Nintendo began its console game with a focus on multiplayer. That’s why it launched with two controllers in Japan and even more accessories when it launched in the West. Video games can be fun alone but playing with friends is really what creates memories. Local sessions soon were blown out of the water thanks to online support.
This changed the gaming landscape forever. No longer did gamers have to resort to split-screen modes, thus dividing the experiences. It also allowed more players to get involved at once. Including the NES and Nintendo’s current console, the Switch, there have been 12 major systems. One of those 12 will be counted as part of another series. With that in mind, let’s remember the multiplayer hits that dominated these systems. For fun, their Metacritic scores were added where applicable. Not even Metacritic has every game cataloged.
11 Nintendo Entertainment System: Contra
Super Mario Bros. Is one of the most classic NES games of all time. It technically has multiplayer but switching off between lives barely counts. A better example would be the first Contra which did indeed have co-op gameplay.
It was not the first game to implement the Konami Code, but it can be thanked for popularizing it. The original honor goes to the NES port of Gradius in 1986. Contra wouldn’t hit the NES in North America until 1988. Contra and its sequels created a pop culture phenomenon with that infamous code.
10 Game Boy: Pokemon Red/Blue
The Game Boy was launched in 1989. It had some good multiplayer games on the system but it wouldn’t hit its peak until near its death. The Pokemon series launched in Japan in 1996. North America wouldn't get it until September 1998, two months before the launch of the Game Boy Color.
It certainly made the system, even though it was, again, at the end. Trading and fighting between friends via link cables were like the wave of the future. This remained true for its sequels in 2000 for the aforementioned Game Boy Color.
9 Super Nintendo: Street Fighter 2
Street Fighter 2 made fighting games a thing. They existed long before this game, but what made it stand out were the combos. There was nothing quite like them before. Even the first game in arcades wasn’t that popular.
The sequel was almost an accidental hit in arcades that transferred over to the SNES. From this original game to its many re-releases, it would have been hard to find a home without some version of Street Fighter 2 in it.
8 Nintendo 64: GoldenEye 007 (96)
The N64 was built with multiplayer in mind, unlike all consoles before it. The system had four controller ports, negating the need for third-party multi-tap devices. There are a lot of great examples on the system from Mario Kart 64 to Super Smash Bros.
However, the game that made the console infamous was GoldenEye 007. It was one of the earliest examples of a license-based game being good. The campaign was fun but multiplayer was where it was at. It was a must-have for parties.
7 Game Boy Advance: Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire (82)
Pokemon remained the supreme king for portable Nintendo devices all through the Game Boy Advance. Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire is a tipping point for some fans though. Some adored it as much as the previous games while others thought the formula was getting too repetitive at this point.
Where was the evolution? Whatever the case may have been, it still sold like gangbusters in all regions. With every new generation of games comes a new generation of gamers. The cycle repeats and the series keeps going on.
6 GameCube: Super Smash Bros. Melee (92)
Super Smash Bros. Melee is an example of a sequel every series should strive for. It wasn’t a launch title for the GameCube but it was released only a few weeks later. It improved upon everything from the original.
The gameplay was tighter and there were more fighters and stages. There is a reason why it remained in the fighting game scene decades later even after sequel releases came out. It is a legend among legends.
5 DS: Animal Crossing: Wild World (86)
The various Pokemon sequels were probably the most played multiplayer experiences on the DS. It is hard to deny the appeal of those games in portable form. However, Animal Crossing: Wild World was also a big hit. It was a better representation of what the original GameCube game tried to produce.
It wasn’t easy to connect with friends in the original, unlike this DS sequel. It turned the series into a more household name and only got bigger from here.
4 Wii: Wii Sports (76)
Wii Sports was like a Trojan horse. It came with every system and was the perfect demonstration of the Wii’s motion capabilities. Sequels would only strengthen this demonstration from Wii Play to Wii Sports Resort.
It made the Wii what it is today, a complete and utter revolution just like its code name implied. It made everyone buy a console, including the elderly. It bridged the gap for many and there was nothing quite like that original game over its sequels.
3 3DS: StreetPass Mii Plaza
Pokemon, again, could be cited here, but this may be another case of a Trojan horse blowing up. StreetPass Mii Plaza came built-in with every 3DS. This hub world featured two games: Find Mii and Puzzle Swap. Players could use their Miis along with friends they SpotPassed in these games.
Expansions would include Mii Force, Flower Town, Warriors Way, Ultimate Angler, Battleground Z, Ninja Launcher, Feed Mii, Market, Crashers, Mii Trek, and Slot Car Rivals. The best among them was Monster Manor which was part RPG, part puzzle game. These were all passive multiplayer experiences but they still count as mega-hits.
2 Wii U: Splatoon (81)
The Wii U was not as big as the Wii. It had a relatively short lifespan but gave way to the Switch. Still, this prototype-like console can be thanked for two massive hits: Splatoon and Super Mario Maker. These games made people go out and buy units.
These games weren’t enough to dig the console out of the dirt, but they certainly extended the life. Splatoon introduced an interesting shooter experience that didn’t rely on bloody gameplay. Super Mario Maker was a more passive experience but created a sharing community that grew infinitely.