Calling Double Dragon the best video game ever would seem like a stretch to most gamers raised on Mario and
Link, but in the context of social gaming and cooperative gameplay, it's what really started the ball rolling for
everyone who would ever grow tired of the quintessential multiplayer arcade (and now console or PC-based)
deathmatch.
In the issue of The Escapist dedicated to different generations of gamers, one writer and his
13-year-old niece challenged the
generational gap between the old-school game snobs who grew up with the industry and the whippersnappers born in
the '90s who don't know how games used to be, with gamers bonding over a common purpose in the arcades of yore.
They also co-wrote a separate piece recommending games to be shared and cherished by members of the different generations as they
play them together, including Bubble Bobble, Final Fight, Tetris, DDR, and
EyeToy Play, as well as single-player games like The Sims 2. We just want to know how Streets of
Rage fell into the cracks in this piece. What co-op games best bring the generations together in your personal
experience?
Reader Comments (36)
Posted: Dec 18th 2005 9:37PM (Unverified) said
DONKEY FREAKING KONGA. no question about it, that game will make anyone have an awesome time, whether they want to or not.
Posted: Dec 18th 2005 9:37PM (Unverified) said
The original Donkey Kong Country. I am one of those previously mentioned whippersnappers. DKC was the first game that realy got me into games.
It was introduced to me by my father. It was a great game to bond with my dad.
It was introduced to me by my father. It was a great game to bond with my dad.
Posted: Dec 18th 2005 9:37PM (Unverified) said
*jumps up and down*
Oh yeah! Super Double Dragon and Final Fight were pure classics. I love those games especially in co-op modes.
The Contra series is another.
Oh yeah! Super Double Dragon and Final Fight were pure classics. I love those games especially in co-op modes.
The Contra series is another.
Posted: Dec 18th 2005 9:37PM (Unverified) said
Streets of Rage 1 and 2. Nuff Said.
Posted: Dec 18th 2005 9:37PM (Unverified) said
Head over heels on the commodore 64 and amstrad can not be overlooked. Whilst a single player game. You had to get head and heels to work together to complete the game, this i believe is one of the first examples of co-operative game play
Posted: Dec 18th 2005 9:37PM (Unverified) said
Toejam & Earl was a big one for me.
Posted: Dec 18th 2005 9:37PM (Unverified) said
C64, represent! =) I also love Contra and the Taiko/Konga drum games out there, but Streets of Rage just has that special place in my heart. I'd pick it up in a heartbeat if it ever came to Xbox Live Arcade. (Crossing my fingers, Microsoft, do you hear??)
Posted: Dec 18th 2005 9:37PM (Unverified) said
My first love was Gauntlet.
Posted: Dec 18th 2005 9:37PM (Unverified) said
Katamary Damaci has been really succesful at getting all my non-gamer family to play together.
Posted: Dec 18th 2005 9:37PM (Unverified) said
Battletoads....the fact that you canhit each other is sooo awesome (BTW, we need another battletoad game), my brother and I would play, and then i would accidentally hit him in the game, he'd hit me, i'd use the boot on him, and then he'd punch me...but this time in real life. Those were some of the best days...ahhh. yeah, it was really hard, even with emulators the bike level (lv 3) was too hard, too bad.
Posted: Dec 18th 2005 9:37PM (Unverified) said
Ugh... when double dragon was on NES (its most popular iteration) it was single player, except for that battle mode. Contra is a better example.
Posted: Dec 18th 2005 9:37PM (Unverified) said
Teenage mutant ninja turtles 2: the acrade game on the NES...
Posted: Dec 18th 2005 9:37PM (Unverified) said
Yeah, you're right about DD on the NES, ronnie, but when you're that young (and without money to roam the arcades), how can you know any better? What's nice about Spanner's article is that he got his niece into trying all his favorite games via arcade emulation in a stand-up machine rather than through a regular PC. DD2: The Revenge fixed this a bit with co-op play on the NES, but many changes were still made from the original arcade version. Contra did open my eyes to the possibilities of co-op back in the day, however.
Posted: Dec 18th 2005 9:37PM (Unverified) said
I played more Contra co-op than Double Dragon. I don't think you could even beat Contra with 1 player! hehe
Posted: Dec 18th 2005 9:37PM (Unverified) said
Forgotten Worlds on the Sega Genesis - that game was too much fun. Also Contra and Life Force on NES. Good times.
