Happy National Video Games Day! Yes, September 12th is the time when we all come together and play video games on an officially recognised day in the world calendar (though I’m not sure your boss will let you go home early or have an unpaid day). It’s a time to play our favourite titles, to reflect on iconic series and the memories we made while playing them, and more importantly, to beat our friends at every multiplayer title in our collections.
Video games are more than just cartridges or discs we slot into a console. They’re entryways into other worlds, worlds filled with fantastic possibilities, unthinkable magic, unbridled power, incredible feats, engaging storylines, and much more. They give us a chance to escape from the norm, to let our minds wander, and to learn about new periods in history that have had a profound effect on our lives. Heck, it was God of War that made me want to go back and learn more about the Greek and Norse Gods, and while there has always been a narrative about video games being a waste of time, I find that as a creative whose brain is always on the go, playing video games allows me to switch off, unwind, and relive that excitement of my childhood all at the same time.
That’s why this day is so important, not only to champion today’s games but also to keep the memories of our gaming pasts alive. Sadly it means having to relive some of the brutal memories of me getting my butt handed to me while playing games with my friends, but it’s a small price to pay. After all, today is a day where we should all be playing with friends in real life like the good old days. I’m talking pizzas on the coffee table, hunched over wired controllers while button-mashing our way to glory. I’ve made a list of the games that I’ll be playing with my friends this evening to get you in the mood for a night of gaming, so let’s get started!
Table of Contents
1. GoldenEye 007
- Release Date: 1997
- Developers: Rare
- Publishers: Nintendo
- Players: Up to 4
Of course, I had to start this list off with the granddaddy of all shooting games. GoldenEye 007 is a game that I sunk so many hours into as a kid. I can still remember the first time I landed in the Jungle with the RCP90 and also when I picked up the Golden Gun and chased after my friends, though I have chosen to forget the times both of those weapons were used against me (and there were many!).
This split-screen marvel is perfect to dive back into with friends; the main problem you’re going to have is deciding on the format. For me, lasers in the bunker level was always a favourite, though if you really want a challenge, then proximity mines provide a nostalgic nod to the past. There’s nothing quite like sitting next to your mates, all squashed on one couch and playing this game, watching each other’s screens to try and gauge how much danger you’re in. This will definitely be the first port of call tonight, and if we can tear ourselves away, it’ll be the GameCube I’ll turn to next!
2. Super Smash Bros Melee
- Release Date: 2001
- Developers: HAL Laboratory
- Publishers: Nintendo
- Players: Up to 4
Super Smash Bros: Melee was, for me, the peak of the Super Smash Bros experience. I know some of you will say ‘oh come on, you’re just saying that because it’s retro’, but I genuinely think it’s true. There weren’t too many characters to pick from, the C-stick provided you with an easy means of pulling out ace moves, the controller format was simple to use, and it just felt right to use the GameCube buttons for this type of fighting game. Heck, there’s a reason we still use the controller for playing Super Smash Bros. Ultimate on the Switch; it’s the best, and no other A button can take as much of a beating!
I used to have a big CRT TV up in the attic games room that my mates and I would all sit around and play Melee on. I think it’s partly the reason that I went through so many batteries in my Wavebird controllers! Unlocking characters and then taking them for a spin in 4-player multiplayer will never get old, and if you do have the time, I’d consider working through it from the beginning with your mates so you can experience the thrill of unlocking new fighters all over again!
3. Time Crisis II
- Release Date: 2001
- Developers: Namco
- Publishers: Namco
- Players: Up to 2
We can’t have a video games night without bringing Time Crisis II into the fold. I recently went down to review NQ64’s newest retro gaming bar in Leeds, West Yorkshire, and Time Crisis II was the first game I ran to. It’s just so nostalgic and one of those arcade experiences like no other. With two light guns in hand, you and your mates can relive the action in your living room, maybe with an episode of Stranger Things on in the background so you can get all of the arcade sounds playing to make it feel more realistic.
I know that it might not feel the same playing Time Crisis in your living room, but you can get creative and duck behind the sofa when you’re reloading if you want to go the extra mile. And the most important thing is the teamwork with a friend; few co-op shooting games get you feeling as tense about the gameplay as Time Crisis, and there’s a real sense of achievement (and needing to stop for a cup of tea) when you finish every level.
4. Mario Kart: Double Dash
- Release Date: 2003
- Developers: Nintendo EAD
- Publishers: Nintendo
- Players: Up to 4
Getting the whole gang involved in Mario Kart: Double Dash is a must. Whether you decide to go 2v2 and take it in turns between throwing weapons and driving or 4v4 and every player going for victory, it’s a game that wholly promotes that trademark Nintendo multiplayer spirit.
We spend a lot of time playing Mario Kart 8 Deluxe online these days, but having each other on a Messenger voice call doesn’t beat sitting around the TV and playing the real thing, trying to knock controllers out of each others hands and goading one another everytime a Blue Shell hits. Mario Kart: Double Dash doesn’t always get a great rap and sometimes can be overlooked for the Wii and Switch offerings, but when it comes to multiplayer nights and indeed when you’ve got gamers who might not always be confident in the corners but a dab hand at throwing bananas, then you can’t go wrong with Double Dash.
