Growing up with a twin brother, we almost always played video games that were made for 2 players. Sports, fps, anything multi-player would do. We only had one system in the house when I was younger, so in order for us both to get our gaming fix, it would have to be on a two-player adventure. To this day we still prefer games that we can cooperate at. There were a few stand-out games that I can remember having the most fun with, and surprisingly, they aren’t really new games. So if you’re a new gamer (Xbox/360, PS2/3) then go back and try some of these games, I can personally guarantee that you won’t be disappointed. If you remember these games, then reminisce with me!
Battletoads (SNES):
This could possibly be one of the most maddeningly difficult games that I’ve ever played, but the 2-player mode was truly awesome. Nintendo had a way with making co-op games really enthralling. You had to stay on the screen at all times to stay alive, and you had to be almost perfectly in sync in order to beat some of the higher-level bosses. Very tough, but awesome to play as a pair. And playing as characters named Rash, Zitz and Pimple didn’t hurt either!
Contra (NES):
Again, one of the toughest games around in it’s time, and even stil todayl. Sticking with the theme of making you work together, you couldn’t stray too far behind the player in front, or you wouldn’t be able to advance through the level. I remember getting so mad when I’d go to make a great jump over a gap, only to be stopped in mid-air and fall in the hole because my bro would be too far behind or vice versa. The weapon upgrade system was incredible, and the feeling of picking up a new high-powered weapon and taking out a screen full of enemies was second-to-none, and with 2 players going at it, the screens was often full of bullets, which made the experience awesome!
Double Dragon II (NES):
My brother and I were both into martial arts from an early age, and Double Dragon II was one of those games that just hit the right note with us. We would play this game for hours on end, and still to this day I don’t think we beat it. Simple controls and endless waves of enemies made this a game that you wanted to play again and again. The action was fast-paced and tight, and it was just a great overall game.
Goldeneye 007 (N64):
This game ruled my life in high-school. A friend of mine who lived close had an N64, and we would go over on spares or lunch and play this game until we were late for class. Endless multi-player maps, great characters and big maps – as well as a good selection of game types – kept this on constant rotation in our gaming schedule. The selection of weapons was also great, giving you a number of ways to dispatch your enemies. The replay value on this game is through the roof, and with a remake on the Wii out now, hopefully more players will get a chance to play this awesome game!
These are just a few of the games that stick out in my memory as being some of the best multi-player experiences I had while growing up (excluding COD/WoW of course, but I wanted to point these out as being the games that started many of the gaming trends that we currently enjoy). If you have a game that you couldn’t live without, let us know!
