visiblemode
Member
Measured by fondness of memories: Mario Kart 64 and right behind it, Golden Eye.
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What are the Best Local Multiplayer Games of All Time?
- Thread starter Jokergrin
- Start date
The Lamonster
Member
New Super Mario Bros Wii/U
Diablo 3 PS4
Halo series co-op
Mario Kart series
Virtua Tennis series
Worms 2/Armageddon
Wii Sports
Guitar Hero/Rock band series
Castle Crashers
Donkey muthafuckin KONGA
Diablo 3 PS4
Halo series co-op
Mario Kart series
Virtua Tennis series
Worms 2/Armageddon
Wii Sports
Guitar Hero/Rock band series
Castle Crashers
Donkey muthafuckin KONGA
IXI FalcoN
Member
Halo CE lan parties will never be topped as my most fun local MP experience.
If you're not into shooters, Smash Bros, Mario Kart, Mario Party.
If you're not into shooters, Smash Bros, Mario Kart, Mario Party.
RespectThySole
Member
Smash Bros. Melee
Mario Party series
Marvel vs Capcom 2
Tekken 3/Tekken Tag
Gears of War 2/3
NBA Street Vol. 2
Madden
Halo 1-3
Soul Calibur
Super Street Fighter II Turbo
Mario Party series
Marvel vs Capcom 2
Tekken 3/Tekken Tag
Gears of War 2/3
NBA Street Vol. 2
Madden
Halo 1-3
Soul Calibur
Super Street Fighter II Turbo
In that case, New Super Mario Bros. Wii (U)?
DarkJedi24
Member
For me it has always been NHL. Burnout 3, Motorstorm: Pacific Rift and Battlefront were also great fun. Most recently though it has been Helldivers and Borderlands.
TimeEffect
Member
Rocket League is the latest favourite of mine.
Mother effing NBA Street Vol. 2 Off the heazy all day, into a gameeebreaker!
Burnout 3 for Crash, Party Crash, and Road Rage. Straight up racing is great too.
Power Stone 2 is forever a classic.
PS2 era wrestling games. Smackdown Here Comes the Pain for awesome gameplay and GM Mode.
PS2 era Hockey games, especially 2K5 and 2K6 for the super fun party modes (though I think I preferred the actual hockey in NHL 04 the most).
TimeSplitters 2 had hilarious modes.
Halo, and MW2/WaW's co-op modes.
Notice how most these games are never made the same way anymore
Mother effing NBA Street Vol. 2 Off the heazy all day, into a gameeebreaker!
Burnout 3 for Crash, Party Crash, and Road Rage. Straight up racing is great too.
Power Stone 2 is forever a classic.
PS2 era wrestling games. Smackdown Here Comes the Pain for awesome gameplay and GM Mode.
PS2 era Hockey games, especially 2K5 and 2K6 for the super fun party modes (though I think I preferred the actual hockey in NHL 04 the most).
TimeSplitters 2 had hilarious modes.
Halo, and MW2/WaW's co-op modes.
Notice how most these games are never made the same way anymore
CrazyArcadia
Member
I totally agree. This was for the longest time the game I put the most time into, ever! I played together with a friend who was also hardcore into Phantasy Star Online. We played seperately when we didn't have time to get together and then joined our characters for epic PSO multiplayer sessions on free evenings or weekends (occasionally joined by others who unfortunately did not own that game so it was more of a sightseeing for them with some of our low level characters
). Great times. I miss this.With the same friend, I think I spent dozens of hours in Dead or Alive 2, Power Stone and The Last Blade 2 on Dreamcast. Though most fighting games are a bit too difficult to learn for being "Best Local Multiplayer Games" since for being the BEST, it should also be possible for newcomers to enjoy the bout.
In that regard
and Smash Bros are king.
Most games on the Wii U are like the perfect evolution of local multiplayer. Since last summer, most of my multiplayer gaming was mostly spent playing Mario Kart 8 and Mario 3D World. Nintendo World is lots of fun, too. Of course, Smash 4 should also be great, unfortunately "my crew" doesn't like it that much. I am very hopeful that Splatoon will provide for local multiplayer as well, I fear it might be too online-centric though.
