The definitive list of ALL simultaneous multiplayer games?

[forgotten_grove]

Thanks. I wasn't sure about Dodge'em, it's been a while.

 

Armor Ambush is one that I missed as well.

I'll keep an eye out for Dodge'Em; that was my first game on the Electron

[armourae]

The greatest multiplayer games and superior to most of the 32bit so called improvements of Xbox etc.

This is where Atari come into its own : the apotheosis, the quintessential console:

 

Boxing, Indy 500, Warlords, Combat

 

few things can beat these when you're beating opponents

[TaskenLander]

Hmm... This list is very helpful; been looking for some two player game ideas for my son and I.

[+thegoldenband]

Here's a fresh revision of the list of simultaneous multiplayer games for NTSC systems, including a few games that were overlooked -- especially Dark Chambers!

Classic-era games:
Air-Sea Battle

Alpha Beam with Ernie
Armor Ambush
Atlantis
Basketball
Boxing
Breakout (up to 4 players, though only 2 at once)
Canyon Bomber
Combat

Dark Chambers
Demolition Herby

Demon Attack (game #10)
Demons To Diamonds
Dodge'em
Double Dragon
Double Dunk
Dragster
Entombed
Fishing Derby
Football
Freeway
Frogs and Flies
G.I. Joe: Cobra Strike (up to 3 players)
Guardian
Home Run
Ice Hockey
Indy 500
International Soccer
Joust
Karate
M.A.D.
M*A*S*H
Mario Bros
Maze Craze
Motorodeo
Oink
Outlaw
Party Mix (up to 4 players)
Pele's Soccer
Pete Rose Baseball
Quick Step
Racquetball

Radar Lock
Rampage
RealSports Baseball
RealSports Boxing
RealSports Football
RealSports Tennis
RealSports Soccer
RealSports Volleyball
Sky Diver
Slot Racers
Space Invaders
Space War
Sprintmaster
Starship

Star Voyager
Star Wars: Jedi Arena
Steeplechase (up to 4 players)
Street Racer (up to 4 players)
Summer Games (certain events)
Super Baseball
Super Challenge Baseball
Super Challenge Football

Super Football
Superman
Surround
Tennis
Thunderground
Title Match Pro Wrestling
Track And Field
Video Olympics (up to 4 players)
Warlords (up to 4 players)
Winter Games (certain events)
Wizard Of Wor
Worm War I

Prototypes:

Bugs Bunny
Polo
Sea Battle
Swordfight
Wizard

Words-Attack

Homebrews:
Bee Ball

Chase It!
Fall Down
FlapPing
Go Fish!
Gunfight
M-4 (2005 Minigame Multicart)
Marble Craze
Medieval Mayhem (up to 4 players)
Phantom II

Shield Shifter

Space Rocks
Stella's Stocking (Grandma's Revenge, Cold War games)
Sync (Me First! game option)
Warring Worms
Warring Worms: The Worm Returns

 

Are there any homebrews to add?

[+SpiceWare]

 

 

Too bad I hadn't come up with my Slick Kernel (used by Draconian) for Space Rocks.

 

The Kernel in Space Rocks uses 30 Hz flicker to supports a maximum of 6 onscreen shots. Like in the arcade, the UFO gets 2 of them while the player gets 4. When selecting concurrent options, each player only gets 2 shots.

 

With the new Kernel, I'd have been able to give each player 4 shots.

[+thegoldenband]

Added, thanks!

[accousticguitar]

spacerocks20121129_NTSC.png

 

spacerocks20121129_NTSC_1.png

 

Too bad I hadn't come up with my Slick Kernel (used by Draconian) for Space Rocks.

 

The Kernel in Space Rocks uses 30 Hz flicker to supports a maximum of 6 onscreen shots. Like in the arcade, the UFO gets 2 of them while the player gets 4. When selecting concurrent options, each player only gets 2 shots.

 

With the new Kernel, I'd have been able to give each player 4 shots.

That would be cool, but I would beg for the player to get 6 shots. Imagine the 2600 being better than the arcade.

[godzillajoe]

cool, nice to see this old thread resurrected. I usually keep a print out in case people come over

[Mef]

Radar Lock:

In two-player games, the flight officer uses the left controller to fly
the ship. The weapons officer uses the right directional control to
select weapons and the right fire button to fire them.

 

It's a bit of a stretch, but it does differ from One-player version in a way that the "primary" player doesn't get to fire the weapons.

Good if you want to play with your kid and make him feel usefull (Weapons Officer, FIRE THEM ROCKETS!), without ruining the gameplay for you.

Edited November 16, 2014 by Mef

[+thegoldenband]

Hey, now that I think about it, Star Voyager does something similar -- I'd forgotten about that. I'll add them both to the list in post #54.

