Nintendobegan its console game with a focus on multiplayer. That’s why it launched with two controllers in Japan and even more accessories when it launched in the West. Video games can be fun alone but playing with friends is really what creates memories. Local sessions soon were blown out of the water thanks to online support.
RELATED:Every Nintendo Console Ranked By Their Launch Prices
This changed the gaming landscape forever. No longer did gamers have to resort to split-screen modes, thus dividing the experiences. It also allowed more players to get involved at once. Including theNESandNintendo’scurrent console, theSwitch, there have been 12 major systems. One of those 12 will be counted as part of another series. With that in mind, let’s remember the multiplayer hits that dominated these systems. For fun, their Metacritic scores were added where applicable. Not even Metacritic has every game cataloged.
11Nintendo Entertainment System: Contra
Super Mario Bros.is one of the most classicNESgames of all time. It technically has multiplayer but switching off between lives barely counts. A better example would be the firstContrawhich did indeed have co-op gameplay.
It was not the first game to implement the Konami Code, but it can be thanked for popularizing it. The original honor goes to the NES port ofGradiusin 1986.Contrawouldn’t hit the NES in North America until 1988.Contraand its sequelscreated a pop culture phenomenon with that infamous code.
10Game Boy: Pokemon Red/Blue
TheGame Boywas launched in 1989. It had some good multiplayer games on the system but it wouldn’t hit its peak until near its death. ThePokemonseries launched in Japan in 1996. North America wouldn’t get it until September 1998, two months before the launch of the Game Boy Color.
It certainly made the system, even though it was, again, at the end. Trading and fighting between friends via link cables were like the wave of the future. This remained truefor its sequelsin 2000 for the aforementioned Game Boy Color.
9Super Nintendo: Street Fighter 2
Street Fighter 2madefighting games a thing. They existed long before this game, but what made it stand out were the combos. There was nothing quite like them before. Even the first game in arcades wasn’t that popular.
The sequel was almost an accidental hit in arcades that transferred over to theSNES. From this original game to its many re-releases, it would have been hard to find a home without some version ofStreet Fighter 2in it.
8Nintendo 64: GoldenEye 007 (96)
TheN64was built with multiplayer in mind, unlike all consoles before it. The system had four controller ports, negating the need for third-party multi-tap devices. There are a lot of great examples on the system fromMario Kart 64toSuper Smash Bros.
RELATED:Nintendo Games That Never Received A Single Sequel
However, the game that made the console infamous wasGoldenEye 007. It was one of the earliest examples of alicense-based game being good. The campaign was fun but multiplayer was where it was at. It was a must-have for parties.
7Game Boy Advance: Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire (82)
Pokemonremained the supreme king for portable Nintendo devices all through the Game Boy Advance.Pokemon Ruby/Sapphireis a tipping point for some fans though. Some adored it as much as the previous games while others thought the formula was getting too repetitive at this point.
Where was the evolution? Whatever the case may have been, it still sold like gangbusters in all regions. With every new generation of games comes a new generation of gamers. The cycle repeats and the series keeps going on.
6GameCube: Super Smash Bros. Melee (92)
Super Smash Bros. Meleeis an example of a sequel every series should strive for. It wasn’t a launch title for theGameCubebut it was released only a few weeks later. It improved upon everything from the original.
The gameplay was tighter and there were more fighters and stages. There is a reason why it remained in the fighting game scene decades later even after sequel releases came out. It is a legend among legends.
5DS: Animal Crossing: Wild World (86)
The variousPokemonsequels were probably the most played multiplayer experiences on theDS. It is hard to deny the appeal of those games in portable form. However,Animal Crossing: Wild Worldwas also a big hit. It was a better representation of what the original GameCube game tried to produce.
It wasn’t easy to connect with friends in the original, unlike this DS sequel. It turned the series into a more household name and only got bigger from here.
4Wii: Wii Sports (76)
Wii Sportswas like a Trojan horse. It came with every system and was the perfect demonstration of theWii’smotion capabilities. Sequels would only strengthen this demonstration fromWii PlaytoWii Sports Resort.
RELATED:Nintendo Console Variations That Exclusively Released In Japan
It made the Wii what it is today, a complete and utter revolution just like its code name implied. It made everyone buy a console, including the elderly. It bridged the gap for many and there was nothing quite like that original gameover its sequels.
33DS: StreetPass Mii Plaza
Pokemon, again, could be cited here, but this may be another case of a Trojan horse blowing up. StreetPass Mii Plaza came built-in with every 3DS. This hub world featured two games:Find MiiandPuzzle Swap. Players could use their Miis along with friends they SpotPassed in these games.
Expansions would includeMii Force, Flower Town, Warriors Way, Ultimate Angler, Battleground Z, Ninja Launcher, Feed Mii, Market, Crashers, Mii Trek,andSlot Car Rivals. The best among them wasMonster Manorwhich was part RPG, part puzzle game. These were all passive multiplayer experiences but they still count as mega-hits.
2Wii U: Splatoon (81)
The Wii U was not as big as the Wii. It had a relatively short lifespan but gave way to the Switch. Still, this prototype-like console can be thanked for two massive hits:SplatoonandSuper Mario Maker. These games made people go out and buy units.
These games weren’t enough to dig the console out of the dirt, but they certainly extended the life.Splatoonintroduced aninteresting shooter experiencethat didn’t rely on bloody gameplay.Super Mario Makerwas a more passive experience but created a sharing community that grew infinitely.
