Blast from the Past: The Best NES Games for Local Multiplayer Fun

Say what you want about NES games: that they’re tedious, that the graphics are extremely obsolete, and so on and so forth. Maybe you would be right if you want to make such claims, but guess what? A few decades ago, NES games were the bee’s knees, and a lot of those who are deeply into modern gaming today have begun their gaming journey with “ancient” titles such as Super Mario Bros., Double Dragon, Ninja Gaiden, Contra, Duck Hunt, and a lot more.

But do you know when NES games were especially fun to play? That’s right: in the local multiplayer mode! Bringing a friend along to your place and playing the same game, each from a different controller, was one of the most intense and fun experiences many gamers have ever had.

Let’s remind ourselves of some of the most exciting NES games that players can play in local multiplayer mode:

Contra:

Contra is a classic NES game known for its intense action and challenging gameplay, as you don’t get many lives at your disposal to finish this game. But you can even double the fun by playing Contra with a friend or relative, as you two will take the roles of commandos who battle against alien invaders and blast your way through waves or enemies. Dodging the incoming fire is another important part of this game, as those bullets and laser beams will come at you from just about anywhere.

Super Mario Bros. 3

Super Mario Bros. 3 is regarded as one of the best video games in history and for good reasons. We’re talking about a series that has been highly influential in the industry. This game takes cooperative gameplay to new heights. Players can team up in Super Mario Bros. 3 to navigate through a variety of colorful worlds, as each of them is filled with unique power-ups and challenges.

Super Mario Bros. 3 is basically the first Super Mario Bros., but on steroids. The new game was drastically improved compared to its predecessor.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters

Exactly as its name suggests, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters is all about one-on-one fighting. Players can go for the story more, in which they can fight each character one by one until they reach Shredder, the final boss. Shredder is stronger than all of them. Players can even opt for multiplayer fighting in order to fight against each other during one-on-one battles.

In Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters, you can choose from Don, Rapha, Leo, Mike, Chasey, and more. Each fighter has his own special moves, and all of them are pretty strong. You can even set the strength of your opponents in this game, just in case the hard difficulty isn’t enough for you.

Double Dragon II: The Revenge

If you want a split beat ’em up game in which you get to team up with a friend to take care of waves of bad guys coming at you with everything they got, it means that Double Dragon II: The Revenge is for you. This game offers a lot of fun action in a cooperative multiplayer mode or single-player mode, depending on what you want. Billy and Jimmy Lee, the two protagonists of the game, have plenty of dirty tricks up their sleeves in order to merge victorious.

Battletoads & Double Dragon

The Battletoads & Double Dragon crossover offers the best of both worlds, as Jimmy and Billy can team up with Rash, Zitz, and Pimple in their struggle to defeat numerous opponents. Boss battles are also there in this game, and surely you can have numerous hours of fun playing it with a friend or relative.

Which one of the games listed in this article do you like the most and why? Feel free to tell us in the comments!