Top 10 Co-op Games

I'm a single-player first, co-op second, competitive multiplayer third kind of guy. I've always found deep, engaging single-player games much more immersive and much more satisfying than games that revolve around co-operation with or competition against other players. But of course there are exceptions to that rule. Some of my most memorable video game experiences involve playing cooperatively with my friends and family: beating the final boss in New Super Mario Bros. Wii with my sister; escaping from a sinking barge with my buddy Rob in Army of Two; and many others.

There are hundreds of cooperative video games out there, from all genres and on all platforms, but I've managed to cut the long list down to only ten. These ten represent the most balanced, most rewarding, and most enjoyable co-op experiences out there. Please enjoy.

10. Halo 3: ODST

Several players fight off Covenant forces in "Firefight."

One word: Firefight. Yes, this co-op mode was stolen shamelessly from "Horde Mode" in Gears of War 2, but it's still excellent and addictive. Firefight is a timed survival game where as many as four marines battle wave after wave of increasingly fearsome enemy fighters. All players share a pool of seven lives, so they must work together to protect each other and take down powerful enemies. Individual and team scores are tracked during each game, which infuses a competitive spirit into this co-op mode.

9. Resident Evil 5

Sheva stands in the foreground, Chris in the background.

It might not be the best Resident Evil game, but Resident Evil 5 shines as a cooperative experience. Two players (either online or in local splitscreen) control agents Chris Redfield and Sheva Alomar as they work together to solve a zombie outbreak in a fictional region of Africa. Cooperative play is integrated smoothly into the narrative and pacing of the game: co-op actions like assisted jumps are sprinkled organically into the game, and boss battles lend themselves especially well to cooperative strategies.

8. Rock Band 2

Turn it up to 11.

In Rock Band 2, up to four players can team up to form a rock band, each with his or her own role. The game supports four controller types: lead guitar, bass guitar, drums, and vocals. During cooperative play, all players earn points toward a common score, although some score multipliers and "overdrive" are tracked separately for each band member. When players score perfectly on certain sections of a song, they earn "overdrive," which can be deployed to pass difficult sections of the song or even rescue a band member who failed his section of the song. Nothing matches the intensity and hilarity of four people rocking out in a living room on plastic instruments, while a crowd of friends cheers them on.

7. Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles

Four players, each with his own Game Boy, fight off a boss monster.

Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles requires a serious time and financial investment, but the payoff is well worth it. In order to play the cooperative mode of Crystal Chronicles, each player must own and use a Game Boy Advance and a Game Boy Advance Cable. Using the cable, each player can connect the Gamecube to his Game Boy, which functions as a personal screen. In that way, players can manipulate their characters and manage inventories without disrupting the action on the main television screen. Combat in Crystal Chronicles requires good communication and timing from teammates. Players can unleash powerful magical attacks by "stacking" spells on top of one another and casting them simultaneously.

6. Left 4 Dead

The survivors pass through a hospital on the way to a safe room.

Leave it to Valve to create a game no one asked for but everyone secretly wanted: a four-player co-op post-apocalyptic zombie game. In Left 4 Dead, players control four survivors as they fight their way through hordes of undead monsters. Cooperation is a must. Players can become separated from the group easily and then overwhelmed. The game allows teammates to heal each other with med packs and rescue each other once incapacitated. There are several games modes, including a main campaign mode, a timed survival mode, and a competitive mode where players take turns playing as survivors and infected.

5. Contra III: The Alien Wars

Contra III could certainly be played (and enjoyed) alone, but for pure gaming bliss one needs a partner. Two players team up as Jimbo and Sully, two musclebound commandos defending the Earth from an alien invasion. Contra III is really just a run-and-gun game, very similar to its predecessors Contra and Super C, but it looks and plays much better. And, because of its insane level of difficulty, a teammate is welcome relief. One of the very best two-player co-op games ever made.

4. Gears of War 2

Players prepare for a new "wave" of enemies.

Double your pleasure with Gears of War 2, the sequel that allows players to experience two forms of gaming togetherness: the main campaign, for two players, and "Horde mode," an addictive co-op mode that allows up to five players to fight off wave after wave of Locust enemies. Horde mode is a true test of players' cooperative and strategic skills. Enemies become more powerful and fearsome with each wave, and resources must be managed and shared wisely. As in the main campaign, incapacitated players can be rescued by teammates.

3. NBA Hangtime

That's some vertical leap.

Of all the games on this list, NBA Hangtime is the most unlikely one. Destined forever to be overshadowed by its spiritual predecessor NBA Jam, Hangtime is actually a superior cooperative experience. This is due to a few innovations, including alley oops, "double dunks," and especially the game's "create player" feature, which allows players to create a custom basketball player with specific statistics on height, weight, and offensive and defensive skills. Players can upgrade their custom characters by earning attribute points by winning games.

2. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time

Leo gets his sea legs.

The Super Nintendo hosted many outstanding two-player co-op games, including the very best: Turtles in Time. Although the SNES version of Turtles in Time removed the four-player co-op option featured in arcades, it added several features that make up for the omission. A total of five new boss characters were added, along with a SNES-exclusive Technodrome level. The game also features a time trial mode and a two-player versus mode.

1. Left 4 Dead 2

Left 4 Dead features five new campaigns.

In every way better than its predecessor, Left 4 Dead 2 is the best co-op game ever made. With new guns, new characters, new enemies, and a longer campaign, Left 4 Dead provides a superior package of co-op mayhem. Players once again take control of a ragtag group of survivors making their way in the end-of-the-world today. But Left 4 Dead 2 provides much more diversity and even greater replay value. In addition to all the modes from the original game, Left 4 Dead 2 features a brand new "Scavenge" mode, a four versus four mode where survivors try to fill up a generator with gas tanks scattered around each map, while a team of infected tries to stop them.