Best 1v1 games on NES?

[thetallguy24]

There's definitely a lot of versus-appropriate stuff for NES that isn't sporty. Some of the most entertaining competitive play can be had with puzzle games, IMO. A handful of games not mentioned yet that are definitely fun for 1v1 times:

 

- Dr. Mario

- Little Ninja Brothers 'Field Meeting' mode

- Nintendo World Cup

- Super Sprint

- Tetris 2

- Yoshi

 

There's a highly enjoyable and largely unknown YouTube channel called RetroStadium where these two dudes play nothing but 1v1 and co-op games on retro consoles, the NES being a platform featured routinely. They do tons of sports titles, but anything goes. Totally check it out if you're looking for ideas of what to play with a buddy. https://www.youtube.com/user/RetroStadium/videos

 

Was Dr. Mario truly 1v1? I mean you weren't directly going at each other. None of your actions affected your opponents actions.

 

Does anybody have an opinion on Ice Climber as a 1v1 game?

Edited April 29, 2015 by thetallguy24

[Nutsy Doodleheimer]

I forgot Dubble Dibble I mean Double Dribble. I used to love resetting the console just to hear that lol. Still better than the NBA2K series!! I always thought the original Mario Bros. was a great head to head game you can play as a team or against each other and dupe your opponent. Ninja Turtles the arcade game was a great co-op game.

[Tecmo Bowl]

 

Great first post! I played the heck out of the original Tecmo Bowl as a kid, and I somehow moved on to computer gaming and away from NES before I got into TSB. I did play the SNES version with some friends and it was awesome. That being said, playing the original Tecmo Bowl may have been one of the most enjoying gaming experiences of my entire life. I always struggle to place it on a list of all time NES games (and my personal all time list) because of the existance of superior games like TSB and the equally great memories I have of playing other classics like Zelda and Metroid. Still, Tecmo Bowl should never be forgotten as one of the killer apps for Nintendo and a game that really helped them grab a firm stranglehold on the US gaming market.

 

I also went through a serious RBI phase and hold very high praise for that game. BitD, I purchased MLB instead of RBI when I had the chance. I didn't discover how awesome RBI was until I was in college. Just wondering, how do you guys punish abuse of the missing infield fly rule?

 

I'm also a fan of Pro Wrestling. I wish I could come play games with you guys . . .

 

Ha, MLB Baseball....what an abomination. You could routinely throw a guy out at 1st base from right field, but not on a hard hit grounder to 3rd. That game was the worst!

As for the RBI infield fly rule, we just observe it and if your infielder can get to it, we just have the fielder make the catch as usual.

[Lentzquest]

Rock 'N' Ball has a very underrated head-to-head pinball mode with three different table options that's a lot of fun with two players. You can even move your flippers from a defensive position to a more offensive position. There's also a couple foosball-like modes. For a less generic feel go with the Famicom version called Family Pinball. It has a Pac-Man themed 1P table as well as some selectable Namco characters vs the more bland American release.

 

I also like Super Sprint, Dr. Mario, Spot the Video Game, and Super Off-Road for versus action.

[Nutsy Doodleheimer]

Ha, MLB Baseball....what an abomination. You could routinely throw a guy out at 1st base from right field, but not on a hard hit grounder to 3rd. That game was the worst!

As for the RBI infield fly rule, we just observe it and if your infielder can get to it, we just have the fielder make the catch as usual.

 

Not to mention you practically foul off every pitch, the computer will either throw a 30 mph pitch down the center then throw you off with a 110 mph fastball. And never forget the ball hovers up in the air when you foul it off the base of the fencebor make a wild throwband lands there. You can walk into the crowd as well. XD So many messed up bugs and glitches in that game, but still fum to duke it out in multiplayer.

[Andromeda Stardust]

The line between vs and co-op is fuzzy imho... I'd call Mario Bros & Balloon Fight two good vs games, even though they kind of straddle the line.

Mario Bros, Balloon Fight, Joust, are all interesting and unique multiplayer aspect in that you can choose to work together to clear levels or try and sabotage each other. Funny but for a while the older NROM arcade ports on NES were some of my most favorite titles, as later games didn't have the arcade charm as the earlier NES ports. Then I discovered Atari.

