Why Aren't Their More Co-Op Games? What Happened To That?

[JohnCrichton]

Some of the greatest video game memories I've had were playing along side friends.

Contra being the king of that experience and Phantasy Star Online being the latest in that fun.

I mean, there's no end of hilarity when my friend and I go in to a room where there's a monster in there that's more than we can chew.

I remember in PSO there was this gigantor biggie robot thing just dropped in outta no where! We charaged in with spells crackling on fingertips, guns in hand and sword read for swipin' and got our asses up and handed to us!

Me: "AAAAHHHHH!!!!"

Butter: "Crap! I'm dead!"

Me: "Man, down!!! Man, down!!!"

Arcadius: "I'm on it, I'll revive him!!!"

Me: "I'll get the monster's attention!!! OH CRAP!!! I can't last much longer!!!! HURRY UP!!!"

Butter: "I'm up!!! Let's get t#$% outta here!!!"

Arcadius: "Aw man, I'm stuck!!! HELP!!!"

Me: "Mark's still in there!!!"

Butter: "What do we do?!!?"

Me: "I'm going back in there after him! AAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!! #$% I'm dead!!!"

Arcadius: "I'm loose!!!"

Butter and Me: "Run Mark, RUUUUNNNNN!!!!"

Aradisus: "AAAAAHHHHH!!!!"

(At this point slow motion missles are just chasing after him as he runs and tries to get out of the room...)

All this actually happened and we ended up laughing so hard! I missed that kind of co-op action.

Why isn't there more of that out there? Stuff like this should be almost standard for every first person shooter out there. I mean that's what made HALO so fwickin' awesome.

What do you think happened that co-op games up and evaporated?

Oh, and Mark didn't make it...... none of us did. In some digital timeline our characters are left in a cold unfeeling grave, somewhere deep in the Mines of Ragol.

[Krayenhoff]

Honestly, with the complete dominance of multi-player FPSes and on-line gaming, I have no idea where you get the notion that cooperative gaming is extinct.

[JohnCrichton]

Sitting next to your friend co-op action.

Online's great, but not the same.

[EightOh]

Nobody has any "real life" friends anymore? ;)

[Chris Sanders MSX]

I have no idea. I guess in the past they haven't sold as well or something. In Super SMash Bros. Melee there's a Co-Op Option. Most Co-Op games aren't just co-op games but rather regular games with Co-Op Option.

[bfmusashi]

What we need is more co-op RPGs, like the original Secret of Mana. That was genius.

[The Jinjo]

Super Monkey Ball 1 & 2 have 4 player adventure modes, and my whole family is glad

[JDuncan]

Halo has a great Co-Op mode.

[kiddiesunshine]

I've been saying that every game should have a co-op feature in it. The only thing better than saving the world is saving the world with a buddy oor two.

[Skiptastic]

Not every game should have a co-op mode. I mean, the whole idea of some games is that you are one man/woman versus the world. GTA3 wouldnt be as cool if you had someone to help you on missions, because you wouldnt feel the same sense of accomplishment...also you would have to watch your back because the whole game starts with you getting backstabbed.

However, some games are kinda cool when you toss in a co-op mode. I mean, who can forget playing as Tails with controller 2 in Sonic 2? Now what needs to happen, sadly, is that the co-op mode will come either online or maybe not at all. People sadly have moved away from the fun of sitting in one room with a friend trying to take on the Covenant (even though I did it with my brother). They want to do it with a full screen. I mean, co-op mode can happen, its just gonna be extra icing if it happens...least thats the way I see things happening. I mean, look at Halo. Great game with or without the co-op, but it did it anyway. Which made the game that much more fun for me and my brother.

[skojoe]

since everyone is on the topic of co-op games. I remember when I was young one of my friends had a nintendo game that was kind of like contra except whenever you died you hit A, B, B, A. and you kept going. I was just wondering if anyone knows the name of this game b/c I cannot remember it for the life of me. thanks