Lots of arcade games are great for this, as well. E.g. for something more relaxed, Neo Turf Masters is great and I have rarely meet someone who isn't amazed by the gameplay and artstyle of Metal Slug. Columns, Puzzle Bobble and Tetris are surprisingly fun when played competively, as well. For shooting games, I think you can do nothing wrong really with Goldeneye, Perfect Dark, Timesplitters (especially 2 and 3), Halo and CoD (as much as I don't like the direction the genre went into the last decade, without a doubt in local multiplayer and without random slurs and aggressive douches online, they're lots and lots of fun.) If LAN parties count as local multiplayer, I'd say Unreal Tournament 99, 2004 and Quake 3 are the perfect shooting games, though. Special mention to House of the Dead-series, especially Overkill. Though it's a bit too much bad taste for lots of people.
For scrolling fighters Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2,3 and 4 are great fun. I have especially fond memories of TMNT2 on the NES which was just amazing to play with another person. Same can be said for Streets of Rage 2.
...
Now I could go on and on listing dozens of examples but when it comes down to the Best, it's no contest IMO...
Mario Kart series.
This is really where it's at IMO. Perfect accessability, simple controls, easy to learn hard to master, the items distribution gives newcomers the occasional edge with Bullet Bills, Blue Shells and Stars while rewarding more seasoned players with tons of depth and tactics regarding item usage and track knowledge. It's even fun loosing in local multiplayer.
(special shout out to Sonic Racing Transformed which isn't as easy to get into, but somewhow pulls of to be of the same high quality as Mario Kart)
It took 15 posts to get the correct answer.
A Link to the Past
Banned
Kirby Super Star, co-op was do damn fun
Bomberman
Golden Eye 64
WWF No Mercy
Smash Bros.
Mario Kart
Though once my gf agrees to play Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer, I'm sure that will be on top. She keeps insisting on Ice Wind Dale 2 and I keep responding with dirty looks.
Edit: Battle Block Theater might actually be the best of all time. It fosters both love for cooperative problem solving and hatred.
Golden Eye 64
WWF No Mercy
Smash Bros.
Mario Kart
Though once my gf agrees to play Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer, I'm sure that will be on top. She keeps insisting on Ice Wind Dale 2 and I keep responding with dirty looks.
Edit: Battle Block Theater might actually be the best of all time. It fosters both love for cooperative problem solving and hatred.
Nabs
Member
Modern Classics:
SpeedRunners (Steam, XB1 soon) is a 4 player platforming... Mario Kart:
Lethal League (Steam, Consoles soon) is a... fighting game where you smack each other in the face with a ball.
Both games are amazing fun with friends. Some of the most fun in local (and online) MP.
SpeedRunners (Steam, XB1 soon) is a 4 player platforming... Mario Kart:
Lethal League (Steam, Consoles soon) is a... fighting game where you smack each other in the face with a ball.
Both games are amazing fun with friends. Some of the most fun in local (and online) MP.
SaggyMonkey
Member
Recently:
Towerfall
Nidhogg
Crawl
Spaceteam
Classics:
Bomberman (snes)
River City Ransom
Gauntlet
Rampage
NHL Hockey (Genesis years)
Pong
Warlords
Towerfall
Nidhogg
Crawl
Spaceteam
Classics:
Bomberman (snes)
River City Ransom
Gauntlet
Rampage
NHL Hockey (Genesis years)
Pong
Warlords
GabeTheGrouch76
Member
You really can't go wrong with GoldenEye 007 and Diddy Kong Racing (the N64 originals, of course). I never owned DKR to really get mileage out of its multiplayer much, but multiplayer on GE007 I remember being near-flawless.
Smash Bros. is also another excellent contender, and depending on the occasion Mario Kart and NSMB can also be pretty fun.
I'm surprised that nobody has mentioned any of the Tony Hawk Pro Skater games-THPS3's multiplayer was downright fantastic. The Score Attack, King of the Hill, and Horse mode in particular are a complete blast.