 

It's fairly rare, but Bomberman II has an excellent battle mode if a bit pricey as of late. I picked mine up a couple years back for $35; it has sense doubled in price according to pricecharting.com

 

Bubble Bobble is another charming game that's tons of fun in multiplayer. Ditto for other "late great" Taito titles which are quite expensive now: Snow Bros and Bubble Bobble II. Better have a flash cart or emulator handy (or wads of disposable income) if you want to play those.

 

My friend and I kicked back with TMNT II: The Arcade Game. Funny there are two multiplayer modes. I think one of them allows Turtles to attack each other, which can be a pain when kicking enemies butts as you'll damage each other if you get too close. My friend and I used a Game Genie to make the turtles more powerful and yield infinite health and we basically blasted through the entire game one evening.

[Andromeda Stardust]

Somebody mentioned Urban Champion. I actually had fun with that in the NES Remix and bought myself a copy. I haven't played it with my friend yet. Sadly we both have adult lives and rarely get to see each other any more.

In no particular order:

Non-Sports Games

1. Mario Bros. (also in Super Mario Bros. 3)
2. Double Dragon (vs. mode)
3. Tengen Tetris (I think there's a mode where you can compete on points, but it's not as interesting as the Gameboy vs mode)
4. Marble Madness
5. Spy vs. Spy
6. Bomberman

Also: Did Tengen Ms. Pac-Man have a 2-player competitive mode?

Tengen Tetris is the ultimate coop mode. Two players in an ultra-wide board gets messy fast. My friend absolutely sucked at Tetris and he's the only adult I know who games so I was never able to truly play with an equal on that mode. Competitive mode really has no actual interaction between players. It's just a race to get the highest score and clear levels the fastest. No filling up your neighbor's stage with junk like with modern variants. Tengen Tetris is still the only version that let two players fill the same board.

Ms Pacman (Tengen variant) has sequential, competitive and coop modes like Tengen Tetris. Competitive is kinda wierd because when you eat a power pellet it disables the other player and you can bump them around. Coop mode has you clearing the stage together and both players get 3 starting lives. When a player dies, they respawn immediately without interrupting the flow of gameplay. Also there is an easter egg in the game:

 

on higher stages, bump into each other inside the warp tunnel.

Pacman and Ms Pacman will "bump" offscreen and loads of pac babies will invade the stage. Huge bonus points for "eating" them!

 

 

 

Here's another great game, Puyo-Puyo. It was only released in Japan for the Famicom, but it is essentially a falling block match four game. I have a copy for Famicom I imported for 2000 yen or so ($20). You will need a flash cart or adapter to play it on an NES. Puyo-Puyo was introduced to the US audiences as Kirby's Avalanche on SNES and Dr Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine on the Sega Genesis. Like modern Tetris variants, in multiplayer mode, you complete chains to dump "junk" into your opponent's pile. You "win" when your opponent's blocks stack to the ceiling. The Famicom original also offers a marathon mode for solo play while the 16-bit sequels only offer play against the computer for single player option.

 

I also have Spy Vs Spy but have not played it yet. Thanks for the recommendation. Does it include a one player mode?

Edited April 29, 2015 by stardust4ever

[Armonigann]

Tecmo Bowl

Karate Champ..lol

Pro wrestling, black box

Ring King

Double dribble

[+wongojack]

 

Ha, MLB Baseball....what an abomination. You could routinely throw a guy out at 1st base from right field, but not on a hard hit grounder to 3rd. That game was the worst!

As for the RBI infield fly rule, we just observe it and if your infielder can get to it, we just have the fielder make the catch as usual.

 

Right but what happens when you are in a 15 inning game with the bases loaded and the douche you are playing turns an infield popup into a double play by letting it drop . . . not that I've experienced that or anything, but I hear it is really hard to get your runners back on base quickly.

[Austin]

Rock 'N' Ball has a very underrated head-to-head pinball mode with three different table options that's a lot of fun with two players.

 

Ah, that reminds me, Rollerball also has a two-player versus mode.

[Drixxel]

 

Was Dr. Mario truly 1v1? I mean you weren't directly going at each other. None of your actions affected your opponents actions.

 

Does anybody have an opinion on Ice Climber as a 1v1 game?

 

While I hardly consider it a requirement for a game to be considered "1v1" when there are tons of different ways for a game to be competitive, Dr. Mario's 2-player mode does indeed feature player interaction. Each time a player executes a combo, it drops pill pieces into the other player's well, much like countless other stacking puzzlers in versus mode.

