Co-op in games these days is borderline expected for games with a multiplayer component. I still remember the first generation of consoles where online play was standard, like the Xbox 360 and PS3. Online co-op was the hot ticket. Given how commonplace online co-op has become, though, it’s easy to forget that it wasn’t always so easy to enjoy a team experience.
Back in the day, if you wanted to play with your friends, they had to be right next to you, whether planted on the couch or shoulder-to-shoulder at an arcade cabinet.
Even if it was less convenient, the golden age of retro co-op brought with it more than a few games that I don’t think would have quite the same punch if you played them online. These were games meant to be shared in person, where you and your buddy could high-five at the victories and smack each other at the failures.
If you know where to find them and don’t mind getting together in person, you can still enjoy these games on the couch with a good friend.
For the purposes of this list, “retro” is any game from the fourth generation of consoles or earlier.
10 Bubble Bobble
A Screen-Clearing Classic
Bubble Bobble
-
- Released
- June 16, 1986
- Developer(s)
- Taito
- Engine
- game engine
- Multiplayer
- Local Multiplayer
- Franchise
- Bubble Bobble
- Platform(s)
- Amiga 1000, Atari ST, Arcade, Apple II, Commodore 64, Nintendo Game Boy, Nintendo Game Boy Color, Nintendo Entertainment System, PC, PS4, Sega Game Gear, Sega Master System, ZX Spectrum
- Publisher
- Taito, Romstar
In the older arcade days, the name of the game was clearing screens. Whether it was Pac-Man, Burger Time, Donkey Kong, or others, you had one screen, and you wanted to clear it. Arguably, one of the most successful and prolific single-screen games to ever come out was developed and published by Taito in 1986: Bubble Bobble, a tale of two dragons on a quest to rescue their ladyfriends.
Originally released in arcades before being ported to home consoles like the NES and Master System, Bubble Bobble was one of the definitive co-op experiences at the time. Your little dragon guys, Bub and Bob, could spit bubbles to trap enemies, then stomp ‘em to clear them out.
Clear all the enemies out, clear the screen, repeat that 100 times and you win. It’s a very tight, focused experience that gets surprisingly hectic the longer it goes on.
The game is none-too-subtle about its co-op inclination. In fact, you can’t even beat it with one player. If you finish the last level alone, the game will tell you, “Great job, now do it again with a friend.”
9 Goof Troop
And We Always Stick Together
In the early ’90s, one of Disney’s burgeoning sectors was after-school syndicated cartoons like Goof Troop, DuckTales, and TaleSpin, collectively known as the Disney Afternoon. This programming block was dynamite, and got the full merchandising treatment with backpacks, lunchboxes, and of course, video games. One of my favorite games to come out of that boom was the 1993 Goof Troop game developed by Capcom for the SNES.
Goof Troop is a co-op puzzle-adventure game, kind of like if a Legend of Zelda game had less combat and was stage-based. One player plays Goofy, the other controls Max, and together, you’ve got to put your heads together to solve various environmental puzzles and mazes.
Your two main tactics are picking up and throwing stuff and using various items scattered around the level. It looks and sounds very simple, but if you and your partner aren’t on the same page, it can get surprisingly tricky.
I have a lot of personal fondness for this game, as I played it all the time with a friend growing up. We were absolutely terrible at it, both being literal children and all, but the bright and colorful atmosphere kept us engaged nonetheless.
8 ToeJam & Earl
One Funky Roguelike
The modern roguelike boom may have begun in 2011 with the original Binding of Isaac, but that doesn’t mean there were no roguelike games before them. They were just fewer and further between, and we didn’t have a name for it. One example of this from Sega’s back catalog is ToeJam & Earl, an exceptionally weird dungeon-crawling roguelike released for the Genesis in 1991.
