Cooperatively played classic games

[+RangerG]

My wife actually played Frogger last night and enjoyed it, but she alternated turns with me. She asked me what two player games I had and I found many, but she meant what games are cooperatively played. She doesn't like competitive turn playing and I can only think of a couple cooperative games from the classic era. I checked some old threads and came up with: Joust, Mario Bros, and Wizard of Wor. Anyone have any others to add to my list? When I say classic, I mean pre-NES so 5200, Intellivision, Colecovision, etc. and when I say cooperative I mean that the two players help each other to achieve the objective (even if separate score are kept).

 

Thanks!

[AncillaryDrone]

Oooh that's a toughie. Uh.. for the 2600 I can think of Space Invaders.. Air-Sea Battle... also I think Superman had some kind of cooperative play.

[atari2600foreever]

Air-Sea Battle or Target Fun and Warlords both come to mind. Seems like Maze Craze had something coopertive as well.

 

The first 2 though are not really cooperative, but you both play at the same time. There are many more in the sports games and combat and Space War, but again these are more competitive

[MacbthPSW]

2600 Space Invaders has a great simultaneous two-player mode.

 

Also, my wife and I enjoy playing Frogs & Flies together - either the 2600 version or my C64 version. Yeah, it's sort-of competitive, but you could just as easily total the scores and aim to beat your own collective high score.

 

Bruce Lee and Goonies by Datasoft for various 8-bit computers (not sure if any consoles got them) are great for working together with another person.

 

And yes, Mario Bros is brilliant either co-operatively or competitively. My sister and I had lots of great times on the C64 version.

[+RangerG]

I know it's tough when I tried to come up with some. I will check out the Space Invaders manual to find the game because a cooperative setting would be great. Was B-17 Bomber on the Intellivision cooperative? How about Star Raiders in that one player could control some functions via the extra joystick?

[Dones]

Is there a 2 play co-op Centipede? That would be a nice game to play co-op.

 

Although you said pre-NES, I want to snuck in Tengen Tetris 2 player co-op mode (yup, two players flipping pieces in one big well).

[+RangerG]

Just wanted to bump this to see if anyone can think of anymore? I found out that the 7800 has cooperative mode on a couple of games, but do any pre-NES systems? How about the "less-common" systems Bally, O2 and the classic computers TI-99, Vic-20?

 

P.S. MacbthPSW - great idea on frogs and flies, very fun played this way for a combined high score.

[YOK-dfa]

How about the "less-common" systems Bally, O2 and the classic computers TI-99, Vic-20?

 

I'm not sure if this was released for the O2, but there is a great game for the Videopac called Monkeyshines (nr. 37). It has a 3 player mode where 2 players compete against each other while the 3rd player takes control of the keyboard and changes the playing field/maze as the game is in progress. It's not really cooperative (unless the 3rd player sides with one of the players) but it's an extremely fun and interesting concept

[Stingray]

I'm not sure if this was released for the O2, but there is a great game for the Videopac called Monkeyshines ...

 

I don't know if it was released for O2 or not, but it's on the Multicart and it does work on an O2. I agree, it's pretty fun, but good luck finding two other people who are willing to play O2 games with you.

 

-S

[intvgene]

Utopia (INTV) and Fortune Builder (CV) can be cooperative.. in a way.

 

Swords and Serpents is coop for the INTV. AD&D and Night Stalker can be sort of coop, as one joystick can be used for moving, and one for firing. It's been awhile, but can you play Championship Tennis against the computer?

 

Cosmic Ark also has a coop mode for the 2600.

[Lord Helmet]

7800 Asteroids and Centepede are co-op, as is 8-bit Asteroids...I think...

[Flojomojo]

I'm not sure if this was released for the O2, but there is a great game for the Videopac called Monkeyshines ...

 

I don't know if it was released for O2 or not, but it's on the Multicart and it does work on an O2. I agree, it's pretty fun, but good luck finding two other people who are willing to play O2 games with you.

 

-S

Don't forget Joust, the first cooperative multiplayer game that mattered.

 

I kinda sorta like Monkeyshines, but it sure is ugly. Don't remember a coop mode though -- the point was to throw the monkeys at the other player for points, if I recall.

 

A better Odyssey 2 cooperative game would be "The Quest for the Rings!"In fact, that would make a pretty good remake, if someone were to give it the love it deserves. They'd have to go up against the cinematic juggernaut and fight with EA though. Not-for-profit Retro Remake, perhaps?

 

You could also play "Freedom Fighters!" and "P.T. Barnums's Acrobats!" cooperatively.

 

This message has been brought to you by the Magnavox Exclamation Point Overused the the Point of Meaningless!

[Flojomojo]

Aha, you already listed Joust. Never mind ... How about... Joust 2: Survival of the Fittest?

