Remake is due on consoles and Steam on September 26. Night Slashers: Remake from Storm Trident and Forever Entertainment is a promising remake of the classic Data East beat 'em up arcade game.
The Karate Kid: Street Rumble
It's a big year for the Karate Kid franchise, with the final season of Cobra Kai debuting on July 18 on Netflix and a (probably way less good) film coming to theaters in December. GameMill Entertainment, makers of TMNT Arcade: Wrath of the Mutants, is getting in on the karate action as well. Today, they discreetly announced The Karate Kid: Street Rumble, a beat 'em up based on the first three Karate Kid films. It features 4-player local co-op, and it's coming in September!
Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate
Way back in the innocent time of 2013, MAGES released a beat 'em up called Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds on Xbox 360. A few years later, an enhanced version by the name of Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Overdrive landed on PlayStation 4, followed by a Switch port. All of those versions were delisted earlier this year, but there is good news! The game will be coming back to life on all modern platforms as Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate, courtesy of Rocket Panda, the new IP owner.
Looney Tunes: Wacky World of Sports
Back in the day, the Looney Tunes appeared in an NBA Jam spin-off game called Space Jam, based on the hit movie. The movie was such a hit that it got a painfully bad sequel a few years ago. Remember that? Well, Game Mill Entertainment, makers of TMNT Arcade: Wrath of the Mutants, remembers that the Looney Tunes like to play sports. That's why they've just announced Looney Tunes: Wacky World of Sports, which will offer multiple sports and local co-op too!
MARVEL vs. CAPCOM Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics
Online Co-Op: 2 Players Couch Co-Op: 2 Players + Co-Op Campaign Today's Nintendo direct was home to all sorts of cool announcements. For me, the coolest of them all was Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics, an upcoming collection of 7 of Capcom's classic Marvel arcade games. Six of those are fighting games, but the seventh is the co-op The Punisher beat 'em up! The collection is coming to PlayStation, Switch, and Steam.
Donkey Kong Country Returns HD
The Donkey Kong Country series of platformers is delightful, but the games suffer from a lack of proper co-op. Nintendo and Retro Studios eventually released a proper co-op installment called Donkey Kong Country Returns for Wii and 3DS. A lot of gamers missed that installment, alas. Luckily, Nintendo has now announced Donkey Kong Country Returns HD for Switch, giving a fresh generation of players a chance to get our Donkeys Konged.
Shovel Knight: Shovel of Hope DX
The original Shovel Knight was a popular platformer with local co-op and a great retro art style. Yacht Club Games ended up offering that first game as both Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove (all DLC included) and Shovel Knight: Shovel of Hope (just the main game). That's not confusing! Also not confusing is today's announcement of Shovel Knight: Shovel of Hope DX, a remake of the original game that adds 2-player online co-op and many other choice features.
No More Room In Hell 2
The zombie apocalypse would not be a fun time in real life. Despite that, games like No More Room in Hell 2 from Torn Banner Studios (developers of the Chivalry series) keep getting made. This one looks tense and exhilarating, as it challenges 8 online players to find each other and then escape from an area that is riddled with the undead. A f...
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Call of Duty is a big deal every year, but perhaps never as much as this one, the first year that a new CoD will launch on Game Pass. Today, Microsoft showed off Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 at the Xbox Games Showcase, revealing lots of cool gameplay footage and details. We also learned how the cooperative Zombies mode will work - always the most important information for co-op enthusiasts like us.
Shadow of the Ninja - Reborn
NatsumeAtari (the modern form of Natsume) and Tengo Project, its interior development team, have released some impressive sequels and remakes of classic games in recent years Pocky & Rocky Reshrined, The Ninja Saviors: Return of the Warriors, and Wild Guns Reloaded. We'll soon be able to add another game to the list thanks to Shad...
Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2
Online Co-Op: 4 Players LAN Co-Op: 4 Players + Co-Op Campaign Back in 2021, D3 Publisher and Yuke's unleashed a family-friendly spin-off of the EDF series called Earth Defense Force: World Brothers. We quite liked that game's colorful, voxel art style and humor. Fast-forwarding to 2024, it looks like we're in for another good time because Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2 has been officially announced for a September release on PlayStation and Switch!
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate Online Co-Op: 4 Players + Co-Op Campaign After a period of Apple Arcade exclusivity, Super Evil Megacorp's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate is riding the timed exclusivity train onto Nintendo Switch. The top-down roguelike features a great 2D visual style, an authentic comic book-style storyline, and 4-player online co-op. The Turtles will be splintering fates on Switch this July.
Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection
In the early 2000s, the Star Wars: Battlefront series captivated gamers with its combination of ground and air/space battles and large-scale multiplayer. Some years after that, EA confusingly released two new games with the same titles. Adding words to subtitles is hard! Thankfully, the newly released Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection from Aspyr Media has its own distinctive words to let us know that it's a collection of the first two Battlefronts in one convenient package.
