NES Games that Made Couch Co-op Feel like an Event

Nintendo isn't usually the company we think of when it comes to co-op gaming. Their modern consoles have inconsistent online at best. But wouldn't you know it, multiplayer used to be an in-person affair. And back in the NES era, there were a surprising number of games where co-op felt like a real event.

There was a good variety of games with multiplayer, some where it was you versus your friends, and other times when you fought together cooperatively. But either way, that dopamine rush of playing with another human made these games more impressive than they might look today.

Since these games are pretty ancient, they've been ranked mostly according to my own preferences in playing them, with overall critical reception still playing some role.

10 Balloon Fight

Full of Hot Air

While most of us associate HAL Laboratory with the long-running and engaging Kirby series, they also had a hand in making a classic named Balloon Fight. Well, maybe classic is too strong, but it was definitely a unique, quirky, and fun adventure.

The whole game is about deftly hovering through the air, doing your best to avoid your balloons getting popped by either monsters or obstacles. That's plenty stressful for single-player gaming, but in co-op, this was total insanity.

Imagine four people frantically hovering about, trying to pop their opponent's balloons before theirs get popped. Balloon Fight was a frenetic and wild time, especially back in the NES era. Thankfully, not all the co-op games on this list are adversarial.

9 Tecmo Super Bowl

Hut, Hut, Hike!

Nowadays, Tecmo Super Bowl might not look like much. Garish green and simple colors for the assorted teams, and loud and punchy sound effects. But at the time it came out, this was a revelation. So much so that it's considered a cult classic to this day, and even has modern players playing modified versions of the game.

This is a game where knowing the teams is huge, as well as the various disparities between running backs, quarterbacks and other positions on your roster. It's also neat to play entire seasons as a team. But where the real fun comes isn't playing against the CPU, but against human players in couch co-op.

If you're at all a fan of sports, Tecmo Super Bowl is a game you spent hours upon hours glued to your TV while merging into your couch cushions. The main reason it doesn't sit higher on this list is that I'm not really a fan of sports, so I couldn't justify it pushing out other adventures.

8 Gauntlet

Tabletop Adventures

Even though I've never played a proper in-person game of Dungeons & Dragons, I've always been drawn to games that incorporate elements of tabletop role-playing. And in the NES era, one classic that absolutely qualified was Gauntlet.

While it was first released in arcades, it eventually made its way to home consoles like the NES. Better yet, it lets you and friends battle together against unrelenting hordes of monsters. You even got to choose between classes that included warrior, wizard, valkyrie, and elf.

The only real downside to Gauntlet was that the sheer number of enemies was sometimes insane and made you want to throw your controller aside in despair. But it was still a game where co-op was the preferred way to experience this early fantasy voyage.

7 Super Dodge Ball

Elementary School Madness

Even though I'm not a big sports fan, I really enjoyed the Kunio-kun series. The way they mixed cartoonish sprites with punchy gameplay and crisp colors made all their games a lot more fun. And one of the best examples of co-op was Super Dodge Ball.

Anybody who's been through Elementary School knows the basic rules of dodgeball, but in Super Dodge Ball, they dial it up to eleven. Every character has their own stats as well as power shots to keep things fresh.

In couch co-op, you'll be choosing from nine different teams and then duking it out. It even features the rules from the World Cup mode. The only downside is that you only get one court to play on in multiplayer, which is why this game wasn't ranked higher. Still, it's a heck of a way to pass the afternoon.

6 Dr. Mario

Dedicated Doctor

It's probably for the best that I first played Dr. Mario before I was as discerning. Because while the gameplay still holds up, literally throwing pills at problems feels less like a legitimate doctor and more like a corporate pharmacist.

Regardless, Dr. Mario is one of the best examples of Mario tackling an odd job in a game. Does it make sense that this plumber is suddenly a doctor? Nope. But is it fun? Absolutely! It pairs the elegant simplicity of a puzzle game with amazing music and colorful visuals.

While it's really fun to play against a friend in couch co-op, I recommend you only play the game with a true friend. Otherwise, you'll be burning some bridges and making frenemies in this puzzle experience.

5 Rampage

Smashing Tantrum

I'm not sure what it says about humans that we love to step into the shoes of monstrous kaiju, but it's probably not a great sign. Thankfully, that in no way takes away how fun it is to smash things to smithereens in games like Rampage.

The game has you pick from a giant ape, an angry lizard, or a massive werewolf and wage war on an entire city. You'll be climbing buildings like King Kong, grabbing and gobbling unsuspecting humans, and throwing planes at other vehicles. It's very cathartic, and you'll feel great until the tiny tanks and troops finally manage to bring you down.

The only reason that Rampage wasn't even higher on this list is that while it is fun in couch co-op, it's more fun in arcades. But that's a pretty narrow distinction, and doesn't detract from how great a multiplayer experience it is.

4 Double Dragon II: The Revenge

Billy & Jimmy Tag Team

One of my very first beat 'em up experiences was Double Dragon. But the game I played the most in couch co-op was Double Dragon II: The Revenge. As much as I enjoyed the first game, this sequel was better in almost every way.

There was just something really satisfying about running around, punching and kicking enemies in the face, and grabbing a pipe to whale on them when that didn't work. This isn't the same as saying that Double Dragon II was particularly easy, because the variety of foes and bosses made it a challenge.

I spent a lot of weekend afternoons playing this game with some close friends, and it definitely brought us closer together. ]

3 Super C

Muscle Men to the Rescue

Now it's time for a real blast from my past. I was not good at Contra as a child, and one of the first games in the series I was okay at was Super C. Not because of my skills, mind you, but because I played it with my babysitter, and she was pretty capable.

While I wouldn't rank it as highly as Contra III from the SNES era, Super C was still pretty great. It had more freaky aliens to fight, including some really disturbing foes like the skull ship above. While it's not unusual for the series to eventually feature monstrous foes, Super C did so more regularly and earlier on.

Put simply, Super C is a great NES game to play with someone else, since every Contra game is pretty demanding. But so long as you can memorize patterns and work as a unit, you'll find success in this classic run-and-gun.

2 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game

Pizza and Pals

It's hard to express nowadays how incredibly popular Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, or TMNT for short, truly was. Not only was it everywhere, in cartoons, comic books, and toys, but it managed to grab the attention of an entire generation of fans. And as one of that generation, I really loved playing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game.

This adventure felt more focused than the first NES game and was entirely a side-scrolling beat 'em up. It featured many of the iconic baddies, like Bebop & Rocksteady, Stockman, and of course, Shredder. While slightly less challenging than the arcade version it was adapted from, the NES version of the game was still quite fun.

If nothing else, TMNT II: The Arcade Game highlights an era where Konami was a true behemoth, before the onslaught of modern TMNT adventures.

1 Bubble Bobble

The Cave of Monsters

On the surface level, it might not be clear why Bubble Bobble reigns supreme. So let me tell you, this seemingly cute and colorful adventure was also a one of a kind. Sure, there have been sequels, but none that managed to capture that special feeling of playing two dino bros fighting to save their girlfriends.

While the story was nothing magical, the gameplay was another thing entirely. Bubble Bobble is a game that rewards your patience, but also demands you fight against a racing clock, preventing foes from bursting from their bubble prisons and becoming enraged. It also has you doing your damnedest to avoid a ghostly whale and fighting against a whistling nightmare.

Bubble Bobble combines all of that in a tidy package with great artwork, sound design, and tons of secrets. Even to this day, you might find things in the game you didn't know about. This was a legend from the NES era that was made to be played with a friend!