The Wonder Years 6.19.08: Week 60 - Multiplayer Games

Posted by Owain J. Brimfield on 06.19.2008

The best multiplayer games of the Wonder Years!

Welcome to the column where all gamers of a certain age come to wallow in 16-bit nostalgia. I'm your host, Owain J. Brimfield, and I'll be discussing some of the hidden gems and instant classics of gaming's golden era. This week it's the return of the "special feature" column, as we always do with our tenth installments, in which I take a look at the highlights of one particular feature or subset of 16-bit games. Today we're going to look at a subject that I'm not really sure why I haven't tackled before, but better late than never I suppose.

The best multiplayer games of the Wonder Years

The first era of consoles to see the advent of the multitap device to allow multiple simultaneous players was also one of the finest when it came to multiplayer gaming. Although the N64 was my personal favorite multiplayer gaming console of choice, the SNES wasn't far behind at all, and the Genesis also had some pretty damn fine titles for a session of gaming with friends. If you think about it, modern gaming really wouldn't be anywhere without some of these titles having set the standard for multiplayer action, so let's step back a decade and a bit, and revisit some of the classic games that had us wishing everlasting damnation on our friends who were just that little bit more skillful/spawny, and wasting away entire evenings in darkened rooms. In a good way. No doubt I'll have forgotten some of your favorites, so feel free to yell at me for all those omissions. Let's begin with...

Super Mario Kart

Ah, the first choice is the most obvious really. Chances are that you ask any randomly-chosen console gamer to name their favorite multiplayer titles and Mario Kart or one of its subsequent iterations will be one of the first games mentioned. Although every gamer has their favorite Kart (my own is the N64 version), the SNES original is still arguably the purest, with less emphasis on weaponry and hazards and more on strict racing ability around the some glorious, and indeed infuriating, track design. The battle mode, too, with its stripped-down mano-à-mano action is the ultimate test of who is the better karter, with some heads-up matches in the impeccable four arenas taking upwards of ten minutes to resolve - perfect for some round-robin action amongst mates. And of course, there's the test of the two-player grands prix, in which alliances can be forged and destroyed over as simple a concern as a stray banana skin. It's held up phenomenally well, and still represents the zenith of 16-bit multiplayer.

Worms

Due to its turn-based nature and squad-based gameplay, Worms holds the distinction of being arguably the most sizeable multiplayer offering on either of the 16-bit consoles. With the potential for sixteen players and an unlimited number of randomly generated levels, battles could feasibly wage for years. And, in fact, they did, at least until Worms 2 on the PC became the last word in annelid warfare. The original Full Wormage remains one of the enjoyable multiplayer experiences though, with the game's nigh-on perfect blend of skill and luck combined with its ridiculously simple conceit (that isn't even worth explaining, as I doubt there's a gamer alive who hasn't experienced some variant of Team 17's classic) ensuring that Worms' multiplayer lifespan was simply indefatigable. Debates over whether the bazooka or the hand grenade was the ultimate test of a gamer's skill remain heated to this day. At least we can all agree that players making use of girders should be hunted down and ruthlessly exterminated.

Streets of Rage 2

Possibly the most instantly appealing two-player setup imaginable - you and a friend join forces to battle an entire army of criminals in a quest to save the girl and the city. Few games executed the side-scrolling fighter quite as well as SoR2, and for all the fun the game had to offer the solitary gamer, it was exponentially increased when a second fighter was added to the mix. It'll be a good long while before you and your pals tire of cracking crims around the head with lead pipes, devising cunning two-man strategies to rout an entire screen of baddies, and fighting over who gets to pick up the last roast chicken health powerup before the boss; and even when you do, the game offers a one-on-one Duel mode that, despite its throwaway nature, was probably more entertaining than a sizeable raft of dedicated beat 'em ups available at the time.

Micro Machines 2: Turbo Tournament

While Worms had the market cornered for turn-based multiplayer action and a game later on this list put multitap gaming on the map, meeting the two halfway came MM2, a racing game for four players that could be played with two joypads. Once you got past the incredibly rapid pace at which Micro Machines played, four-way battles for supremacy became an absolute riot. The real test of gamers' skills, though, came in the two-player mode, which featured a neat mechanism whereby managing to race a full screen ahead of your opponent on the top-down tracks netted you a point and deducted one from your opponent. With each racer starting on four points and requiring eight for victory, heads-up races have rarely been as tightly fought, especially on the treehouse tracks with their many holes in the track through which to plummet. A huge variety of tracks and vehicles earn MM2 the full eight points in the multiplayer stakes.