My Little Pony: A Zephyr Heights Mystery
Hasbro's venerable My Little Pony franchise has been bringing joy to kids and the young at heart for quite a while now. Following the 2022 release of My Little Pony: A Maritime Bay Adventure, Outright Games and Drakhar Studio is back with another co-op pony game: My Little Pony: A Zephyr Heights Mystery. This one is heading to consoles and PC in May, and it will feature 2-player local co-op.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants Unleashed
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem debuted in theaters over the summer, receiving critical acclaim and launching an extremely successful toy line. Given the popularity of the film (not to mention that of TMNT: Shredder's Revenge), it comes as no surprise that a video game tie-in is in the works. And who is more likely to deliver that game than Outright Games, the English developer responsible for licensed titles like Paw Patrol World and Baby Shark: Sing & Swim Party?
Diesel Legacy: The Brazen Age
Cooperative fighting games are a rare breed, so it's always good news when one comes along. Diesel Legacy: The Brazen Age from Modus Games is one such game. The upcoming 2D fighting game has a focus on 2-v-2 battles, and that means that it also happens to support 2-player local co-op. The Steam version of Diesel Legacy is running an open playtest through January 3, so players still have a few days to try it out for themselves ahead of the full 2024 release.
Smalland: Survive the Wilds
It's fun to be tiny in a full-sized world, as proven by movies like Honey: I Shrunk the Kids and games like Microsoft's Grounded. Smalland: Survive the Wilds from Merge Games is an early access game for PC that casts players as tiny Smallfolk in a big, dangerous forest. The game supports up to 10-player online co-op, and the Steam and Epic versions can play together.
Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythm Festival
Bandai Namco’s Taiko no Tatsujin series of drum-based rhythm games has appeared on every major console this generation, but none more than Nintendo Switch. Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythm Festival marks the franchise’s fourth Switch entry. This installment kicks things up a notch with the new 4-player co-op DON-Chan Band mode, the addictive G... Bandai Namco's Taiko no Tatsujin is a delightful music game series featuring optional drum controllers.
News - 'Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania' Coming in October, Promises Co-Op
Sega's path to reviving its Super Monkey Ball series is the path of the remaster. First, Super Money Ball: Banana Blitz rolled in for a moderate reception in 2019. Now, Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania promises to collect the stages from the first three Super Monkey Ball games and add 4-player local co-op to the mix. Given the volume of content and the fact that it's coming to all major platforms, that's possibly even more exciting than a new game.
News - Elder Scrolls Online: Console Enhanced Arrives on Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5
Since its initial release in 2014, The Elder Scrolls Online has thrived and outlived numerous competing MMOs. New content drops like the recent 'Blackwood' expansion continue to expand the game, and now the long-awaited 'Console Enhanced' update has arrived on Xbox Series S and X and PlayStation 5. This update adds sweet graphical enhancements and optimizations that make Elder Scrolls Online feel like a proper current-gen game on consoles.
News - 'Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania' Coming in October, Features Co-Op
Sega's path to reviving its Super Monkey Ball series is the path of the remaster. First, Super Money Ball: Banana Blitz rolled in for a moderate reception in 2019. Now, Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania promises to collect the stages from the first three Super Monkey Ball games and add 4-player local co-op to the mix. Given the volume of content and the fact that it's coming to all major platforms, that's possibly even more exciting than a new game.
Co-Optimus - Forza Horizon 5 News Archive
Following a late May leak, Microsoft has officially announced Forza Horizon 5 for Xbox consoles and PC. Each Forza Horizon game takes place in a new region, with the new game set in the deserts, jungles, beaches, cities, and ruins of Mexico.
Co-Optimus - Redfall News Archive
First announced during the Microsoft and Bethesda Games Showcase, Redfall is an open-world co-op shooter from Arkane Austin, the developer of the Dishonored franchise. The premise of the game involves four heroes battling against an army of powerful vampires and cultists in an isolated island town.
River City Girls 2
Two stylish beat 'em ups to come, one with online co-op! During Limited Run Games' LRG3 2021 E3 event, WayForward Technologies announced both a prequel and a sequel to its stellar co-op beat 'em up, River City Girls. The aptly named River City Girls 2 will introduce 2-player online co-op, whereas River City Girls Zero is the English version of a classic Japanese game. Both tit...
News - 'Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania' Rolling to Consoles, Features Co-Op
Sega's path to reviving its Super Monkey Ball series is the path of the remaster. First, Super Money Ball: Banana Blitz rolled in for a moderate reception in 2019. Now, Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania promises to collect the stages from the first three Super Monkey Ball games and add 4-player local co-op to the mix. Given the volume of content and the fact that it's coming to all major platforms, that's possibly even more exciting than a new game.