EDIT: Speaking of NSMB, we all know about the co-op multiplayer of the sequels, but how about the versus mode on the first game on the DS? Why didn't they bring that back and expand upon it? The co-op aspect of NSMB can be fun due to how people end up screwing each other over in defiance of the whole co-op aspect. But what made the Versus mode so fun was that you had to do that in order to win the matches!
Smash Bros. is also another excellent contender, and depending on the occasion Mario Kart and NSMB can also be pretty fun.
I'm surprised that nobody has mentioned any of the Tony Hawk Pro Skater games-THPS3's multiplayer was downright fantastic. The Score Attack, King of the Hill, and Horse mode in particular are a complete blast.
EDIT: Speaking of NSMB, we all know about the co-op multiplayer of the sequels, but how about the versus mode on the first game on the DS? Why didn't they bring that back and expand upon it? The co-op aspect of NSMB can be fun due to how people end up screwing each other over in defiance of the whole co-op aspect. But what made the Versus mode so fun was that you had to do that in order to win the matches!
Exploratory
Banned
It's gotta be Halo. Split screen co op, vs, and firefight later on. So much fun.
There are a lot. It was actually my console of choice for local multiplayer on bomberman and sports games because it supported a higher number of local players
Some multiplayer games I've played if you want kid friendly games:
Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket-Powered Battle-Cars
Little big Planet
All-Stars Battle Royale
Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One
Modnation racers
LBP karting
Motorstorm
Pixel Junk Shooter
Fat Princess
Portal 2
Bomberman
Any Sports game
If they don't have to be kid friendly
Borderlands
Resident evil 6
Dead Nation
Call of Duty
Killzone 3
OT, I would say the best local multiplayer games were Timesplitters, Mario Kart, Bomberman, and Goldeneye
Mostly from last gen.
Super Smash Bros. (any version)
Castle Crashers
Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World
Monday Night Combat
Borderlands trilogy
Left 4 Dead 1 & 2
Happy Wars
Rockband Series
Transformers Cybertron Series (War for/Fall of)
Dragon's Crown
Rayman Legends and Origins
Super Mario 3D world
New Super Mario Bros wii & U
Kirby's Return to Dreamland
Mario Kart 8
Sonic All stars Racing transformed (if on wii u, it has something over MK8: the chance for 5 players split screen and those 5 players can all go online)
Basically, beat em ups and 4 players platformers will be your best friends, some of these games require extra consoles (ie, left 4 dead requires at least 2 consoles/PCs and Transformers requires one console/PC per player), also while only 2 players, Fighting games are great party games passing the control around.
Super Smash Bros. (any version)
Castle Crashers
Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World
Monday Night Combat
Borderlands trilogy
Left 4 Dead 1 & 2
Happy Wars
Rockband Series
Transformers Cybertron Series (War for/Fall of)
Dragon's Crown
Rayman Legends and Origins
Super Mario 3D world
New Super Mario Bros wii & U
Kirby's Return to Dreamland
Mario Kart 8
Sonic All stars Racing transformed (if on wii u, it has something over MK8: the chance for 5 players split screen and those 5 players can all go online)
Basically, beat em ups and 4 players platformers will be your best friends, some of these games require extra consoles (ie, left 4 dead requires at least 2 consoles/PCs and Transformers requires one console/PC per player), also while only 2 players, Fighting games are great party games passing the control around.
Messofanego
Banned
Modern Classics:
SpeedRunners (Steam, XB1 soon) is a 4 player platforming... Mario Kart:
Lethal League (Steam, Consoles soon) is a... fighting game where you smack each other in the face with a ball.
Both games are amazing fun with friends. Some of the most fun in local (and online) MP.
One dude had no idea why I compared Speedrunners to Mario Kart, but the trolling from first place, bullet bill power, and other things remind me quite a bit of it.
My kid cousins love Lethal League (and Nidhogg and Samurai Gunn). When they come over, they're always asking "can we play that ball hitting game?".
Beelzebubs
Member
No love for Micro Machines games or some of the earlier Wrestling games?
Rapscallion
Member
Smash Bros series
Mario Kart series
Powerstone 2
Drawful
You don't know Jack
Mario Party series
Goldeneye
Halo 1-3
Castle Crashers
Super Monkey Ball series
Wrestling games (I can't tell you which ones are good or not, but from the ones I've played they've been incredibly fun)
These are the franchises I've had the most fun with locally.
