Amongst the major contenders of the fifth console generation, including the Sega Saturn, PlayStation, and Nintendo 64, it was only the Nintendo 64 that had four controller ports built in natively. This, at least in my experience, made the console a favored choice for those who liked multiplayer games, as you didn’t need an extra peripheral like a multitap. There was no shortage of excellent multiplayer games on the N64, though if we narrow further to just co-op, the list shrinks a bit.
10 Cozy N64 Classics You Need to Play
Classic N64 games like Harvest Moon 64 and Pokemon Snap can easily fit into the modern cozy vibe.
Co-op wasn’t quite in vogue during the fifth generation, at least compared to what followed, but you could still get some team-building experiences if you knew where to look, either tackling a game’s main campaign with a friend by your side or playing regular multiplayer modes in either 2-on-2 or 1-on-3 configurations. If there’s one thing Nintendo has always been pretty good at, it’s making party consoles, and a party can take on many forms, whether it’s just you and a friend or a full group of four.
To clarify, we’re specifically focusing on games with a built-in co-op element. Declaring unofficial alliances in Mario Party doesn’t count, for example.
9 Worms Armageddon
Wormy Warfare
Despite not being quite as flexible of a gaming platform, the N64 got a few ports of games originally released on PC, such as Doom and Starcraft. Arguably, one of the best grabs the N64 made from PC was the pint-sized tactical warfare game, Worms Armageddon.
Worms Armageddon has always been an excellent party game on just about any platform. The game uses a hot-seat format for its controls; that is, rather than every player having their own controller, you just pass one controller around on your turn. This made it an attractive choice for households that only had one or two controllers but wanted a lot of people to play, especially you could register up to six squads for a single match, more than the N64 could facilitate if it was limited to controller inputs.
As for the co-op element, while every player got their own squad of worms, two squads could be in alliance by selecting the same team color. Of course, friendly fire was always enabled, so despite your best efforts, you may still have ended up bombing your allies, but that’s just part of what makes the Worms experience memorable.
8 BattleTanx: Global Assault
Everything’s Better in a Tank
If ever there were a perfect vehicular mascot for multiplayer gaming, second only to go-karts, it would be the noble tank. Everyone loves driving a tank in a video game and shooting massive shells, and if you can do it with a friend, all the better. The original BattleTanx on N64 had multiplayer deathmatching, but for the co-op-minded, the sequel, Global Assault, served the purpose better.
In addition to the many multiplayer game modes carried over from the first game, like deathmatch, Convoy, Battlelord, and Frenzy, Global Assault added full split-screen co-op functionality to the game’s main campaign. You play all the same missions as in the solo campaign, just with two tanks under your command instead of only one. Both players can purchase new tanks to replace old or wrecked ones using a shared pool of Tank Bucks, though you do need to coordinate a bit, so one player doesn’t blow it all.
It’s fun that both you and your partner get your own tanks to drive, as opposed to some other vehicular combat games where one player only drives and the other player only gets to operate the turret. It’s equal-opportunity tank warfare for all involved!
7 Rampage World Tour
Half Co-Op, Half Competitive
The Nintendo 64 had its fair share of arcade ports, with its four-player compatibility meshing well with multiplayer-focused titles. One such arcade classic that was quite enjoyable on the N64 was Rampage World Tour, the classic kaiju simulation game.
In Rampage World Tour, up to three players take control of giant monsters George, Lizzie, and Ralph as they travel the world and bust up major cities. The only hard and fast goal of the game is to completely and utterly annihilate every city you set foot in; if you take too long in one city, you’ll be kicked out and have to come back to it later to finish the job. This is why playing co-op is optimal; three monsters mean three times the destructive potential.
While teamwork does make the dream work, the game combines that with a competitive score-based element. Every player’s score is tracked individually, with points accruing from eating people, smashing buildings, and destroying tanks and jets. You’re all working toward the same end goal, but there are certain bragging rights to be earned from having the highest score when you get there.
6 Goemon’s Great Adventure
Ninjas are Good at Coordinating
Over the course of the Mystical Ninja series (AKA Ganbare Goemon), the format has flip-flopped a bit between solo and co-op play. The first N64 Mystical Ninja game, Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon, is a strictly single-player game, while the game that immediately followed it, Goemon’s Great Adventure, is a co-op affair more in line with its SNES predecessor.
Goemon’s Great Adventure is an action platformer in which two players control two out of four characters to progress through various action stages. You start with just Goemon and Ebismaru, but progressing through the story also unlocks Sasuke and Yae, whom either player can switch to at a tea house. Every character has unique platforming and combat abilities, some of which can reveal secret alternative passages in levels, so it pays for both players to consistently mix things up.
It’s a long-haul adventure, one you and your friend will definitely need a few sittings to beat, but that makes for a good reason to hang out every weekend. Plus, during the game’s giant robot boss battles, both players get to control their own robot and tag between them by literally passing a giant baton. It’s wacky fun.
5 Mario Tennis
Find Your Ideal Doubles Partner
I quite like playing doubles tennis on occasion. An average tennis court is so big that it’s hard to run around, so having a partner to tackle half of it alleviates some of the burden. As it turns out, the same also goes for simulated tennis, specifically the original Mario Tennis.