[ekthanatou]

(six years late to the party here)

I've fired up my old 7800 and I'm looking for games where my seven year old and I can play side-by-side.

Maybe I'll start another thread compiling 7800 *and* 2600 options. Or does that exist already?

As for 2600, Wizard of Wor is fun, and my favorite b/c I played it so much as a kid and it was my dad's favorite. I don't know if there is a "kill screen" for WoW, but my dad made it to a point where the game went nuts. Could have been a glitch, but I think he maxed it out.
My son's favorite is Mario Bros. on the 7800.  Of the ones we've tried so far, that one is a bit more cooperative in the sense that you can allocate tasks ("You punch them and I'll kick them off the floor."). I'd assume the 2600 version works the same way.

 

Considering how vast the 2600 library is, this list is short. But then, given the limits of the system, I can see why.

 

 

Edited February 3, 2020 by ekthanatou

[ekthanatou]

If anyone is still out there-- which events are cooperative in Winter Games? And are they cooperative on the 7800 version as well?

Thanks!

[davyK]

Game 1 on Flag Capture (called "Free for all") is 2 player simultaneous.

Edited February 7, 2020 by davyK

[Voxel]

Defend Your Castle - two player simultaneous

[ekthanatou]

I've found four games not on this list that, according to descriptions, are two player simultaneous.

 

Combat II

Dark Chambers

Ikari Warriors

Xenophobe

 

Other than Combat II, I've not played these games, but I've read/watched reviews that indicate they are all two player simultaneous.

[Voxel]

I've not played Combat II, but I have played the other three and they certainly are simultaneous play.

[ekthanatou]

On 2/13/2020 at 1:08 PM, Voxel said:

I've not played Combat II, but I have played the other three and they certainly are simultaneous play.

So Ikari Warriors on the 2600 is simultaneous?  I just read a review that says it's two player alternating (unlike other versions of the same game on other systems). Looks like that review was wrong?

Thanks for verifying.

[ekthanatou]

Just now, ekthanatou said:

So Ikari Warriors on the 2600 is simultaneous?  I just read a review that says it's two player alternating (unlike other versions of the same game on other systems). Looks like that review was wrong?

Thanks for verifying.

I've looked into it a bit more, and it looks like Ikari is alternating. My bad. 

[+thegoldenband]

Isn't Xenophobe alternating too, despite the split screen?

[Atari2008]

This thread is so awesome! Funny thing as I was thinking of looking up a list of 2-player simultaneous games since I'm going to have a retro themed date night and want to introduce my date to the 2600. This is a good list. 

[Voxel]

15 hours ago, ekthanatou said:

I've looked into it a bit more, and it looks like Ikari is alternating. My bad.

It's clearly my bad, and I apologise.

[+FujiSkunk]

16 hours ago, thegoldenband said:

Isn't Xenophobe alternating too, despite the split screen?

 

Yep.

[+thegoldenband]

So, if I were able to edit post #54 (I can ask Al to reinstate my ability to do so), the ones to add would be:

 

Classic-era:

Flag Capture (Game 1)

  (Dark Chambers is already listed)

 

Prototype:

Combat II

 

Homebrew:

Defend Your Castle

 

Any others?

[ekthanatou]

5 hours ago, FujiSkunk said:

 

Yep.

Really?  What's the point of Xenophobe's split screen, then?  
So, basically the only game on the 2600 where you can run around with a partner shooting baddies is Wizard of Wor.  Does that sound right?

My dad, who passed last year, used to spend hours playing Wizard of Wor, and sometimes we would play together. My parents' passing was sort of the impetus for me becoming interested in rediscovering Atari games, and I'm especially interested in 2600 or 7800 games I can play with my son, the way my dad played with me.

Edited February 19, 2020 by ekthanatou

[ekthanatou]

Just now, ekthanatou said:

Really?  What's the point of the split screen, then?  
So, basically the only game on the 2600 where you can run around with a partner shooting baddies is Wizard of Wor.  Does that sound right?

My dad, who passed last year, used to spend hours playing Wizard of Wor, and sometimes we would play together. My parents' passing was sort of the impetus for me becoming interested in rediscovering Atari games, and I'm especially interested in 2600 or 7800 games I can play with my son, the way my dad played with me.

I've been playing a lot with my seven year old son, and a little with my ten year old son and two player simultaneous games where we can work together are the best. The 7800 has some pretty fun ones. The 2600, not so much. I guess it makes sense, given the limitation to two sprites at a time. I guess I didn't realize how impressive the programing for the old WoW must have been to take advantage of the 2600's limited hardware the way it does to create a fast-paced simultaneous two-player shoot-em-up.