Zombies Ate My Neighbors

One of those games that I always thought of an obscure title, but it turns out there's quite a lot of love among 16-bit gamers for Zombies, and with good reason. Few recaps ever seem to really mention the game's co-operative mode though, which is pretty much the definitive arcade / survival horror multiplayer experience. It's perfectly pitched - there's the initial debate over which gamer gets to play as the girl, and from then on it's 50-odd levels of slaughtering the undead and solving puzzles, with the gameplay perfectly balanced in terms of weaponry and health pickups such that careful strategizing is required, along with a precise aim and a keen brain. Opinion is divided over whether the game is more difficult for one or two players, but since myself and AJ never managed to get past the level with the Tremors-style worms either on our own or together, I guess we'll never know the answer to that one.

Super Bomberman 2

Oh yes, you knew it was coming. The game that made the multitap an essential peripheral, Bomberman 2 remains arguably the series' pinnacle in terms of the four-player action on offer. The franchise has made its name on top-notch four-way gaming (hell, even the N64's version, which was otherwise a shit game, had a decent multiplayer), but as is usually the way, the formula was mastered early on. Bomberman 2 has all the memorable level design and powerups that made the game an absolute blast (zing!) for gamers, without introducing any of the redundant modes or features that would blight later games in the series. Really, there's an undeniable thrill about sending your mates to hell with a well-timed explosive device, and Bomberman 2 does this better than any other 16-bit title. Add in the fact that the game essentially paved the way for four-player action to be a standard on future consoles, and you're looking at a legendary multiplayer game.

General Chaos

I'll confess to not being entirely au fait with this EA Genesis-exclusive, but a fair few gamers have raved to me in the past about the game's multiplayer appeal, and the few brief games I've had on the title certainly seem to back up their ravings. An arcade shooter / RTS hybrid, the game feature four-way campaign action (either in versus or co-operative modes) between squads of soldiers, racing around an isometric battlefield to defeat the opponent's team. Although no doubt a familiar concept to PC gamers, back in the early 90s games like this were essentially unheard of on the home consoles, and General Chaos surprises both by implementing the genre successfully on Sega's system, and providing a damn fine four-player experience to boot. Maybe one day I'll actually get around to tracking down a ROM of this for some further experimentation.

ISS Deluxe

I imagine US gamers may well have put one of the NHL titles or possibly NBA Jam in this slot, but for us Brits it's all about the football [note: not soccer]. ISS Deluxe, while maybe not quite as smooth a multiplayer experience as its rival FIFA Soccer '96, is by far the better game, and in fact probably remained the finest console football game until round about 1998. The game mechanics are simply superb, and with the player sprites being the size they are, it's a lot easier to follow the action in multiplayer games than with many other sports-based titles. ISS Deluxe saw an epic series between myself and my friend AJ that finished somewhere in the region of 20-17 games in my favor - and the thing is, the whole experience managed to consume almost an entire few days of our lives. Few multiplayer games have been as instantly addictive for me in the past, so Deluxe gets the duke here, and I urge you to give it a try even if you're not a fan of "soccer".

Street Fighter II Turbo

Ah, another classic. No-one's going to denigrate the inclusion of this one, are they? While the Street Fighter franchise had numerous other hits on the Genesis and SNES, the original Turbo still remains the finest multiplayer experience in my eyes. If you make sure that everyone agrees not to just pick Blanka and do the shock attack, many hours of fun can be had waging war at SF2 Turbo. The variety of characters and the balance of their strengths/weaknesses was unparalleled at the time, and it remains the finest-tuned beat 'em up of the 16-bit era for my money. The options for increasing the game's speed and the handicap system means the game can be tailored to anyone's preferences, and it's very rare to find a two-player session on this title that doesn't result in at least a dozen fights being waged.

Secret of Mana

...wait, what? An RPG? Well, yes. Secret of Mana, as well as being one of the few games I can recall that actually seemed designed for three players (no more, no fewer), also holds the distinction of being the finest multiplayer RPG ever made. Now, granted, it's unlike the other games on this list in that it's not instantly accessible - you need to find yourself two like-minded RPG-fanboy friends and settle in for a looooong weekend to make the most of this. Still, get in some beers n' snacks and draw the curtains, and this is an epic gaming experience to end all epic gaming experiences. If you don't emerge 25 hours later with a new feeling of kinship to your two friends, something drastic has gone wrong. A recommended undertaking for any and all fans of RPG gaming, it'll ensure that Secret of Mana is stuck in your hearts for a long, long time.