Edited April 29, 2015 by Drixxel

[Andromeda Stardust]

 

Does anybody have an opinion on Ice Climber as a 1v1 game?

Yeah forgot about Ice Climbers. Two Player coop mode is more of a hindrance than a help in this game. It's very tempting when you see player two on the bottom rung to simply jump another level and KO him off the bottom edge. So yeah, it can be competitive if a bit mean when the primary objective is to speed run through the level until your opponent drops through the floor to waste his lives.

[Tecmo Bowl]

 

Right but what happens when you are in a 15 inning game with the bases loaded and the douche you are playing turns an infield popup into a double play by letting it drop . . . not that I've experienced that or anything, but I hear it is really hard to get your runners back on base quickly.

Well, I primarily only play against friends who I've known for years and we respect the spirit of competition...so it's not a problem with them.

 

I have attended a few of the national RBI Baseball tournaments over the years in Chicago and Columbus(Ohio). That's a different situation as you're playing with at minimum your $100 entry fee on the line. While you can agree to observe the infield fly rule with your opponent, the tournament commissioner CAN NOT enforce it if they decide to pull one over on you....so that can be dicey. But with that said, it was often the same group of guys in those tourneys, so you sorta knew ahead of time who would absolutely comply to the infield fly agreement.

[thetallguy24]

Well, I primarily only play against friends who I've known for years and we respect the spirit of competition...so it's not a problem with them.

 

I have attended a few of the national RBI Baseball tournaments over the years in Chicago and Columbus(Ohio). That's a different situation as you're playing with at minimum your $100 entry fee on the line. While you can agree to observe the infield fly rule with your opponent, the tournament commissioner CAN NOT enforce it if they decide to pull one over on you....so that can be dicey. But with that said, it was often the same group of guys in those tourneys, so you sorta knew ahead of time who would absolutely comply to the infield fly agreement.

 

Do they still have that tournament?

 

Who hosts it?

[Nutsy Doodleheimer]

Was Dr. Mario truly 1v1? I mean you weren't directly going at each other. None of your actions affected your opponents actions.

 

Does anybody have an opinion on Ice Climber as a 1v1 game?

Ice Climber is a good co-op game in the style of Mario Bros. One player can be really good and have an advantage over the other player in getting the awkward jumping downpat and move up causing the other player to go off the screen and lose a life. I was never a fan of that game. Controlling your player was hard and was hard to jump on to the next area above or to a platform. You look like you are going to easily land on it, but instead you go right through it. Too frustrating for me.

[Tecmo Bowl]

 

Do they still have that tournament?

 

Who hosts it?

 

There is one scheduled for this summer in Chicago. Although it looks like interest has dwindled. http://www.rbibaseballcotut.com/

 

I went to the Chicago and Columbus tourney's from 2006-2009. They even had waiting lists back then just to get in. $100 entry fee. 1st place got like $750.

 

There's a group of players that are at a different level there. I got No-hit for the first time ever there. I only struck out like 6 times, but the guy could put pitches on the corner of the plate and you just couldn't do anything with them. Another guy pretty much would not swing at anything that wasn't a strike. Eventually you would miss the corner and hang something....boom.

 

One year I planned to drive in a day early....and hit the deer the night before with my car. All but totaled it and I had to bail. A replacement was called that night and he booked a flight that night and got there Friday Night.

Edited May 5, 2015 by Tecmo Bowl

[Andromeda Stardust]

Ice Climber is a good co-op game in the style of Mario Bros. One player can be really good and have an advantage over the other player in getting the awkward jumping downpat and move up causing the other player to go off the screen and lose a life. I was never a fan of that game. Controlling your player was hard and was hard to jump on to the next area above or to a platform. You look like you are going to easily land on it, but instead you go right through it. Too frustrating for me.

I experienced similar playing solo. I think I played it with my friend back in the day and he would fall through the bottom even if I waited on him.