Posted: Dec 18th 2005 9:37PM (Unverified) said
How about Super Mario Kart on the SNES and Sensible Soccer on the Amiga? Those are my favourite party games ever :)
Posted: Dec 18th 2005 9:37PM (Unverified) said
Ikari Warriors ate ALL our quarters at the 7-11 (back when they had machines)
Posted: Dec 18th 2005 9:37PM (Unverified) said
as an impressionable youth double dragon (the arcade game) and the original simpsons arcade game were the ones that got me hooked on this video game fad. I just couldn't get away because the floors were so sticky and it was too dark for me too see how to free myself. I spent 3 weeks in that arcade before I decided to take off my shoes and leave.
yeah, those games were classic.
yeah, those games were classic.
Posted: Dec 18th 2005 9:37PM (Unverified) said
How could I forget the ultimate arcade two player survival games...
Armor Attack and Rip Off.
I really need to get those for my vectrex...
Armor Attack and Rip Off.
I really need to get those for my vectrex...
Posted: Dec 18th 2005 9:37PM (Unverified) said
Probably the first "co-op" game I remember was Defender. At the time, the 6 or 8 buttons were so overwhelming, you had to have a friend controlling hyperspace (or whatever it was called), and smart bomb. At least! Of course I was 11 when that arrived at the local bowling alley.
Other multi-players are:
1) Gauntlet (EVERYBODY needs food - badly...)
2) Kozmic Kroozer (short lived, but quite a quarter-muncher)
3) Double Dribble (I think it was an early Konami masterpiece)
4) Chexx (not a video game, but addictive as hell... and you required a 2nd player)
5) Bubble Bobble
6) Super Mario Bros (I KNOW it's not co-op, but it felt that way. It was so popular - in the arcade, like all of my picks - that you always had to play "against" [or with] someone. You would learn from your friend/opponent, and progress through the game always through the context of friendly competition)
7) Double Dragon
8) Super Off-Road (I think it was called)
9) Rush 'n Attack
10) Rampage - of course
Other multi-players are:
1) Gauntlet (EVERYBODY needs food - badly...)
2) Kozmic Kroozer (short lived, but quite a quarter-muncher)
3) Double Dribble (I think it was an early Konami masterpiece)
4) Chexx (not a video game, but addictive as hell... and you required a 2nd player)
5) Bubble Bobble
6) Super Mario Bros (I KNOW it's not co-op, but it felt that way. It was so popular - in the arcade, like all of my picks - that you always had to play "against" [or with] someone. You would learn from your friend/opponent, and progress through the game always through the context of friendly competition)
7) Double Dragon
8) Super Off-Road (I think it was called)
9) Rush 'n Attack
10) Rampage - of course
Posted: Dec 18th 2005 9:37PM (Unverified) said
Ahh. arcades.. early 80's trips to the "sea side" (a once UK tradition before cheap package hols - I still stick to the UK though ;) )
First arcade games I recall playing were things like pole position, pac man etc (all the usual old things).. stuff got really interesting when I became addicted to two cabinets:
1.Spy Hunter (Sit down version)
2.Star Wars (sit down version + small kid looking through rear smoked perspex at how "cool" you were)
Those were the days.
Then I eventually got into the Double Dragon thing with my cousin, we spent a lot of money on that game - it was the apex of my arcade multiplayer past. Also Hot Rod (top down racer with wheels - like super sprint).
Then of course we all realised our consoles were almost as good and just stopped going (or got too old to be seen playing wonderboy or something ;) )
First arcade games I recall playing were things like pole position, pac man etc (all the usual old things).. stuff got really interesting when I became addicted to two cabinets:
1.Spy Hunter (Sit down version)
2.Star Wars (sit down version + small kid looking through rear smoked perspex at how "cool" you were)
Those were the days.
Then I eventually got into the Double Dragon thing with my cousin, we spent a lot of money on that game - it was the apex of my arcade multiplayer past. Also Hot Rod (top down racer with wheels - like super sprint).
Then of course we all realised our consoles were almost as good and just stopped going (or got too old to be seen playing wonderboy or something ;) )
Posted: Dec 18th 2005 9:37PM (Unverified) said
Double Dragon!!!
Yep - we used to get up at 6am to play this thing.
Good times............gooooooooooooooooooood times!
Yep - we used to get up at 6am to play this thing.
Good times............gooooooooooooooooooood times!
Posted: Dec 18th 2005 9:37PM (Unverified) said
double dragon II was my favorite co-op game, then mario, contra, kart, plus turtles 3 and 4(TiT).
co-op isn't available enough now a days...
co-op isn't available enough now a days...
