ne of the most talked-about guests at Microsoft’s Spring Showcase didn’t even bother showing up. Recent rumors and speculation stemming from an empty folder on Microsoft’s press FTP site ran the gamut from a new peripheral with the unlikely name of Lips to some kind of motion-tracking device designed to compete head-to-head against the Wii. Alas, it was not to be. Instead of product reveals, Microsoft instead decided to use its Spring Showcase event to showcase games, including heavy hitters such as Gears of War 2, Fable 2 and the recently announced Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts. That’s not to say that nothing of note happened—here are the highlights.

Too Human has a release date now, and it’s August 19. The game will now support two-player co-op, too. Silicon Knights’ Denis Dyack said the company originally tried supporting four-way co-op, but it became too chaotic to effectively manage. The two-player action still gets pretty hairy, judging from a quick gameplay session, while allowing players to work together. For instance, double-tapping the right analog stick toward an enemy launches it skyward. Once airborne, players can juggle it in the air with their firearms or a teammate can launch themselves skyward and perform their own aerial combo. Combos are important, with longer ones allowing players to use temporary buffs—like causing double damage for two minutes. After seeing some of the larger enemies in action, it’s clear that that kind of heavy attack power will be welcome, if not straight out necessary.

We saw more of Fable 2 in action, starting appropriately at the beginning of the game. For the first time, we watched our would-be hero as a child. After an opening cinematic flyby featuring a small bird (who lands on a building and craps on the boy’s head), we saw a quick interaction between the boy and his sister. They start out as ragamuffins, warming their hands by a burning barrel on a frosty day. After a strange encounter with a merchant of magical wares (or a huckster), we saw the game’s first quest. Players will have to run several errands to earn five gold coins. One of the missions is given by the town’s guard. He wants five warrants to be collected so he can arrest five of the town’s notorious criminals. Here’s where the game shows its promise. Players can do as he says or instead choose to sell the warrants to the criminals themselves, essentially letting them run free. Depending upon the decision, the town will look different in 10 years. It might be an idyllic trading community or a bleak and crime-ridden slum. Choose wisely.

Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise is the gardening sim/piñata manager’s first true sequel (We’re not counting that last minigame collection). After chatting with Rare’s team, it looks as though just about every little annoying part of the first game has been addressed and fixed. Players can purchase and plant seeds directly from the garden, without having to access the store—which now pops up in record time. More than 30 new piñatas are here, too, in addition to all of the creatures from the first game. We spied camels, crabs, penguins and more. Pinata wranglers will have much more to do with their critters this time around, too, including races, talent competitions and a variety of interactive toys. If you couldn’t stomach the first game’s saccharine-sweet art style and vivid colors, Trouble in Paradise isn’t going to sway you. It looks like much more of the same, which isn’t a bad thing. And while they wouldn’t outright confirm it, the guys at Rare wouldn’t deny that it looks like players will be able to venture out of their gardens this time around…

Cliff Bleszinski gave a guided tour of the second level of the Gears of War sequel, and it was absolutely stunning. Say what you will about Gears of War, the games look great. This time around, the environments are bigger and there are many more enemies around seemingly eager to soak up your bullets. Massive motorized derricks crash through forests, snapping trees, and environments chip away under fire. If you saw the Unreal Engine 3 demo at this year’s GDC, you might be wondering if the stuff shown in the demo could actually work in a game. The short answer is a resounding yes.

Contrary to other rumors, the latest installment in the long-awaited Banjo-Kazooie game isn’t a racing game. The first leaked screens did show vehicles, but that doesn’t mean you’ll be zipping in circles around an asphalt track. Instead, Rare is adding vehicles to the platforming gameplay. They’re not just your typical rides, either. Players might want to put on their engineering hats before they delve into the game, because the construction system is seriously deep. Before it’s done, players will have hundreds of parts at their disposal, including various engines, propulsion systems, propellers and more. In the demo, we got to see what the professionals could cook up. The creations ranged from ordinary cars to more complicated machines, such as flying ships, spring-loaded cars and high-speed watercraft. Vehicles will be used to complete challenges, like collecting coconuts in a vacuum-powered hopper. Classic elements are still in the game, though, like gathering musical notes and other items. We played with the construction system for a while, and although it took a while for it to work, we were able to build a turbine-powered car that moved quickly but spun out at the slightest provocation. Fortunately, the stock cars we test-drove were much more responsive. There’s hope for us yet.

While we’ll still have to wait for the next big megaton announcement from Microsoft, there are more than enough games on its 360 platform to keep us occupied. If this week’s events are any indication, 2008 is going to be another great year for gaming and gamers.