 

Mario Brothers has a similar hit and miss jumping. However, if you can get your hands on a PAL copy of Mario Bros "Classic Serie" NES-MC-NOE, it's got intermissions and much improved physics where you can reverse direction in mid air. I'd love to play it sometime with my friend despite the fact he always wastes the POW block immediately. I recently picked up a minty copy off eBay for what I felt was a pretty sweet deal considering the low Euro and it's relative obscurity. I made it to level 13 thanks to the better controls despite the speed boost when playing on NTSC hardware (I believe the game may use PAL optimized timings). The scanned image looked like crap but the label is pristine.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281284519566

http://nintendoage.com/index.cfm?FuseAction=Element.View&pId=1&egID=1418&lgID=5489&sID=2127

 

You can tell the "good" version by the gold Mario on the image (the same emblem from All Stars). With DK Original Edition getting leaked on VC in 2010, it makes me wonder how many old black box games Nintendo may or may not have "enhanced" but never reissued.

Edited May 5, 2015 by stardust4ever

[Nutsy Doodleheimer]

I experienced similar playing solo. I think I played it with my friend back in the day and he would fall through the bottom even if I waited on him.

 

Mario Brothers has a similar hit and miss jumping. However, if you can get your hands on a PAL copy of Mario Bros "Classic Serie" NES-MC-NOE, it's got intermissions and much improved physics where you can reverse direction in mid air. I'd love to play it sometime with my friend despite the fact he always wastes the POW block immediately. I recently picked up a minty copy off eBay for what I felt was a pretty sweet deal considering the low Euro and it's relative obscurity. I made it to level 13 thanks to the better controls despite the speed boost when playing on NTSC hardware (I believe the game may use PAL optimized timings). The scanned image looked like crap but the label is pristine.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281284519566

http://nintendoage.com/index.cfm?FuseAction=Element.View&pId=1&egID=1418&lgID=5489&sID=2127

 

You can tell the "good" version by the gold Mario on the image (the same emblem from All Stars). With DK Original Edition getting leaked on VC in 2010, it makes me wonder how many old black box games Nintendo may or may not have "enhanced" but never reissued.

I get flippin frustrated with Ice Climber. The jumping is absolutley awkward. Mario Bros. You do fall through a tad on the platforms. I prefer the arcade version which is on my hard modded xbox along with every emulator and rom you can think of. It is one of my favorite head to head games of all time. More fun back in the day on the actual cabinet.

 

[BillyHW]

Tecmo Bowl

Karate Champ..lol

Pro wrestling, black box

Ring King

Double dribble

 

Karate Champ wasn't a terrible arcade game. I think the C64 version may have been okay too.

[A Black Falcon]

North & South - This game was my first thought. North & South is great, and is far better with two players than one.

 

Archon - has nobody mentioned this classic, really? Archon's good! It's a really unique game, part strategy and part action, and I love it.

 

Micro Machines - The first Micro Machines games is such a great, great game! On any platform, this game is one of the best topdown racers ever.

 

Super Off-Road -- I guess it's sort of co-op, in that if any player wins you go on, but it's also competitive of course. The arcade game is one of my favorites, and the NES port is pretty good and the only version with 4 player support.

 

For a fifth game... hmm. Tengen Tetris, if you count it, probably.

Edited May 9, 2015 by A Black Falcon

[Andromeda Stardust]

I get flippin frustrated with Ice Climber. The jumping is absolutley awkward. Mario Bros. You do fall through a tad on the platforms. I prefer the arcade version which is on my hard modded xbox along with every emulator and rom you can think of. It is one of my favorite head to head games of all time. More fun back in the day on the actual cabinet.

 

Does Ice Climbers use the VS Unisystem? If so, it may be possible to hack it to run on an NES.

 

EDIT: there's a patch for VS Ice Climbers on this page:

http://nes.goondocks.se/patches2.php

Edited May 9, 2015 by stardust4ever

[Nutsy Doodleheimer]

Does Ice Climbers use the VS Unisystem? If so, it may be possible to hack it to run on an NES.

 

EDIT: there's a patch for VS Ice Climbers on this page:

http://nes.goondocks.se/patches2.php

Yes. They have Ice Climber on the Vs. Unisystem. I have it on mame on mameox. But never played it.

[Andromeda Stardust]

Yes. They have Ice Climber on the Vs. Unisystem. I have it on mame on mameox. But never played it.

The neat thing about unisystem games is they can be patched to run on NES but this usually requires extensive hacking. Check the link in the above post. You will need the original VS ROM in iNES format to apply the patch.

Edited May 9, 2015 by stardust4ever