Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics debuted on most platforms last year, followed by an Xbox release this year. Right out of the gate, it was a really impressive collection, hence the high rating in our Co-op Review. Still, it seems that the collection had some room for improvement. This week's update adds local versus modes to each fighting game, graphical enhancements for Marvel vs. Capcom 2, new artwork and music, and more.

Back in the good old days, baseball games were fairly simple and easy to play. One of the more popular NES baseball games was Bases Loaded from Jaleco. A sequel called Super Bases Loaded was later released for the Super NES, offering much improved graphics and sound. Rather than allow the series to be forgotten, Sickhead Games and Rock It Games have just released a collection called Jaleco Sports: Bases Loaded on PC.

Warside is a freshly-released, turn-based strategy game for Steam from Lavabird and First Break Labs (makers of Cthulhu's Reach). We've been excited for it not just because of its lovely Advance Wars-style graphics and intuitive gameplay, but also for its promised co-op support. Well, now that the game is here, it turns out that co-op won't be arriving until the console ports come along. That's a shame, but the currently-available solo campaign and competitive multiplayer are nothing to sneeze at.

In the time before bullet hells, shoot 'em ups featured sharp level design and more deliberate gameplay. Konami's Gradius is undoubtedly one of the finest shoot 'em up series of the 1980s and 90s. Players will finally be able to enjoy many of those games on modern hardware thanks to GRADIUS ORIGINS. The upcoming compilation collects 7 arcade Gradius titles, most with multiple versions to choose from. What's more, four of them will support 2-player local co-op!

As loyal readers know, Earth Defense Force 6 is one of my very favorite games. My wife and I have collectively put hundreds of ours into it, mostly on the Steam Deck, Valve's portable gaming device. Many of those hours were spent in online co-op, a key selling point of the EDF series. Sadly, however, we can no longer play together fro...

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.

The original Bee Simulator has some good buzz among bee enthusiasts, I'm told. Thus, it's no surprise that Untold Tales and VARSAV Game Studios have a follow-up in the works called Bee Simulator: The Hive. This one will combine the content of the original game with an all-new expansion called "The Hive." It will still support 2-player split-screen co-op, so we're ready to bee thrilled by it.

We've been intrigued by 33 Immortals ever since it was announced at the Xbox Games Showcase in 2023. It promises to be the first 33-player online co-op game, a very unique number. Players will become damned souls and then team up with others to participate in large-scale raids against huge hordes of enemies and massive bosses. All that, plus Ro...

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.

There are plenty of gaming controllers available for mobile phones. Folks love to play their emulators on the go, after all. How do you improve on the mobile controller solutions that are already out there? You add Hall Effect analog sticks, for starters, and then you design the controller to fold up and tuck away under the phone itself. That's what the MCON from Ohsnap! does, and it looks really sweet.

Remember how fun Advance Wars: Portrait of Ruin was in co-op? It's not often that you find a turn-based strategy game that's so easy to play AND also supports the co-op. That's why we're pumped for Warside, the upcoming strategy game for Steam from Lavabird and First Break Labs (makers of Cthulhu's Reach). It plays a lot like Advance Wars, and we're dying to play it with friends.

Co-op fighting games (not beat 'em ups) are a rare and wonderful thing. There have been a few like Street Smart, Diesel Legacy, and the original Fatal Fury for Neo Geo (not the console ports). Well, the Fatal Fury series sadly dropped co-op support after the first game, but the franchise lives on. In fact, FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves is due out on April 24, and it looks impressive.