 Siiiiiiihh! Strunk. Hello, any time I venture out onto the old YouTube, I'm always left wondering, why aren't there more videos listing and ranking things? So I figured I'd do my part and help fill that need. But really, the original video I made about the best Super Nintendo multiplayer games is almost 10 years old and badly needs to be redone, so let's just make it a top 13. The criteria I'm going by is pretty simple. It's just what games are made a lot better with the addition of a second player, and that can be cooperative or a versus game that pits two players against each other. But honestly, don't take this list that seriously, I just wanted to function as a guide more than anything else to point people in the right direction, if they're looking for good retro multiplayer games. Of course, since this is a list video, there's only so many spots available, so some good games are going to get left out, and I'll post a complimentary video to this one later on that includes the honorable mentions, so to speak, stuff like Secret of Mana, Top Gear, Kirby Superstar, Legend of the Mystical Ninja, and so on, but in the meantime, let's get on with the list. 13. NBA Jam Tournament Edition. Yes, that's right, a sports game, but really, you don't need to be into basketball to have fun with this one. It's up to four player compatible and the controls are simple enough that anyone can get into this game almost immediately. There are a lot of other sports games that could have filled this spot, like NHL 94, or Ken Griffey Jr. presents Major League Baseball, but the fact that NBA Jam is so easy to play makes it an easy choice as the best multiplayer sports game. You can either be teammates or you can face each other, and if you've got the four player multi-tap, you can do two-on-one or two-on-two. Plus, this one has all sorts of goofy characters you can unlock, everyone from Randall Cunningham to DJ Jazzy Jeff to Bill Clinton, or my favorite, Crunch, the old Timberwolves mascot. You can also put in codes that can make you ridiculously overpowered, like being able to dunk from anywhere. It's always good for a laugh when you see a Wolfman dunk from the other team's baseline. King of Dragons. This is one of the better arcade ports the Super Nintendo got, and it's one of the best beat-em-ups too. It's really held up well over time. There's five classes to pick from, from range fighters like the elf in the wizard, melee combat fighters like the cleric and the dwarf, and the regular old balanced guy. You get six lives and three continues to get through 14 long levels split up into stages and boss fights, but what's cool is that you use continues right there on the spot. So you really have 18 lives to get through the whole game, which is great, because the game doesn't make you replay sections you've already completed. King of Dragons is a beefy boy too. It's a long playthrough, and it's so dang fun to play with other people. It's one of those old-school beat-em-ups where the life meter stretches off of the screen. You gotta love that. 11. Metal Warriors. Not as many people know about this game, but it deserves a spot on this list because of one reason, the head-to-head mode. You have six mechs to choose from, and player one gets the top half of the screen, player two gets the bottom half, and you fly around and try and kill each other. You can do that with your machine gun, which seriously goes pew pew pew. Or you can use a handy lightsaber, which gives away the fact that this game was made by LucasArts. There's a few different maps you can play through as well, so there's a ton of mileage you can get out of this mode. Plus, I mean, you're two crazy overpowered mechs firing missiles at each other and fighting with lightsabers. How can you not love that? And yeah, if that doesn't appeal to you, then check out this weird-ass basketball mode you can unlock. So hey, if you're not entertained by mech violence, then maybe, uh, whatever this is, we'll do the trick. 12. Pocky and Rocky. This is one of those games where it's best experienced with two players if only because you'll NEED a second player to even get past the first few levels. This game is so freaking hard, but it's still very approachable. It's a top-down 8-way shooter where you collect stuff to upgrade your shot. But in addition to that, you can also slide into your partner and send them careening out of control into enemies. It's a good time. Plus, this is one of those games that's just plain entertaining. I mean, look at some of these enemies. Here we got some kind of ghost zombie pirate guy riding Bowser's helicopter thing he flies around in at the end of Super Mario World. Then after that, you fight Sweet D, who's wearing Knight's Armor. There's six levels to get through with Unlimited Continues, so there's no excuses not to complete this one. So you can all experience all the weirdness this game has to offer for yourselves. 9. Mortal Kombat 2. Come on, do I really need to sell you on this one? This game was in EVENT when it came out. And once I owned it, I don't think the cartridge left my Super Nintendo for a solid two months. I still have the Game Informer magazine that lists every single move for each character. But if you're somehow unfamiliar with Mortal Kombat 2, it's like the first Mortal Kombat, just ten times more of everything. More characters, more finishers, more special moves, more weird moves, more secrets, more story, more settings, more backgrounds, and some blood here and there. And no, do not say this game was better on Sega Genesis. Get outta here with that. Mortal Kombat 2 is best played today on the Super Nintendo. 8. Street Fighter 2 Turbo. As fun as Mortal Kombat 2 is, I don't think it's the best fighting game on the console. That title belongs to Street Fighter 2 Turbo, and thanks to the sharp pixel art, accurate hit detection, and smooth controls, this game still holds up extremely well, even for fighting game veterans. I picked Turbo because the original doesn't have the four boss characters, and Super just doesn't have the same vibe for some reason. I prefer Turbo, especially against a second player, and gotta love that incredibly satisfying sound design that's music unto itself. 