Local Multiplayer Gaming

[acidbearboy]

Meeting up with friends to play videogames used to be a weekly occurrence until a few years ago, when we all started getting old and boring. I've since moved away from my home town, meaning gaming is now a strictly solo pursuit. But tomorrow a couple of them are coming up to visit and I am looking forward to playing some old games with them. I've decided to set up the SNES, primarily to play a bit of Mario Kart and Bomberman, but I've also got out NBA Jam TE & Super Street Fighter II.

Looking back, I realised that we didn't really play a big variety of games - mostly just the same old thing week in week out; ISS/PES, Everybody's Golf and variants of Street Fighter being the main games. Since the start of this console generation, the gap between my gaming tastes and that of my friends has slowly widened, and where-as I would love to be setting up the Saturn tomorrow to play some 2D fighters and shmups, or playing some classic scrolling beat 'em ups on MAME, I don't think they would be so keen.

What are your local multiplayer favourites?
How often do you get together with friends to play videogames?
Are your friends into retro/import games or just new stuff?

[moonwhistle]

I love local multiplayer gaming but will only play 4 player games that don't have split screen.

My favourates in no particular order:

Power Stone 2
Worms, any version although I got the most mileage out of Worms World Party on Dreamcast.
Mashed Fully Loaded
Mario Golf on Gamecube
Trials Evolution supercross tracks

I think it's a lot less difficult to find great 2 player games although I still tend to stick to some old favourates:

Street Fighter 3 3rd Strike
Street Fighter Alpha 3
Street Fighter 4
Samurai Shodown 2 /4
Garou Mark of the Wolves
Twinkle Star Sprites
Fight Night 3
Gain Ground

I'd love to hear other recommendations as we are always on the look out for good (non split-screen) 4 player games. Wrecked revenge revisited looked really promising but turned out pretty crap and the developers did a runner without the desperately needed patch.

[Golgo]

Nice thread this, not least for making me realize how little me and my mates do local multiplayer. Bit of a ritual around Xmas for multiplayer Duke Nukem: Time to Kill, and Quake 2. Both on PS1 and practically unplayable given analogue-only expectations of recent years. Oh, and Hogs of War. So yeah, about an hour a year before the pub at Xmas.

[BaronSqwelch]

Dont bemoan the fact you only play the "same old stuff" with your friends...before you know it all that ever gets brought out at gatherings is LiPs/Singstar.

Doesnt even need the women to be in anymore either

[gambit6613]

Some of my best gaming sessions came from local multiplayer, stand out memory's are of Street Fighter 2 Turbo on Snes and completing co-op Streets Of Rage 2 for Mega Drive on the hardest setting. But the very best was Champ Manager, me and my friend playing many all-nighters, back in the days when i didnt need sleep to function

Sadly online multiplayer just does not have the same satisfaction as sitting next to someone and beating them at what ever game it maybe. Thats probably the reason i just cannot get into online gaming these days. Maybe im too old

[nonny]

Best gaming I've done in a long time at my place involved two projectors facing on opposite walls. Two 360s and then Halo Reach, Blur and Pro Evo.

Blur is on of those forgotten titles that has full split screen gaming and its honest to god great in local multi. Also Sega and Sonic All Stars comes a close second in the racing department.

The best thing with the new slim 360s is wifi is built in so if you can get a system link setup going with two machines you're gold.

[QualityChimp]

That sounds awesome, Nonny!

I wish someone would visit to help me finish EDF on Inferno!

[vanpeebles]

EDF! EDF! EDF! One of the best local coop games.