5. Halo 2
- Release Date:
- Developers: Bungie
- Publishers: Microsoft Game Studios
- Players: Up to 4
I can hear the iconic music now as I’m writing this sentence. I don’t know about you, but I was utterly blown away the first time my friends and I went onto this game and experienced the massive multiplayer maps. Sure, GoldenEye 007 will forever be the classic go-to, but Microsoft really knew what they were doing when the launched the Xbox with the Master Chief as it’s poster boy. Halo: Combat Evolved was a huge success, and the sequel is undoubtedly one of the most important games in the world of modern FPS titles, with Halo 2 setting a benchmark that many developers have been judged against over the years.
While the one-player mode is all well and good, it’s the co-op and multiplayer deathmatches that I’m here to talk about today. Obviously this was one of the first Xbox Live games, but 4-player split-screen in the same room was how me and my mates spent most of our time on this game. Brandon owned me on this when we went to NQ64 in Manchester and hasn’t let me live it down since…
6. WarioWare Inc. Mega Party Games
- Release Date: 2003
- Developers: Intelligent Systems, Nintendo R&D1
- Publishers: Nintendo
- Players: Up to 4
The time between my GCSE examinations aged 16 was pretty much spent playing this WarioWare title with my friends. It’s just absolutely mad from start to finish, a selection of the weirdest mini-games that never fails to make you laugh. It’s also one of those games that you can just turn on and play for 20 minutes without having to get to a point to save or meet an objectively; it’s purely a silly title that promotes fun, which is what today is really all about!
For those of you who haven’t played Mega Party Games before, it’s a collection of mini-games that generally take about 3 to 5 seconds to play. That means you have to learn what to do, carry out the action, and complete the task all in a matter of seconds, which makes for exciting, tense, and in our case hilarious gameplay when we inevitably get it wrong. The games get faster as you go along too, so sitting back and relaxing is not an option!
7. Crash Team Racing
- Release Date: 1999
- Developers: Naughty Dog
- Publishers: Sony Computer Entertainment
- Players: Up to 4
Crash Team Racing has been the main multiplayer competitor to Mario Kart in the eyes of the public for my entire gaming life thus far. It was Sony’s answer to Nintendo’s world-class racer, Poster Plumber vs Poster Bandicoot, two franchises going head to head for sales while we went head to head on the track. Ultimately Mario Kart has prevailed, but the story mode in CTR brings it on a par with Diddy Kong Racing for me, and the multiplayer provided timeless racing fun for the PS1 kids back in the day.
I had an N64, but I would go to friend’s houses to play CTR and vice versa. I’ve got some great memories of blasting through the courses on this game and taking it in turns to have a bash at the one-player storyline, slowly getting more confident with weapon aiming and picking up speed with practice. If you have a multitap, then four players can play this game together which really heats things up.
8. Gauntlet: Dark Legacy
- Release Date: 2001 (PS2) 2002 (GameCube)
- Developers: Midway Games West
- Publishers: Midway
- Players: Up to 4
This co-op multiplayer RPG is something else; you can keep Golden Axe or Elden Ring, because Gauntlet: Dark Legacy is one of the most addictive games known to man. Levelling up your Dwarf or Magician, fighting humongous ghouls, scouring every level for secret runestones, grappling over who gets to eat the food when it drops. Honestly, I have spent so many hours playing this game that I could probably recite the structure of every level blindfolded.
One of the things I love about Dark Legacy is that, like Time Crisis II, it has a sense of camaraderie and pulling together as a team while you’re playing. You’re not out for yourself but out to work as a unit, getting excited when characters level up and change their appearance and unlocking different variations of characters like the Minotaur. Magic powers, potions, zombies – it’s got it all and more, and while you can play this one solo, it’s nowhere near as much fun.
9. Mario Tennis
- Release Date: 2000
- Developers: Camelot Software Planning
- Publishers: Nintendo
- Players: Up to 4
Have you ever felt the rush of playing 4-player Mario Tennis? Yes, I said rush, and I stand by it. This game is still a joy to play today, four N64 controllers or Brawler 64 pads in hand if you’re fancy, working together in a doubles match to destroy your opponents. Don’t get me wrong, I love titles like Wii Sports and the uber-retro Super Tennis, but they don’t have a weird version of Waluigi with twinkling eyes whenever he wins a point.
This is classic, non-threatening Nintendo multiplayer at its finest too – if you’re a little bit overwhelmed from defeating green goblins in Gauntlet, then pulling out your racket and scoring some Aces on Mario Tennis will definitely make you feel better. I love pulling off sneaky power shots and catching my opponents off guard, though some of the rallies from playing doubles can go on so long that your success will often be down to your own stamina rather than that of DK, Mario, and the gang!
10. Simpsons Road Rage
- Release Date:
- Developers: Radical Entertainment
- Publishers: Electronic Arts, Fox Interactive
- Players: Up to 2
I thought I’d end on a fantastic variation of Crazy Taxi that I know the entire Retro Dodo team loves. Simpson’s Road Rage combines the arcade brilliance of Crazy Taxi with the most popular cartoon series of all time, allowing for gamers to unlock special vehicles and visit all of the locations they know and love from the TV series. Professor Frink and his flying car were always my favourite combo, but I also loved the idea of picking people up on Groundskeeper Willie’s tractor and taking them around Springfield.
It was fun just heading out in Sunday Drive mode too and exploring the different game areas without a time limit; it’s the closest that any of us would get to actually visiting the made-up world of Springfield until Simpson’s Tapped Out came out and took over my life for a while. If your controller isn’t creaking from gripping it too hard while playing this game, then you’re not playing it right. It’s fast-paced fun and a definite slice of nostalgia for any gamers looking to head back to their roots this National Video Games Day!
