While competitive gaming is fun, reader response to this week’s Ask the Readers question shows that good old beat-the-bad-guys-together cooperative gaming is as popular as ever. Read on to see what your fellow readers are playing.

By far the most popular nomination for favorite co-op game was an outright classic: 1987′s smash hit Contra. Originally released as an arcade game, it was ported to the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1988. Contra was groundbreaking for the time as it featured simultaneous play for the two players–you and a friend could play side by side without waiting to take your turn. Clearly that kind of side-by-side play resonated with readers. RJ writes:

When my fiance and I played and beat Contra on the NES. I knew she was the one and we got married and its been great.

That’s no small feat; Contra was voted “Toughest Game to Beat” by IGN.com readers. Even readers who had moved on to newer games still recall Contra fondly; Jami writes:

The Gears of War trilogy on 360 is my favorite co-op currently, although I do have fond memories of bonding with my brother playing some co-op Contra on the NES.

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