ToeJam & Earl stars the titular duo of exceptionally funky aliens, who have crash-landed on a planet that’s… allegedly Earth and need to collect and reassemble the broken pieces of their ship. The pieces are scattered across an ascending series of randomly-generated islands, requiring you to explore each and try not to get bodied by hostile Earthlings.
By picking up and using presents, you can get helpful items and abilities to defend yourself and navigate quickly, though you could also have one blow up in your face.
ToeJam & Earl is a very open-ended co-op game; you and your friend can explore together if you want, but you can also go your separate ways and explore the islands independently to try and find the pieces faster. It’s a pretty laid-back experience, fitting with its funky vibe.
7 Pocky & Rocky
Now That’s What I Call A Shrine Visit
I don’t know what it is about retro games set in Edo-era Japan that makes them so consistently entertaining. Maybe I’m biased because I watch too much anime or something. Whatever the reason, if you want a vertical-scrolling shoot ‘em up with that fantastical Japan flavor, one of the highlights of that admittedly niche genre is 1992’s Pocky & Rocky on the SNES.
Pocky & Rocky is a scrolling shooter game, in which shrine maiden Pocky and her tanuki friend Rocky take on all manner of goofy demons and yokai. The characters play similarly, but have some slight differences in shot spreads and special ability effectiveness, so make sure you agree with your partner on who gets to play who.
Beyond that, it’s a straightforward shoot ‘em up, with both Pocky and Rocky able to use melee and ranged attacks, as well as coordinated attacks that launch each other around the screen.
Pocky & Rocky, among other things, is noteworthy for its high difficulty. You have to understand, this was a time when games wanted to beat you, not the other way around. If you and a friend manage to conquer Pocky & Rocky, that’s a genuine achievement that you carry with you for life.
6 Contra
Remember To Enter The Code
Run ‘n gun games are one of the bedrock genres of the co-op framework, and a lot of that status can be attributed to one of the grand daddies of running to the right and shooting stuff, 1988’s Contra on the NES. Okay, technically it was released for arcades first in 1987, but come on. If you’re going to play Contra, you’re going to play the NES version. That’s not even a question.
Contra was the game that made running and gunning cool, placing you and your partner in control of two buff soldier dudes with big guns. Whether you’re running, climbing, or somersaulting, you never have to stop firing. And frankly, you shouldn’t, because there’s always lots of enemies, and you die in one hit. By picking up power-ups, you can change how your gun fires, such as a machine gun, a fireball gun, a laser, and the beloved spread shot.
Contra is a very fast-paced, in-your-face action game, which I imagine is what got its critical reception back in the day. It was also a major quarter muncher, which is probably why the Konami Code has become common knowledge in the modern day: because everyone was entering it on the NES version just to get the extra lives and have a fighting chance.
5 Double Dragon 2: The Revenge
Those Ol’ Lee Brothers
If you wanted to play a game with a close friend or sibling on a home console and didn’t want to directly compete with one another, one of the most common options was Double Dragon, particularly Double Dragon 2: The Revenge. Much like Contra, Double Dragon 2 launched first in arcades in 1988, but was arguably more prolific when it made the leap to consoles.
Double Dragon 2 places you and your buddy in the roles of the Lee brothers, Billy and Jimmy, who are off to avenge their mutual ladyfriend Marian after her death at the hands of the Black Warriors street gang. All you have at your disposal are your fists and feet, but that’s plenty. While you only have three main moves, jump, left attack, and right attack, mixing up your inputs can result in a surprising array of different martial arts techniques with different strengths and ranges.
Naturally, while you can play alone, Double Dragon 2 is at its best when played co-op, as you gain access to special techniques like holding down an enemy while your partner pummels him. Double Dragon’s success has inspired an empire of beat ‘em up games, both in its own franchise and, more recently, the River City series and its spin-offs like River City Girls, where the Lee brothers appear again.
