2-Player Recommendations

[FateLanegod]

I’d recommend Advance Famicom Wars hack for NES. Two players can share a single controller to take turns.
https://retrogametalk.com/repo/nes-roms/advance-famicom-wars/

P.S. I’ve tried a lot of different multiplayer games & hacks, well known and a bit obscure. But don’t want just drop the list. Sometime will do short posts with micro reviews from personal perspective.

 

[extermist]

Sometime will do short posts with micro reviews from personal perspective.

Please do

 

[DinoRexMax DinoRexMax]

Trials of Mana - Extensive Patch Combo (Hack) SNES ROM – The Repo

Trials of Mana - Extensive Patch Combo (Hack) SNES ROM Languages: English. For the Super NES.

retrogametalk.com

This just got a 3 player mode, that's pretty cool.

 

[FateLanegod]

Please do

Currently playing LEGO Star Wars - The Complete Saga.

It’s fun and charming. Coop is good too, you have to swap characters to solve puzzles.
Also there’s competitive part - who collect more studs, in-game currency to unlock extra content. That’s shared anyway though. It has hack&slash, platformer, racing, rail shooting and more. The only disappointment, droids are mostly useless, they only could unlock special doors, so few short levels could be a bit boring for another player.

And one important point - the game is easy for casual player, you cannot die and most of the time don’t need to restart level, you just loose your score. The goal is 100% complete all secrets during free replay after finishing story mission for the first time.

P.S. 2 players only in multiplayer.

 

[KenaiPhoenix]

For 2 players there is no better bonding experience in gaming than Halo 2 Co-op on legendary

 

[ArchienineArchienine's icon]

TT LEGO games are perfect for casual cooperative play.

 

[stealthRUSH stealthRUSH]

• Destrega
• The Adventures of Cookie & Cream
• Fighting Force
• Alien Hominid
• Guardian Heroes
• Bishi Bashi Special
• Twisted Metal, 2, 3
• Die Hard Arcade
• FoxKids.com Micro Maniacs Racing
• Poy Poy, 2

 

[Vardalis]

I've seen a few games recommended that I would've suggested (mostly lightgun titles) so I'll recommend a few others that're more co-op oriented or without much of a direct "you lose" state to one player:

• Area 51 (PS1) - Decent lightgun shooter. Definitely not the best out there, but very "of the era".
• Point Blank 1, 2, 3 (PS1) - Great lightgun minigame collections. May not be as fun with a controller but I definitely got good enough with one.
• Dungeons & Dragons: Tower of Doom/Dungeons & Dragons: Shadow over Mystara (Arcade) - Fun beat-em-ups in a fantasy setting with some of the D&D trappings. Works well with 2 players and up to 4.
• Simpsons Arcade/XMEN Arcade/TMNT Arcade - Great beat-em-ups that can go up to 4 players but are great for just two.
• Narc (Arcade) - Absurd beat-em-up, but has a lot of drug references.
• Smash TV (Arcade) - Fun twin stick shooter without too much to think about besides blasting your way through.
• Zombies Ate My Neighbours (SNES) - Same as above but a bit more complicated.
• Bubble Bobble (Arcade) - Arcade platformer and one I used to really enjoy.
• Rampage World Tour (Arcade) - Action game where you smash cities and armies up with a buddy.
• Asterix (Arcade) - An often overlooked beat-em-up based on the French series. Great for younger audiences.

 

[FateLanegod]

I see here people mentioned beat’em-ups…
But no BATTLETOADS?! How could you…

I know the game is brutalnot novice friendly, but also it’s just not only about beating, there will be shooting, throwing, platforming and dodging nightmarepure fun. Just grab some cheats with Game Genie from the Internets and you may choose level, get infinite lives and kick some mutant rats with bones, whilst enjoy some femdom BDSM themes. Kid’s safe, have no worries. That’s from 80s.

Battletoads and Double Dragon - The Ultimate Team follows the pattern.