Mario Kart series
Powerstone 2
Drawful
You don't know Jack
Mario Party series
Goldeneye
Halo 1-3
Castle Crashers
Super Monkey Ball series
Wrestling games (I can't tell you which ones are good or not, but from the ones I've played they've been incredibly fun)
These are the franchises I've had the most fun with locally.
I guess it depends on what era you grew up in. Whenever I see people say Halo defined split screen multiplayer i always reflexively think, what about Goldeneye??
SapientWolf
Trucker Sexologist
Death Tank is massively underrated as a local multiplayer game. It has just the right mix of skill and randomness that brings the hardcore and the casual together for a laugh riot. Almost anything can and will happen, but it's not luck based. It's an easy game to recommend and it's a shame it never made it to Steam. But the similar ShellShock Live did make it, so that might be worth a try.
Fighting games in general (favorites are Melee, Project M, Soul Calibur II/IV, DoA5, P4A, Xrd, Marvel 2, Third Strike)
Mario Kart (Double Dash and 8 especially)
Rock Band 3
F-Zero GX
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles
Super Monkey Ball 2
Any of the Gauntlet games
Halo (2, 3, and 4 honestly)
TimeSplitters: Future Perfect
Wii Sports Resort
Mario Party 2 and 5
Mario Kart (Double Dash and 8 especially)
Rock Band 3
F-Zero GX
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles
Super Monkey Ball 2
Any of the Gauntlet games
Halo (2, 3, and 4 honestly)
TimeSplitters: Future Perfect
Wii Sports Resort
Mario Party 2 and 5
CRAWL is also amazing.Nidhogg (2014)
Playing this with friends and shouting at each other is the best.
Halo: Combat Evolved - The most competitive console shooter of all time, on split screen or LAN this was too good.
Street Fighter & Super Smash Bros. - Both offering something very different in the fighting genre, with one thing in common being that they're amazing when played local with the right people.
Mario Kart - Simply put the best local racing game, lots of fallings are to be had.
FIFA (ISS 98) - Can't beat FIFA with the lads, personal mention goes out to International Superstar Soccer 98, too much fun was had.
Goldeneye, Timesplitters 2 & Perfect Dark - When you look back at the games and the content in these it was phenomenal, all absolutely fantastic to play. Only shame is they don't hold up too well nowadays.
Micro Machines - Had to get this in there, not played in years but always remember it being amazing at the time.
Sub'd for ideas.
Street Fighter & Super Smash Bros. - Both offering something very different in the fighting genre, with one thing in common being that they're amazing when played local with the right people.
Mario Kart - Simply put the best local racing game, lots of fallings are to be had.
FIFA (ISS 98) - Can't beat FIFA with the lads, personal mention goes out to International Superstar Soccer 98, too much fun was had.
Goldeneye, Timesplitters 2 & Perfect Dark - When you look back at the games and the content in these it was phenomenal, all absolutely fantastic to play. Only shame is they don't hold up too well nowadays.
Micro Machines - Had to get this in there, not played in years but always remember it being amazing at the time.
Sub'd for ideas.
I totally forgot about this one, so good, so many laughs. Good news if you didnt already know, spiritual successor to Micro Machines Toybox Turbos available on PS3, xbox360 and PC http://www.toyboxturbos.com/uk/home
Velurian
Member
There are some really great modern classics as stated before!
I can totally second Speedrunnes as one of the best:
... and Leathal League:
But certainly also Toybox Turbos (aka MicroMachines 5):
BlazeRush - a very very good MicroMachines clone that has some awesome particle effects and action!
Towerfall - thats absolutely bonkers with 4 players:
Ofc both of the new Trials games as well!
Honorable mentions:
*Distance 4 player splitcreen
*Blur 4 player splitscreen
*Magika 4 player sharedscreen
*Spelunky 4 player shared screen
*Sonic and Sega Allstars Racing 4 player splitscreen
* Fifa series
* NBA series
... come to think of, PC 4 player Local MP games need their own thread!