Reactions and interactions

Seems quite a few of you had some fond memories of Rock n' Roll Racing. Funny, I always thought of it as more of a cult title.

Posted by: Guest#2298

"Will we see some C64 or Intellivision titles revisited? 80's memories abound!!"

Much as I'd like to, that era of gaming was ever-so-slightly before my time and I'd rather write about games of which I had first-hand experience. There's no denying the prevalence of classic 80s games though, maybe a fellow 411 columnist might want to delve further back into history...?

Posted by: twf's sdc

"Ha, this game rocks. Pretty close to my all time top ten, definitely in the top 20. Hopefully this one hits the Virtual Console someday soon."

I'm surprised it hasn't already, quite frankly. I wonder if there might be some licensing issues with the soundtrack.

Posted by: Toddo

"If I remember correctly, wasn't this game very similar to RC ProAm? And on a side note? Does anyone remember a game for the NES, that was called Galaxy Race 5000? Man, many a weekends were spent renting that one from the public library. Yes, my library rented video games. If you haven't checked out Galaxy Race 5000, it is similar in vain to Rock N Racing,and RC Pro-Am. Might be worth checking out, for nostalgia reason."

Yeah, RnR was pretty similar to RC ProAm, and I never did decide which was the better game. I think the game you're thinking of was just called Galaxy 5000, but it was definitely in a similar vein, although from what I recall it was a fair bit harder than its other bedfellows. Much like any NES game, really.

Posted by: JT

"Yes, this was a great game. I still have a copy of it for the SNES. It does borrow a lot from RC Pro Am. Single player mode is a lot of fun - but two player mode is a blast. There's nothing like taking out your buddy's ride with a homing projectile and taking first place. Or having your buddy take back to lead after your car lands on a mine and instantly explodes.

As I recall, it's possible to ditch your buddy during the game if he doesn't keep up with you on the racing circuit ladder. With the way the password saving system is structured, it's also possible to let one player use a password from a later stage and let the other player use a password from an earlier stage so you can start the game out with all the more powerful weapons and fast cars you get later in the game. The game featured a lot of great customization options with paint jobs, engines, rear and front weapons.

The game would be nothing without its soundtrack though. Peter Gunn is the one weird choice there - it's not really a classic rock tune. I guess the developers were trying invoke the old Spy Hunter game there. "Loudmouth" Larry Huffman's commentary it tedious, but fun in spots with gems like "Olaf looks lost out there."

It's too bad Blizzard has stuck with strategy games/RPGs. They had some innovative action titles as well. Blizzard re-released The Lost Vikings a while back, but that's about it."

Yeah, the two-player was great. Not quite good enough to make it into this week's column, but pretty smart nonetheless! You can't really blame Blizzard for capitalizing on their corner of the market though, with the success they had it was pretty much inevitable. The Lost Vikings was another classic though. One for a future column perhaps...


General indulgences

Every week in this section I'll endeavor to provide you, the faithful readers, with a fascinating insight into the various forms of entertainment currently dominating my spare time.

This week, I have been mostly enjoying:

Sensible Soccer. Yes, still. I've had the week off work, so I've finally been able to explore the ridiculous Sensible League option that lets you have a 150-game long season. Currently a fifth of the way through and several points ahead, although I did lose 8-2 to Norway. I'll get my vengeance on those pesky Scandiwegians.

Little Miss Sunshine, which has been sitting on my desk for over a month waiting for my girlfriend to give us the "ok" to sit down and watch it. Frankly, though, it was worth the wait, as I haven't seen a more charming movie in a good while, and whoever the kid is who plays the son has surely got a bright future.

Sky TV. Oh no, wait, it didn't work for four days and we had to call the repair guy out and I couldn't watch Heroes. All thanks to my friend Obert "helpfully" reconnecting the cables in the wrong order and pulling things out that weren't meant to come out. I'll get you, boy.

and looking after my sick girlfriend, who not entirely coincidentally has managed to pick my week of holiday to get herself a stupidly overblown summer cold. Get well soon baby!


And finally…

Thanks for reading folks; as always, reader feedback and suggestions are welcome. Next week in "The Wonder Years" - time to ring those rainbow bells. Until then - keep it real, keep it retro.