[Flojomojo]

For the record, I feel the need to tell you all that I really don't like split-screen gaming. I'm SO glad there isn't any to speak of in classic gamedom. Perhaps that's why there are so few old coop games? Ballblazer was neat, as was ToeJam and Earl, but playing something like Starfox 64 or Halo in a tiny corner of the screen holds zero appeal for me.

 

Just thought I'd get that little pearl of wisdom off my chest.

[MacbthPSW]

For the record, I feel the need to tell you all that I really don't like split-screen gaming.  I'm SO glad there isn't any to speak of in classic gamedom.

"Any to speak of" as in none? Or just none you like? I can think of some on the C-64, anyway... Racing Destruction Set, Kickstart 2... there's more, and if an argument breaks out, I'll take the time to search and list another 5 or so

 

Perhaps that's why there are so few old coop games?  Ballblazer was neat, as was ToeJam and Earl, but playing something like Starfox 64 or Halo in a tiny corner of the screen holds zero appeal for me.

I agree, though I'm warming up to it a bit - bought the Super Mario Kart: Double Dash + Gamecube combo, and I'm having a great time with my kids playing it, both co-op and split screen vs.

[Flojomojo]

"Any to speak of" as in none?  Or just none you like?  I can think of some on the C-64, anyway... Racing Destruction Set, Kickstart 2... there's more, and if an argument breaks out, I'll take the time to search and list another 5 or so

None I like. But if you want to, bring on that list anyway!

[Fellow Atari Man]

Dunno if you have a Vectrex--or a Vec emulator--but Rip Off's a great one (plus there's the arcade original as well). Your wife might not be into shooters though.

[Xot]

Is there a 2 play co-op Centipede? That would be a nice game to play co-op.

 

yes, on the 7800. The 2-player Asteroids is excellent as well.

[Ralph3]

I can't believe nobody mentioned Gauntlet and Xenophobe!

[Markimus of K.]

I know it's tough when I tried to come up with some.  I will check out the Space Invaders manual to find the game because a cooperative setting would be great. Was B-17 Bomber on the Intellivision cooperative? How about Star Raiders in that one player could control some functions via the extra joystick?

 

Does anyone know more about this Star Raiders thing, I've not heard of it before. But I was more of a Starmaster guy. When I was a young 'un I thought Star Raiders was a rip off of Star Master because I played it first. I didn't actually play Star Raiders until I got my brand spanking new 520ST. I bought Star Raiders with it ($14.99CDN), what a deal!

 

On a related note, me and a few buddies used to play Starmaster in a co-op mode we sort of made up ourselves. One of us would be the "Captain", the other the "Co-Pilot" or "Navigator" or whatever. The captain took care of the combat and the navigators function was to hit the C/BW switch for the Galactic Map whenever the Captain needed it and monitor the energy levels and such...

 

This seems minor except when you're playing on Wing Commander or Starmaster settings and your shields get toasted during heavy combat and I'm sceaming at my "navigator" to "GET US OUT OF HERE NOW!!!"

 

Believe me there was a lot of Blame thrown around if our mission ended in death...

 

"Damnit! you didn't bring up the map fast enough!"

 

"BS! If you hadda dogded that last pulse we would have been fine! Hell, I could have dodged that easily!"

 

Switch roles, continue....

 

It really was a lot of fun, thinking about it I think that might have been among my very first co-op games.

 

Unrelated, best fun I've probably had in a co-op was Streets of Rage.

[tyranthraxus]

I think it was more in the late 80s that co-op games became popular

because arcade operators could pick up the decline in coin drops with

good multi player games.

 

Gauntlet, Double Dragon, Legendary Wings, Ikari Warriors, Contra,

Marble Madness all are from 1984 or later.

[Toucan]

On the TI-99/4A there were at least Meteor Belt, Blasto, and Hustle that could be played together. And while we're at it, might as well throw in Tunnels of Doom as well. There probably are others too, but these are the ones that came to mind first.

[+Random Terrain]

Yeah, we liked those cooperative Atari 7800 games. I thought that was how games were finally going to be made. Giving people the option of playing games in various ways, but then most games reverted to the 'my way or the highway' style. Here are some cooperative game links that are not video game related, but you might want to check them out anyway if you haven't already:

 

http://www.familypastimes.com/together.html

 

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/oxfordtours/games/

 

http://www.abundantearth.com/store/games1.html

 

http://www.coopsports.com/purefun.shtml

[BassGuitari]

I don't think anyone mentioned Worm War I (Atari 2600), great game. Space Invaders is a great co-op game on the 2600 too. Some of the games on Maze Craze are also co-op, if I'm not mistaken.

 

Odyssey has Monkeyshines (yes, it was released on O2 as well as Videopac). Invaders From Hyperspace could be played co-opertively as well.

[+Random Terrain]

I know these aren't classic games, but take a look at this article about 12 cooperative PS2 games:

 

http://ps2.ign.com/articles/535/535312p1.html

 

I just found it today while looking for something else. Thought someone might want to see it.