If the sixteen co-op titles coming out this month aren't doing it for you, why not check out a few older games on the cheap? The new Xbox Live Arcade Deal of the Week has five better-than-good co-op offerings for 50 to 60% off their regular price. Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light, Bionic Commando: Rearmed, Bionic Commando: Rearmed 2, Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2, and Warhammer 40k: Kill Team are all on sale. Follow each game's link for co-op details.

Maybe you've been looking at picking up some Capcom titles on Xbox Live Arcade? You might want to wait until later this spring. The rather blandly-named Capcom Digital Collection is headed to retail release in late March. The  disc bundles eight of Capcom's better downloadable offerings, several of which are co-op. 1942: Joint Strike, Bionic Commando Rearmed 2, Final Fight: Double Impact (pictured above), Flock!, Rocketmen: Axis of Evil, and Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando 3 all feature co-op gameplay; for details, check out the links. Rounding out the set are two very popular games that lack co-op but are still pretty awesome: Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, and Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix.  

So you logged onto the PlayStation Store and you're ready to buy Bionic Commando: Rearmed 2. You're all excited about playing some couch co-op with your friend/sibling/parent/child/significant other/pet.  Now you just hope your crappy cable connection can hold on long enough to get the game downloaded.  Not only that, you're getting it a full day before those Xbox jerks.  Huzzah.  Then something catches your eye.

The sequel to the reboot of the Capcom classic, Bionic Commando, is due out this week. The original game was best known for its bionic form of locomotion and unforgiving difficulty.   Bionic Commando: Rearmed 2 launches today on the PlayStation Network, though as of this writing, it's not up on the PSN Store. It is scheduled to hit the Xbox LIVE Arcade tomorrow.  Whichever Marketplace, Store, or flea market gets the game up first will receive my fifteen bucks (or 1200 Microsoft points). Two players can co-op locally as Nathan "Rad" Spencer.  

The other day I was asked what I thought of Dragon Age by one of my buddies. I sat for a moment and finally admitted “I have it, but haven’t played...” Why would someone do that? I have a strange quirk where I don’t like starting games unless I have time to finish them...

Mark your calendars people, Bionic Commando: Rearmed 2 will be arrive on your PSN and XBLA digital doorsteps worldwide on February 2. That’s right, just under a month before you will be playing the sequel to the incredibly innovative side scrolling co-op title Bionic Commando. Here, we have some screenshots to hold you over until you’re ready to spend your $14.99 (1200).

A few months ago we brought your attention to the disservice that Capcom was doing to fans of their Bionic Commando franchise by implementing a 'jump' button.  Like crying in baseball, it just doesn't belong.  Well, Hallelujah!  A 'Retro Mode' has been announced for Bionic Commando: Rearmed 2, eliminating that pesky ability.  This mode will be unlockable, but I think stubborn faithful gamers like myself can simply refuse to use the jump button on the first playthrough.  Let's hope there's not one lone barrel all by itself in the first level, because then I'd be screwed.

Nathan "Rad" Spencer will be getting some help for his upcoming mission.  Capcom has just released some details on the supporting cast of Bionic Commando: Rearmed 2.  In the first Bionic Commando: Rearmed, two players could play co-operatively through local shared screen play.  One controlled a green Nathan Spencer and the other controlled a red clone. (How evil the clone was is debatable since he was, in fact, blonde.)  They were both equally 'rad,'  and it didn't adversely affect the story at all.  Do you hear that, Treyarch?

This past June we offered up a preview of Bionic Commando: Rearmed 2.  Many old school fans of the classic NES game cried foul when a jump ability was announced.  The whole point of the original game was the lack of a jump button.  That's why developers gave the gamer a handy dandy bionic arm.  It's even alluded to in the title. 

Back in April, Capcom held their Captivate event in April to show off a few titles they've been working on as well as reveal some exciting new titles.  One of the titles revealed at the event is a sequel to the popular remake of a classic NES game, Bionic Commando: Rearmed, which included a co-op mode that, while fun, wasn't all we were exactly hoping for in terms of a co-op experience.  As if reading our thoughts, Capcom followed up on this announcement with some official details were released that teased that the "co-op is back and better than ever."  So with that in mind, we were eager to finally get our hands on Bionic Commando: Rearmed 2.

Welcome to Beyond Co-Op, a weekly piece that talks about industry stories that may or may not be related to co-op gaming.

It was only yesterday that the embargo on Capcom's Captivate event lifted and news about what Capcom has in-store for gamers over the next year was revealed.  Included in this bevvy of information was the announcement that Bionic Commando: Rearmed, the remake of the classic NES title, would be getting a sequel, though it wasn't clear whether or not the sequel would also include a two player co-op mode like its predecessor.  Well, Capcom has released the official details and it seems that not only will two player co-op be back, but it will also be "better than ever."  While that's all that's revealed about Bionic Commando: Rearmed 2's co-op, the rest of the details offer some possibilities for how the co-op could be improved.