# best console two-player games.... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 30, 2004, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-console-two-player-games/282170 "2004-12-30T00:11:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Merkwurdigliebe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/74df32/32.png) [@Merkwurdigliebe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merkwurdigliebe)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-console-two-player-games/282170/1 "2004-12-30T00:11:11Z")
What in your opinion are the best two-player console games up until the Nintendo 64… This includes all Atari, etc… ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-console-two-player-games/282170/2 "2004-12-30T00:46:26Z")
Contra Contra III Smash TV (Super NES version) Close the thread, question answered. ---
**Author:** ![TonyF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9de053/32.png) [@TonyF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonyF)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-console-two-player-games/282170/3 "2004-12-30T00:49:05Z")
Herzog Zwei, for the Genesis. One of the first RTS games - I wasted hours and hours playing that with my friends. Gunstar Heroes, also for the genesis, was a lot of fun with a friend. For its time, it was hyperactive enough for our sugar-overdosing selves. I’m going SEGA today, I guess! Of course, Street Fighter 2 can’t be ignored. ---
**Author:** ![Garfield226](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Garfield226](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Garfield226)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-console-two-player-games/282170/4 "2004-12-30T00:52:27Z")
> [@Merkwurdigliebe](#): > > What in your opinion are the best two-player console games up until the Nintendo 64… This includes all Atari, etc… If you’re INCLUDING the Nintendo 64, then Goldeneye 007 must make the list. If you’re not: I second Contra and the Street Fighter series. Also Mortal Kombat. Also Super Mario Kart. Was Bomberman for Super Nintendo? How about Bubble Bobble. And in the poetic vein: Double Dribble. ---
**Author:** ![emekthian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecae2f/32.png) [@emekthian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emekthian)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-console-two-player-games/282170/5 "2004-12-30T03:20:42Z")
> [@](#): > > If you’re INCLUDING the Nintendo 64, then Goldeneye 007 must make the list. Perfect Dark too. It’s similar in terms of gameplay to Goldeneye, but it’s got, in my opinion, better, more fun weapons and levels. Mario Kart, on both SNES and N64, is also good. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-console-two-player-games/282170/6 "2004-12-30T03:59:05Z")
> [@TonyF](#): > > Herzog Zwei, for the Genesis. Hands down this was the best. ---
**Author:** ![Incubus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c68b51/32.png) [@Incubus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Incubus)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-console-two-player-games/282170/7 "2004-12-30T06:00:38Z")
Hmm… _Jackal_ was a rather underrated game which was quite fun with 2 players. With 2 people, you could get more POW’s evacuated, and many parts of the game were much easier (not to mention much more fun) with 2 players. **Toejam and Earl** I’m surprised nobody mentioned this game. My friend and I had a blast playing this game. Any game where both players can interact with each other (either by giving the buddy a heave-ho or having some complementing special ability) are lots of fun with a friend; it makes the game more than just ‘2 people playing at the same time’ ---
**Author:** ![fluiddruid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fluiddruid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fluiddruid)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-console-two-player-games/282170/8 "2004-12-30T18:16:05Z")
Bubble Bobble, seconded. Also, I had great fun playing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 with another player for hours on end. But, then again, we were kids. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-console-two-player-games/282170/9 "2004-12-30T18:20:12Z")
Double Dragon Ikari Warriors I & II ---
**Author:** ![ninetypercent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9de0a6/32.png) [@ninetypercent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ninetypercent)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-console-two-player-games/282170/10 "2004-12-30T18:24:47Z")
Mario Kart N64, Goldeneye 007 … Super Mario World, if you count that… TMNT for NES, as well. ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-console-two-player-games/282170/11 "2004-12-30T18:35:20Z")
Contra. That’s it. That’s the list. ---
**Author:** ![mazinger\_z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@mazinger\_z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mazinger_z)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-console-two-player-games/282170/12 "2004-12-30T18:51:56Z")
Hmmm…it has been stated many times already, but I will have to go with this order: [any given Sunday, this order could change] 1. Super Mario Kart - the controller is just better, even though the game was a little broken 2. Mario Kart 64 - sure now we have parity between the different racers, but they all played the same 3. Goldeneye - I guess Perfect Dark falls into this as well, but I could never get into it, just too hard (go figure, I beat Goldeneye on the hardest level and did it in the required amount of time) 4. NHL95 for Genesis – best hockey game period, simplistic yet surprisingly has a lot of depth 5. Super Tecmo Bowl (Super Nintendo) – played a whole season with my floor in my dorm room every Sunday ---
**Author:** ![Nightwatch\_Trailer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9dc877/32.png) [@Nightwatch\_Trailer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightwatch_Trailer)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-console-two-player-games/282170/13 "2004-12-30T19:06:14Z")
I opened this thread to suggest Super Mario Kart (SNES). Nice to see it’s already been mentioned several times. Super Dodgeball for the NES. My gosh, that game is addictive. ---
**Author:** ![KING](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a9adbd/32.png) [@KING](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KING)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-console-two-player-games/282170/14 "2004-12-30T21:42:38Z")
SM Kart was cool, as was Target:Renegade, but my favourite was Chaos (for the Spectrum). It must be 20 years old now, but it is still good fun to play multi-player. There are not many video game moments greater than killing your friend’s real Golden Dragon with an illusionary Great Rat. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-console-two-player-games/282170/15 "2004-12-30T21:55:40Z")
_WWE No Mercy_ for the N64. I love fighting games but \*\*HATE \*\*button mashers and the AKI engine for this game was fantastic. ---
**Author:** ![Nightwatch\_Trailer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9dc877/32.png) [@Nightwatch\_Trailer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightwatch_Trailer)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-console-two-player-games/282170/16 "2004-12-30T23:01:24Z")
> [@Aesiron](#): > > _WWE No Mercy_ for the N64. I love fighting games but \*\*HATE \*\*button mashers and the AKI engine for this game was fantastic. Seconded. I don’t even like fighting games (or wrestling, for that matter) and I loved Aki’s N64 offerings. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-console-two-player-games/282170/17 "2004-12-30T23:10:32Z")
Small Hijack: Have you tried the later _SmackDown!_ games for the PS2? They have an improved version of the same engine and even though I don’t like wrestling anymore at all, I still intend to buy its latest incarnation when I eventually get around to buying a PS2. ---
**Author:** ![Algul\_Siento](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f17d59/32.png) [@Algul\_Siento](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algul_Siento)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2004, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-console-two-player-games/282170/18 "2004-12-30T23:15:37Z")
TMNT: Turtles In Time for SNES has some of the system’s best multiplayer action.