Posted: Dec 18th 2005 9:37PM (Unverified) said
Donkey konga is strangely addictive but the best head to head game of all time is (drum roll)
WORLD CLASS TRACK AND FIELD!!!!
although tecmo super bowl and halo deserve honorable mentions
WORLD CLASS TRACK AND FIELD!!!!
although tecmo super bowl and halo deserve honorable mentions
Posted: Dec 18th 2005 9:37PM (Unverified) said
I used to play a lot of Gauntlet, Final Fight, Double Dragon, Mercs, Sunset Riders, Magic Swoard, Bad Dudes, Combatrides (my favorite!), and the like before SFII came out and eliminated those games completely. Arcade beat-em-ups and their rampant appearance everywhere were special games, and I, for one, miss those days.
Posted: Dec 18th 2005 9:37PM (Unverified) said
I would say contra was my 1st co-op experience. It always ended up into rumbles because my brother and I would steal each other's lives when the other one wasn't looking.
-B
-B
Posted: Dec 18th 2005 9:37PM (Unverified) said
I loved Double Dragon in the arcades and was genuinely disappointed that the NES version was single player. However, I had a SMS and that version was awesome co-op play!
Great Volleyball, SMB, Contra, Tetris, Jackal, Heavy Barrel, Street Fighter 2, River City Ransom, and Wrestlefest were some of the best co-op games of my time. They really brought me together with my friends or my older bro. Those were the good times! Thank god for emulation!!
-John
http://www.deliveryblog.com/
Great Volleyball, SMB, Contra, Tetris, Jackal, Heavy Barrel, Street Fighter 2, River City Ransom, and Wrestlefest were some of the best co-op games of my time. They really brought me together with my friends or my older bro. Those were the good times! Thank god for emulation!!
-John
http://www.deliveryblog.com/
Posted: Dec 18th 2005 9:37PM (Unverified) said
Best 2 player games of all time?
Legend of the Mystical Ninja
Tetris Attack (competitive)
Rock n' Roll Racing
Battletoads and Double Dragon
Gunstar Heroes
I don't know what happened to co-op games after the snes, but it seemed to go downhill.
Legend of the Mystical Ninja
Tetris Attack (competitive)
Rock n' Roll Racing
Battletoads and Double Dragon
Gunstar Heroes
I don't know what happened to co-op games after the snes, but it seemed to go downhill.
Posted: Dec 18th 2005 9:37PM (Unverified) said
although Contra and Double Dragon were great, my vote goes to Secret of Mana on SNES. I don't even remember how many times my brother and I plyed through that game.
Posted: Dec 18th 2005 9:37PM (Unverified) said
Super Mario Kart for the SNES.
Streets of Rage for the Sega Genesis.
Final Fight for the SNES.
Streets of Rage for the Sega Genesis.
Final Fight for the SNES.
Posted: Dec 18th 2005 9:37PM (Unverified) said
Secret of Mana for sure. I bought the multitap when I was like, 8 just to play it with 3 people. Why did the newer ones have to suck so bad?!?!
Posted: Dec 18th 2005 9:37PM (Unverified) said
Wow... TMNT, Sunset Riders, and those X-Men/Simpsons machines... those really take me back. Other niche beat(...er, shoot?)-em-ups like Konami's Aliens and the later Alien vs. Predator by Capcom were pretty cool, too. 360 Live Arcade, don't fail me now!
Posted: Dec 18th 2005 9:37PM (Unverified) said
DD the best co-op ever? Man its easier to get your hands on drugs than I thought. For its time, sure, but more then that is just stupid.
Posted: Dec 18th 2005 9:37PM (Unverified) said
As far as games in general that brougth the generations together in my family, it was Street Fighter II; but as far as co-op games go, my family didn't really play many. When it comes to friends though, Mario 3 was the co-op game that brought us together the most.
Posted: Dec 18th 2005 9:37PM (Unverified) said
Bubble Bobble was DEFINITELY a great experiance. We had that for NES, and then when my friend got Playstation, one year for his birthday I got him the remake of it. Then his "friend" broke it >:O! Final fight, Battletoads, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for the NES were also great.
Posted: Dec 18th 2005 9:37PM (Unverified) said
Co-op in Ikaruga is pretty sweet.
Does Rez with your girl on the Trance Vibrator count?
Does Rez with your girl on the Trance Vibrator count?
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