I’m writing this as a frustrated PC gamer. I’m frustrated because I’ve been looking for that seminal co-op gaming experience and have come up lacking, again and again. Seriously, where are the good co-op games?

For those not in the know, “co-op” is short for “cooperation”. Cooperative games are multi-player games where players are working with each other towards a common goal, like, for instance, getting through to the end of a game and essentially beating the computer. Beating the computer is, certainly a worthwhile goal that we, as humans, should do… while we can, before SkyNet goes self-aware and sends hunter/killers out to destroy us all. I figure, that’s a worthy cause, right? Besides, it’s fun.

I’ve really been getting into GameTap and one of the more popular games on there is Metal Slug, for good reason. It’s a game that’s tough as nails and even with two players it resembles something not unlike chewing shoe leather. Not that it’s hard to finish; even by yourself it shouldn’t take more than 45 minutes to plow through, but you’ll die a thousand deaths in the process. Not to mention the fact that, this game is just a lot funner when you have someone along, commiserating every “WTF?!” moment as you go.

Now, there have been a number of notable exceptions in the past. Doom, for example, offered co-op gameplay. Serious Sam is another fine example of a game that had co-op. These were first-person shooters that were more of an arcade experience as you were constantly surrounded by enemies that continued to come at you, wave after wave. Doom featured tight, close-quarter combat in indoor areas that were difficult to escape from when a couple of imps and cacodemons would suddenly show up while Serious Sam was known for its huge, outdoor arenas and the almost endless number of bad guys that would attack in droves. You’d clear through an onslaught, get just enough time to catch your breath, and suddenly be face to face with another horde of monsters, screaming bombermen, and all sorts of other craziness. These games were unforgettable in single-player but they were legendary for their multi-player.

So, why aren’t there more arcade-like multi-player co-op games on the PC? How about games like Smash TV or 1941? GameTap does offer a lot of games like this, but what about original stuff from independent developers? Shooters have been really popular lately; especially wild, crazy shooters, but are there any available for the PC that offer a decent co-op experience? Do they have a thriving, online community of players? Unfortunately, I can’t seem to answer this question… Either I’m looking in the wrong places or there just aren’t any.

As time goes on, I’m about $400 away from buying an XBox 360 and a Live! account just to get what’s being offered by games like Crackdown. Where are the games like that on the PC? Again, maybe I’m just looking in the wrong places or maybe there just aren’t any. So, what about it, PC co-op games? Where’s the love?