Another weekend is upon us...YES!  The staff will finally be able to kick back and relax a bit, enjoying the numerous games on their menu.  The backlog still runs deep among us, as I'm sure it does for you.  Despite that, we see many morsels ahead of us like Twisted Metal and Resident Evil: Revelations.  One of these games requires a special attachment to get the most out of...the other requires another staff member to teach you how to control it.  Quite the coincidence I'd say.

Did you make the mistake of picking up Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure a few months ago?  You did?  My condolences.  Don't get me wrong, the game is a heckuva lot of fun.  It's even better with a friend.  The problem is that procuring the little action figures is akin to a crack addiction, or so I've heard.  The starter kit (which is only like $50 right now on Amazon) comes with the game, the techno-magic portal, and three characters.  This is apparently just enough to get you hooked on spending $10 bucks a pop for additional figurines.

Ah Mr. X, we meet again.  How many times did you crush Leon Kennedy's skull with me at the controls?  Were there dozens - maybe hundreds, of head squishings?  Seriously, I can't remember.  I played through Resident Evil 2 multiple times, but that was about 14 years and a million beers ago.  I do remember that Mr. X knows how to make an entrance.  I'm glad to see him back in action.

Our first Co-op International Column focuses on Onechanbara Z: Kagura, a recently released Japanese Xbox 360 game. Kagura is as bizarre as past Onechanbara titles, but boasts much sharper graphics and combat. Get the full co-op scoop on Kagura before it reaches domestic shores (if ever)!

Join the Co-Optimus crew with Nick, Mike, Jason and Locke as they discuss the following games: Skyrim, RE: Revelaitons (demo), Saint's Row the 3rd, Soul Calibur 5, Fallen Enchantress, ,MGS: Peace Walker HD, Ascension (iPhone). We also touch upon some news items from the last week: Aliens: Colonial Marines delayed again. Rayman Origins coming to PC (with Co-Op) ibb and obb to arrive in 2012 ePawn arena changing the face of tabletop gaming Finally finishing off with a discussion on the topic of: "Should all games require co-op?"

There will be no need to "breach" your 360 or PS3 in order to enjoy the 4 player online co-op mode in Starbreeze's upcoming revival of the PC classic Syndicate. In a move that's a bit different from how they (and many other publishers) are currently releasing games, publisher EA has stated that no online pass will be required in order to play the game with friends. This means that whether you buy the game used or new, you'll have access to all of the content that originally comes on the disc.

The Simpsons Arcade Game is out now on Xbox Live Arcade, ahead of the game's launch next week on the PlayStation Network.  It's an odd day to release an arcade game, typically XBLA gets new releases on Wednesdays.  It's good news though if you are fans of the game, as now, you and your friends and family have weekend plans.  Seems like you'll have something to do just in time for your Super Bowl party.

Cross platform gaming is one potential future for the games industry. Why can't I play a console version of a game at home, pick up the portable version on my journey and play the iPhone version whilst I am on the loo? With newly announced Oliver & Spike: Dimension Jumpers, this may happen. Rock Pocket Games are creating a kid friendly co-op game that will provide a unique gaming experience on different types of media.

Ever wanted to play the third installment of the PixelJunk series, but only own a PC? Well, tonight’s your lucky night!  Dylan Cuthbert, boss of developer Q-Team, is finally releasing their longstanding PixelJunk series game, PixelJunk Eden for the first time on Steam.

In a recent interview with Dark Souls’ creative director, Hidetaka Miyazaki, his thoughts on the design processes reveal his uncertainty of a future sequel.

Today we bring you a new commercial touting the capabilities of the Xbox 360's Kinect motion control peripheral in Mass Effect 3.  The Kinect has been a whipping boy for many gamers since it's announcement, and this video is probably not going to change that.  At all.  As a semi-proud owner of the device, I can definitively say, "It's okay, I guess."   

This week in Indie-Ana Co-Op we speak with Matthew Griffin and Jason Gordy, the development team behind the 4 player PC game, Wanderlust: Rebirth. We speak with them about what lead them to become game developers, what co-op games inspired them, and what challenges they faced throughout Wanderlust's long development.