Nothing beats a shared victory. This Top 50 gathers the best retro games to play cooperatively — two-player beat'em ups, frantic run and guns, four-handed adventures. RomWize ranks these titles by its re-evaluated scores and details each one's versions, their rarity and their collector value — time to grab the second controller.
"A pillar of console shooting, whose campaign plays out four-player in co-op and whose competitive arenas defined the genre for a whole generation. The competition rests on power-weapon control, mastered jumps and team communication, readable and deep at once. Local split-screen backs up an online with uncertain servers, making evenings a joyful blend of mutual aid and rivalry."
"A vast criminal playground that slips in a two-player free mode where you sow chaos side by side, with no goal but fun. The improvised cooperation beats any scripted mission: boosting each other into a heist, fleeing the cops together or simply triggering the most memorable mayhem. Huge and generous, it turns the sandbox into a shared playground you never tire of exploring."
"A platformer of exemplary liveliness and beauty, whose four-player local co-op turns every level into a joyful dash strewn with traps and rewards. Mutual aid mingles with healthy one-upmanship: helping each other through a tricky stretch while squabbling for first place is the whole spice of it. Immediate and unifying, it restarts with the family for guaranteed fits of laughter."
"Pinpoint jumps and good-natured chaos live side by side: you bump into each other, revive a buddy who fell into the void and fail together in a great burst of laughter. The cooperation for up to four is wonderfully accessible, and the Kung Foot mode slips a dose of deliriously silly football competition between two stages. Colourful and instant, it launches in a heartbeat and delights kids and veterans alike."
"Visiting a loved one's island, swapping rare fruit, gifting furniture or simply chatting by the shore: everything here breathes warmth without a shred of competition. Up to eight residents share decorating, finds and little kindnesses at a peaceful pace. It's a cozy social space you return to chiefly for the shared generosity and the joy of creating together."
"A cinematic adventure whose multiplayer side surprises with its quality, marrying snappy competitive clashes and scripted co-op modes. The competition rewards positioning and cover play, while the co-op relives spectacular set pieces with others. The original online leans on uncertain servers, but the inventiveness of the maps and the sense of spectacle stay a real shared treat."
"A legendary run-and-gun where two soldiers advance under a hail of bullets, covering each other and freeing prisoners in joyful chaos. Mutual aid is the heart of the fun: sharing weapons, coordinating fire and pulling each other out of desperate spots bonds the duo. Packed with humor and detail, it chains waves with gusto and makes two-player sessions a complicit outlet to restart endlessly."
"A pillar of console shooting, whose campaign plays out four-player in co-op and whose competitive arenas defined the genre for a whole generation. The competition rests on power-weapon control, mastered jumps and team communication, readable and deep at once. Local split-screen backs up an online with uncertain servers, making evenings a joyful blend of mutual aid and rivalry."
"Four heroes on the same couch tear through dungeons hunting loot, in a nervy, readable cooperation where every spell lights up the screen. You drop into a session in an instant, sharing finds and showy moments. Level or gear gaps can throw a pairing off balance, but the collective momentum and the downpour of items soon smooth those frictions away."
"Four players push forward hand in hand through clever levels, yet the chase for the top-score crown laces the teamwork with a streak of rivalry. You lend a hand as readily as you steal the spotlight, and that ambiguity spices up every run. The single camera can crowd the group and trigger a few collisions, just enough to set off another round of laughter."
"A platformer of exemplary liveliness and beauty, whose four-player local co-op turns every level into a joyful dash strewn with traps and rewards. Mutual aid mingles with healthy one-upmanship: helping each other through a tricky stretch while squabbling for first place is the whole spice of it. Immediate and unifying, it restarts with the family for guaranteed fits of laughter."
"Tending the same patch of land as a foursome turns chores into companionable rituals: one mines, another fishes, a third waters while you plan the last one's wedding. Everything is cooperative and pressure-free, unfolding across seasons and shared goals. It's a snug little nest you return to night after night, carried along by the small wins you rack up together."
"A peak of the virtual guitar concert, whose co-op mode splits the lead and bass parts to bring a real duo to life on stage. The teamwork is a treat: locking your notes to your partner's and nailing a hard solo together brings a contagious euphoria. Full enjoyment runs through the dedicated guitars, but the golden setlist and the duo's chemistry make every track an all-time moment."
"Built from the ground up for a duo, It Takes Two makes cooperation the law: there's no progress without talking, coordinating and solving wildly inventive set-pieces that never repeat themselves. Every mechanic forces real partnership, and the belly laughs come as much from triumphs as from glorious fumbles. A memorable ride, ready to relaunch the moment a second controller turns up."
"The beat 'em up transcends itself in co-op: pummeling in unison, coordinating specials and reviving each other turn every room into a joint blowout. Facing bosses as a duo adds a layer of strategy that multiplies the fun."
"Two faces greet groups here: Connected mode melds several players' pieces onto one shared board to topple a boss, pure teamwork, while Zone Battle pits minds against each other in nervy duels. Cooperation and competition coexist with rare elegance. Controllers in hand, you string together round after round without tiring, caught between fierce focus and sudden bursts of laughter."
"A creative platformer of irresistible charm, built for four-player local co-op where you help each other through levels packed with traps. Mutual aid takes on a joyful chaos: shoving each other by accident, fluffing a jump together and laughing at the wipeouts is the whole spice of it. The shareable, inexhaustible creation tools extend the fun and make it an endless family playground."
"Co-op becomes the heart of the game: to the two-player campaign, split-screen included, is added Horde mode where five players hold out together against fifty waves of assault. Versus grows richer and still rewards mastery of weapons and ground. Mutual support takes on a new scale here, even if the original online servers are no longer guaranteed."
"The co-op Zombies mode is the heart of the game: together you hold the undead waves on cult maps like Kino der Toten or "Five," where JFK and Nixon lend a hand. The carefully balanced competitive side adds Wager Matches, where you bet your points, and local split-screen revives couch nights. The era's official servers are no longer guaranteed, but the gleeful dread of the hordes stays intact in co-op."
"Sea of Stars lets a friend grab the party members during cooperative combo strikes: a breezy mode where you sync timed attacks with zero pressure, perfect for sharing a corner of the sofa. No rivalry here, just the easy joy of steering the adventure four-handed and nailing those well-timed chains together. Quick to fire up for an impromptu session, even with someone who barely games."