4 Smash TV
Don’t Touch That Dial, Kids
Much like roguelikes, twin-stick shooters experienced a major resurgence in the early 2000s with games like Geometry Wars. However, if you asked the developer of a twin-stick shooter where a large chunk of their inspiration came from, there’s a hearty chance their answer will be that 1990 arcade classic, Smash TV.
Smash TV is the definitive twin-stick action experience. You and your partner are dumped into a large, rectangular arena, which fills up with enemies coming in waves. There are power-ups, weapons, and money to grab among the chaos, but at the base of it all, it’s only your ability to move and shoot concurrently that’ll keep you alive.
Smash TV is a game with no brakes, and no breaks for that matter. As soon as you press start, the action starts right away, and it won’t stop until you and your friend are dead and buried. It’s the perfect kind of game for getting into a fugue state in the dead of night on a forgotten Saturday, you and your friend’s eyes bloodshot and fingers stained with Cheeto dust.
3 Zombies Ate My Neighbors
Final Boy, Final Girl
I’m not huge on horror movies, but I do enjoy horror movie culture, including tropes and practical effects. It’s a very interesting genre of film to make, even if you don’t like getting scared or grossed out. If you and a friend are looking to get a hearty dose of that retro horror movie vibe without the actually frightening bits, you’ll be sure to get a kick out of 1993’s Zombies Ate My Neighbors.
Zombies Ate My Neighbors casts you and your partner as suburban teenagers Zeke and Julie as they battle back a wave of cliché creatures and rescue their neighbors from certain doom. Every level is a massive map full of people to rescue and secrets to uncover, but you can’t dawdle, because all the neighbors must be rescued to open the exit door, and they can die if attacked by an enemy.
Speaking of, the enemies are the main highlights here. In addition to the titular zombies, you’ve got a real who’s-who of horror movie icons, from giant sandworms and murderous dolls to pod people and werewolves. It’s a very cheesy experience, but who doesn’t like a little cheese on their plate?
2 Gunstar Heroes
Get Creative With Your Guns
Throughout the 16-bit era of games, there were quite a few developers working under the umbrellas of the big contenders, each with their own signature development styles and preferences. One of the most distinct developers out there was Treasure, thanks in large part to the success of its first project, 1993’s Gunstar Heroes.
Gunstar Heroes is a sidescrolling run ‘n gun game where you and your partner blast your way through legions of soldiers and robots, utilizing mode-switching modular weapons as you go. Your weapon’s fire pattern is determined by two combined power-ups, with the precise power-ups you get changing the trajectory and strength of your shot. With a little coordination, you and your friend can have the perfect guns for your respective playstyles, at least until you die and have to find them again.
Boss fights are the big draw for Gunstar Heroes, with each one being some manner of weird and wild monster or giant robot. Don’t even get me started on the Dice Palace level and its many boss fights. If you’ve ever played Cuphead, that’s the level that inspired the King Dice boss fight. Actually, Cuphead draws a lot of inspiration from Gunstar Heroes, come to think of it…
1 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles In Time
Cowabunga, Indeed
The arcade and home console multiplayer era were when sidescrolling beat ‘em up games were truly in their prime. You couldn’t go to a local family fun center without seeing a gaggle of kids crowded around the latest brawler, and one cabinet that always had a full crowd was 1991’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time, later ported to the SNES in 1992.
No matter which version you’re playing, though only the arcade version lets you play all four turtles simultaneously, Turtles in Time maintains its unmistakable charm drawn from its era. It’s jam-packed with characters, locales, and bosses pulled from the extremely popular Ninja Turtles animated series, and while it didn’t exactly have the most depth in its combat system, it was simple and functional enough for anyone to pick up and enjoy.
Interestingly, there are actually pretty noteworthy differences between the arcade and console versions, particularly some stages and bosses that weren’t present in the arcade release. Whether it’s with one friend or three, it’s all but guaranteed everyone is going to have a good time, especially with some pizza to enjoy between levels.
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Author: 360 Technology Group