7. Tetris Attack. Here's a totally different kind of one-on-one game. The multiplayer modes here are pretty simple. There's a time trial mode where you race to get the best score in a two-minute time limit, and a versus mode where you attack each other with shock panels, chain reactions, and combos. And of course you create those by matching at least three blocks in a row, and you accumulate all sorts of extra stuff when you create a reaction that falls into place. And the more blocks you clear, the more miserable your opponent will be. The larger the combo or chain reaction, the larger the garbage block will be that plops down on your opponent's side. Tetris Attack has long been my pick for the best Super Nintendo puzzle game, and the multiplayer just puts it over the top. If you're not into fighting games or action or sports, and you'd rather just play something a little different, then this one is for you. 6. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 4, Turtles in Time. But then of course if you are into action and non-stop chaos, then this is your game. Turtles in Time is right up there with Streets of Rage, Final Fight, all the top tier beat-em-ups, and a big reason why is because it's so much fun with a second player. This game still runs very smoothly with minimal slowdown despite all the craziness on the screen, and the Ninja Turtles world lends itself perfectly to this kind of game. Throw in all the time travel craziness where you eventually fight Pirate, Rocksteady, and Bebop, and this game is a damn good time. In addition to that, though, there is also a time trial mode where you can compete against each other, and a one-on-one fighting mode. And unlike the fighting mode in Double Dragon, this one is actually pretty good, and it includes moves like ducking your head back into your shell. So yeah, when it comes to a two-player game, you get your money's worth and then some with Turtles in Time. 5. Donkey Kong Country. This is one of those games that really should go without saying, but I'll say it anyway. It's a great multiplayer game for a couple of reasons. First, it's obviously a well-made game with the right amount of challenge, and it's always fun to fight over who gets to be diddy. But also, this is one of those games that everyone has played, so everyone is familiar with it and has at least played the first few levels. Sometimes when you talk about how games age in different ways, this is an example of a game aging well, but it doesn't have much to do with the game itself. It's just the fact that you could sit down with pretty much anyone that grew up in the 90s, and you'd be able to crank through the first few levels, up until you get to those annoying barrels anyway, and you'd both have a blast doing it. And hey, even if you don't for whatever reason, you can at least chill out to that relaxing David Wise soundtrack. 4. Zombies Ape My Neighbors. Now, if you'd rather have a co-op experience where you're both cursing each other out and crushing Mountain Dew Code Red while sweat comes out of your eyeballs, then you gotta play Zombies Ape My Neighbors. This is another game where the controls are really simple. It's a top-down shooter, and one button shoots while another flips through your weapons. But while the controls are simple, the game is not. This is easily one of the hardest Super Nintendo games, even with a second player. But hey, some people want their two-player experience to be full of pain and suffering, and I get that. Some people really want to feel like they've earned it, so if that's what you're looking for, then there's no better game for that on Super Nintendo than Zombies Ape My Neighbors. 3. Super Bomberman 3. Although, really, you could put any of the five Super Bomberman games in this spot, because they're all great. But the third one is what I have the most fun with. It allows up to five players, there's tons of items to create all kinds of chaos, and there's Louis, these kangaroos with special abilities like kicking bombs, kicking blocks to trap players, or filling entire columns with bombs. The third game also has a soccer minigame, as well as the bad bomber mode, so even if you get eliminated, you can still hang out on the outside and cause problems. It's great. But like I said, any of the Super Bomberman games would fit here. They're all great multiplayer games, especially with the four-player multi-tap. 2. Goof Troop. Some of you might think this has ranked a little high, but uh, have you played Goof Troop? It's awesome. It's like the perfect all-ages co-op game. It's simple enough, but still offers enough of a challenge. And it's the ideal game to play with kids to introduce them to retro gaming. It's a Capcom Disney game, so it's really well made. The puzzles are clever, but not cheap. The combat is easy, the controls are easy, the music is great, and the presentation offers a lot of charm from start to finish. You can play this one by yourself, but it's way more fun to play with a second player. 1. Super Mario Kart. There is no way this wasn't gonna be number one. I can remember a time in my life when all my friend and I played for like a month straight was the battle mode in Super Mario Kart. And again, like I said about Donkey Kong Country, Super Mario Kart was one of those games that was absolutely everywhere. If you're of a certain age, it's likely that you have some memory of playing this one. And it's also likely that it's the one-on-one battle mode, which was really kind of the first thing of its time for a home console. I mean, friendships hung in the balance with these games. You were always just one red shell away from never speaking to your friend for the rest of your life. Well, at least until the next game starts, and you hit them with a wild green shell, totally on purpose, obviously. But yeah, the battle mode in Super Mario Kart still holds up extremely well. And hey, two player races aren't that bad either. And that's something that translates to all skill levels. Throw in a great soundtrack, and you've got yourself the best game to play with a second player on the Super Nintendo. Alright, that's all for now. Next week, I'm gonna be posting a video about the best of the rest, the other great multiplayer Super Nintendo games that missed out on this video, so stay tuned for that. But in the meantime, I want to thank you for watching, and I hope you have a great rest of your day!