Mario Tennis has both singles and doubles tennis baked into just about all of its game modes, which you can play either solo with a CPU or co-op with a friend against a computer team or two more friends. Since this was before Mario Tennis added all of its wacky gimmicks like power shots, it’s mostly grounded gameplay with speedy rallies and targeted lob shots, though there are special maps and modes that add wrinkles like gimmick courts and Mario Kart-style items.
Hands-On Preview: I’ve Caught the Mario Tennis Fever
Mario Tennis Fever is flashy, balanced chaos.
In addition to the exhibition matches, you can also tackle the game’s tournament mode in doubles, working together to climb to the top of an elimination bracket. The higher-difficulty tournaments can go on for a surprisingly long time, so it’s nice to have a real buddy in your corner to sweat through the whole process with you.
4 Gauntlet Legends
Axes, and Arrows, and Spells, Oh My
Returning to the subject of arcade games, Gauntlet has long served as the progenitor of arcade-style multiplayer dungeon-crawling. The original Gauntlet definitely has its appeals, but at least for my money, the game that really solidified the series’ formula was Gauntlet Legends, and especially the N64 version.
Gauntlet Legends was an old-school fantasy dungeon crawler with support for up to three players, four if your N64 had an Expansion Pak. Everyone got to pick between four classes with different emphases on strength, defense, speed, and magic, blazing through labyrinthine levels with swinging swords and flying arrows. It’s not particularly deep as far as dungeon-crawlers go, but it’s fast-paced and in-your-face with a lot of tense, low-health moments, perfect for an exciting gathering.
Funny story, Gauntlet Legends was one of the first N64 games that made me realize I really needed to invest in a Controller Pak to save progress. It kind of diminishes the fun for you and your friends a bit when you have to keep playing the first couple of levels over and over.
3 Diddy Kong Racing
“JOINTVENTURE”
Now, you might be thinking, “Wait a minute, Diddy Kong Racing isn’t a co-op game! It only has a single-player adventure and regular multiplayer modes!” Perhaps so, hypothetical onlooker, but only to the uninitiated. You see, the fifth console generation was the prime time of game-altering cheat codes, of which Diddy Kong Racing had no shortage. One of the most interesting of these codes, “JOINTVENTURE,” transformed the usually-single-player adventure mode into a co-op affair.
In the co-op adventure mode, player one gets control while navigating the overworld map, but once you enter a race, it switches to split-screen with both players competing against the computer. As long as at least one player finishes in first, that’s considered a win for both of them. As for the game’s boss battle races, players take turns racing against the boss critters. If player one blows it, player two gets to take a shot, and vice versa.
Perhaps it’s cheating a little bit to consider a cheat code-added mode as an actual co-op feature, but I can personally attest to the fun factor of having a friend join you for the adventure mode races. Those CPUs cheat, anyway, so any edge you can get helps.
2 Perfect Dark
Meet Velvet Dark
Did you know that Perfect Dark protagonist Joanna Dark has a sister named Velvet Dark? I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t, because apparently, she only exists if you’re playing the game in co-op. Consider that your impetus for playing the game with a buddy; you two get to enjoy one of the N64’s best shooters, and poor Velvet gets to experience the physical plane for a little while.
In Co-Operative mode, two players can tackle the game’s usual solo missions, with the obvious difference being you get twice the firepower. Technically, only one of the two players needs to actually clear the mission; if one of you dies, you can be revived, but otherwise, you can just finish the mission as normal. In fact, if player two finishes the mission, Velvet will take Joanna’s place in the ensuing cutscenes.
Perfect Dark’s co-op mode could be considered a progenitor for the many FPS co-op modes that would become commonplace in the following years. Next time you want to play with a friend in Halo, whisper a silent thanks to the disembodied spirit of Velvet Dark.
1 Super Smash Bros.
“Free-for- Team Battle!”
Unsurprisingly, the definitive N64 party game for just about any format of friend group is and remains the original Super Smash Bros. While the default multiplayer mode was Free-for-All, a quick tap on the corner of the screen switched things over to Team Battle, where players form color-coordinated teams for a chaotic rumble.
Smash’s Team Battle mode works exactly the same as its regular mode: smack the other dudes around until their percentages get high enough, then smack them off the stage. The only difference is that you have a friend who can join in the smacking without being at risk of being smacked themselves.
There can be up to three teams in a single Team Battle match; Red, Blue, and Green, and the teams do not need to be equal. You could have a traditional two-on-two match, a one-on-three match, or even a two-on-one-on-one if someone in your friend group needs a little handicap. Team Battle also works with all the game’s battle formats, including both time and stock. Smash is already plenty of fun to play normally, but there’s something cathartic about having three players gang up on just one to beat the absolute snot out of them.
10 PS2 Games That Made Couch Co-Op Feel Like an Event
If you were going to buy a multitap, it was probably for one of these games.
- Security Camera Installation – indoor/outdoor IP CCTV systems & video analytics
- Access Control Installation – key card, fob, biometric & cloud‑based door entry
- Business Security Systems – integrated alarms, surveillance & access control
- Structured Cabling Services – voice, data & fiber infrastructure for new or existing builds
- Video Monitoring Services – 24/7 remote surveillance and analytics monitoring
Author: 360 Technology Group