News - Max Returns in First Streets of Rage 4 'Mr. X Nightmare' DLC Footage
Most people will agree that one of the things about Streets of Rage 4 is that it did not have playable boss characters. You can play as a lot of fighters, especially if we count the classic versions, but not bosses. That will change when the premium 'Mr. X Nightmare' arrives in the near future, adding former bosses Max, Shiva, and Estel to the playable roster.
Streets of Rage 4
Max Returns in First Streets of Rage 4 'Mr. X Nightmare' DLC Footage Most people will agree that one of the things about Streets of Rage 4 is that it did not have playable boss characters. You can play as a lot of fighters, especially if we count the classic versions, but not bosses. That will change when the premium 'Mr. X Nightmare' arrives in the near future, adding former bosses Max, Shiva, and Estel to ...
News - Arcade1Up Announces Preorder Date for X-Men Home Arcade Cabinet
Arcade1Up is a company that releases 3/4-scale arcade cabinets for home use. At E3 2021, the company promised a Turtles in Time cabinet for later this year. Today, Arcade1Up also announced a preorder date for a previously announced cabinet: Konami's X-Men. The 4-player arcade cabinet will also include two Avengers games, making it an exciting proposition for Marvel fans. Arcade1Up's X-Men arcade machine will be the 4-player version of the game rather than the deluxe 6-player version.
News - WayForward Announces River City Girls 2 and River City Girls Zero
During Limited Run Games' LRG3 2021 E3 event, WayForward Technologies announced both a prequel and a sequel to its stellar co-op beat 'em up, River City Girls. The aptly named River City Girls 2 will introduce 2-player online co-op, whereas River City Girls Zero is the English version of a classic Japanese game. Both titles will receive physical releases from Limited Run.
News - 'Evil Dead: The Game' Gameplay Revealed, Coming This Year
While there have been several games based on the Evil Dead film series over the years, Evil Dead: The Game from Boss Team Games and Saber Interactive is the first to let players team up to fight Deadites cooperatively. At E3, we got our first look at the horror-themed gameplay of this upcoming title for Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, and PC.
News - Halo Infinite and free PvP Mode are Due in Holiday 2021
Halo Infinite, the sequel to the slightly disappointing Halo 5, has seen a somewhat turbulent development period, with a lackluster reception to last year’s preview, a release date delay to 2021, and the departure of several key staff members. The Microsoft and Bethesda Games Showcase recently provided a welcome update on the game, which is now set to arrive in two parts this holiday season.
News - Co-Op Shooter Redfall Coming Exclusively to Xbox and PC from Bethesda and Arkane
First announced during the Microsoft and Bethesda Games Showcase, Redfall is an open-world co-op shooter from Arkane Austin, the developer of the Dishonored franchise. The premise of the game involves four heroes battling against an army of powerful vampires and cultists in an isolated island town. While vampires are the chief antagonists of Redfall, these aren't just any vampires.
News - Forza Horizon 5 Set in Mexico, Arriving on November 9
Following a late May leak, Microsoft has officially announced Forza Horizon 5 for Xbox consoles and PC. Each Forza Horizon game takes place in a new region, with the new game set in the deserts, jungles, beaches, cities, and ruins of Mexico. Forza Horizon 5 is one of the few games to show actual gameplay during the recent Microsoft and Bethesda Games Showcase. Microsoft and developer Playground Games also spotlighted one of the cars the game will feature, the Mercedes-AMG Project ONE.
X-Men Arcade News Archive
Arcade1Up Announces Preorder Date for X-Men Home Arcade Cabinet Arcade1Up is a company that releases 3/4-scale arcade cabinets for home use. At E3 2021, the company promised a Turtles in Time cabinet for later this year. Today, Arcade1Up also announced a preorder date for a previously announced cabinet: Konami's X-Men. The 4-player arcade cabinet will also include two Avengers games, making it an excit...
News - Every Co-Op Game Announced at the Microsoft and Bethesda Showcase
Back 4 Blood Don’t feel bad if you missed “Back 3 Blood” – Back 4 Blood is actually Warner Bros Interactive and developer Turtle Rock Studios’ spiritual successor to the Left 4 Dead franchise. This horror-themed first-person shooter will feature a 4-player co-op narrative campaign and competitive multiplayer as human or Ridden, much like its spiritual predecessors. Back 4 Blood will launch on day one with Xbox Game Pass on October 12 for Xbox, Windows 10, and Cloud (beta).
Sea of Thieves News Archive
Rare's open-world piratical adventure game, Sea of Thieves, turned one year old last month, and to celebrate the occasion (a month later) they've released their free "Anniversary Update" today. This brings a few new additions, such as a dedicated PvP area and a new faction to earn rep with, but it also adds something that we, personally, have been waiting to see: co-op driven experiences.
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