I can totally second Speedrunnes as one of the best:
... and Leathal League:
But certainly also Toybox Turbos (aka MicroMachines 5):
BlazeRush - a very very good MicroMachines clone that has some awesome particle effects and action!
Towerfall - thats absolutely bonkers with 4 players:
Ofc both of the new Trials games as well!
Honorable mentions:
*Distance 4 player splitcreen
*Blur 4 player splitscreen
*Magika 4 player sharedscreen
*Spelunky 4 player shared screen
*Sonic and Sega Allstars Racing 4 player splitscreen
* Fifa series
* NBA series
... come to think of, PC 4 player Local MP games need their own thread!
Brutal Deluxe
Member
Micro Machine 3D on PS1. 8 pl carnage on Tank-A-Lot!
Super Smash Brothers Melee, still playing it 2-4 times a week.
Mario Kart: Double Dash, still play it every weekend that I'm in Tucson which is every 6-8 weeks. Easily the best and most strategic Mario Kart. It's not just about racing it's about mind games, position control, item management, all of which are exclusive to Double Dash. The only thing keeping it from Melee level is that players can't choose the same characters and the tier list is one sided.
Mario Kart: Double Dash, still play it every weekend that I'm in Tucson which is every 6-8 weeks. Easily the best and most strategic Mario Kart. It's not just about racing it's about mind games, position control, item management, all of which are exclusive to Double Dash. The only thing keeping it from Melee level is that players can't choose the same characters and the tier list is one sided.
Klart
Member
Going for 4 (or more) player multiplayer (Sega/Sony stuff, never had a Nintendo); that's where it's at:
Olympic Gold
Bomberman
NBA Jam
General Chaos
Worms
Power Stone 2
Quake 3
Virtua Tennis 1 & 2
Virtua Athlete
Timesplitters Future Perfect
Castle Crashers
Dragon's Crown
Sonic All Stars Racing Transformed
Olympic Gold
Bomberman
NBA Jam
General Chaos
Worms
Power Stone 2
Quake 3
Virtua Tennis 1 & 2
Virtua Athlete
Timesplitters Future Perfect
Castle Crashers
Dragon's Crown
Sonic All Stars Racing Transformed
V3 on PSX was incredible. I bouth a (hilariously expensive) multi-tap just to play it with two friends.I totally forgot about this one, so good, so many laughs. Good news if you didnt already know, spiritual successor to Micro Machines Toybox Turbos available on PS3, xbox360 and PC http://www.toyboxturbos.com/uk/home
Awesome to see that there's a spiritual successor out there, I had no idea!
MrCunningham
Member
Two Saturn classics:
Shuggananas
Banned
Timesplitters 2. Too good. So many maps, characters, weapons, modes.
anothertech
Member
Diablo is fun in multi.
My favs will always be Streets of Rage, Final Fight, and Golden Axe tho.
My favs will always be Streets of Rage, Final Fight, and Golden Axe tho.
I know it's been said before, but I want to especially point to this mini game in SMB2:
It is one of the best local multiplayer games. Included as a side game, overlooked by many. Overlooked by SEGA, because they didn't manage to include it again afaik.
It is hours upon hours of pure multiplayer bliss. 4 people fighting over bananas, trying to use the last bit of air to make it to the next platform, just to fall of upon landing.
Skill based, with a small random element of wind direction and easy to learn. Small selection of maps that open up many possibilities and different routes. No items to influence the other players, but still hilarious moments when you try to push them out of the way or push them from the platform.
I would instantly buy an indie game with the sole purpose to ape this game.
It is one of the best local multiplayer games. Included as a side game, overlooked by many. Overlooked by SEGA, because they didn't manage to include it again afaik.
It is hours upon hours of pure multiplayer bliss. 4 people fighting over bananas, trying to use the last bit of air to make it to the next platform, just to fall of upon landing.
Skill based, with a small random element of wind direction and easy to learn. Small selection of maps that open up many possibilities and different routes. No items to influence the other players, but still hilarious moments when you try to push them out of the way or push them from the platform.
I would instantly buy an indie game with the sole purpose to ape this game.