Anyone who grew up in the 80s and 90s, and perhaps even a bit of the early 2000s, knew the joy of local co-op. They may have distinct memories of their first time at home, at a friend’s house, or at the arcade, enjoying a game with a sibling or friend — not as a versus tournament, but as a cooperative experience.
Thanks to new consoles, the Internet, and technology as a whole, co-op is better now than it has ever been before. Anyone from around the world can team up in big games like Borderlands 4 or Diablo 4 online, or even in couch co-op locally. Those games would not be what they are today without these co-op experiences paving the way forward for a specific series of genres.
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Double Dragon
Beat ‘Em Ups Are Born
Double Dragon
- Released
- April 22, 1987
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Beat 'Em Up
- Co-Op Options: Two Local
Double Dragon was not the first beat ‘em up game, but it is regarded as the first one to add two-player co-op. For anyone who knows brawlers, this significantly changed the genre forever, and it became a mainstay in arcades starting in the late 80s and throughout the 90s.
Companies tried to outdo the concept constantly, with the perfect example being the X-Men arcade game, which featured six-player co-op. Importance aside, players can still have a good time with the arcade version of Double Dragon, specifically as it is not as broken as the ports like on the NES.
Diablo
Hell Yes!
Diablo
- Released
- January 3, 1997
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ // Animated Blood and Gore, Animated Violence
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
- Co-Op Options: Four Online/LAN
Diablo transformed the top-down action RPG for the better with its transformative loot system. With multiple classes to choose from, four players could connect and explore dungeons together. It’s a bit archaic now compared to its sequels, but the Diablo games would not be where they are without the original. Also, looter RPGs have since blossomed into a genre that many have tried to copy. There has been some success on that front, but Blizzard’s take on the idea will always be number one.
Monster Hunter
Japan Finds A New Passion
Monster Hunter
- Released
- September 21, 2004
- ESRB
- Teen // Blood, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
- Co-Op Options: Four Online
Monster Hunter launched on the PlayStation 2 in 2004 and was an immediate hit in Japan, but was a niche action game elsewhere. It was a four-player online action game that was all about hunting boss-like monsters, which was a novel concept that led to Monster Hunter clones.
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It started as a phenomenon in Japan between the PS2 version and later portable versions on systems like the PSP and 3DS, but the franchise is now more widely appreciated. That’s the great thing about the series. Each entry seems to be bigger than the last, with the co-op options becoming greater too, as this first entry was a bit limiting on the PS2.
Gears Of War
Bringing Cover To Shooters
Gears of War
- Released
- November 7, 2006
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- m
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter
- Co-Op Options: Two Local/Online
Gears of War did a few innovative things for shooters, including adding two-player co-op to the campaign. Beyond the campaign, which was added in each new entry, players could also engage in a five-player co-op match online called Horde Mode. This mode was basically five players trying to survive waves of enemies, a mode that inspired many other multiplayer game types. Finally, the thing that was truly innovative was the cover system, which worked well in any mode and felt great as a third-person shooter.
Rock Band
Battle Of The Bands
Rock Band
- Released
- November 20, 2007
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T
- Genre(s)
- Rhythm, Music
- Co-Op Options: Four Local/Online
Guitar Hero evolved the music genre that remained big in arcades, but Rock Band revolutionized it. The best setup was definitely playing locally with a group of friends and just jamming away on some of the best rock, pop, and metal songs of all time. Players could get on guitar, bass, drums, or the mic and absolutely bring the house down. The third game even got a keyboard controller. The music genre blossomed for a while but eventually died out, but Rock Band is still a definitive part of co-op history.
Left 4 Dead
Horror Is No Longer Just For Solo Players
Left 4 Dead
- Released
- November 17, 2008
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- m
- Genre(s)
- FPS
- Co-Op Options: Two Local/Four Online
Resident Evil helped establish the horror genre, and for a long time, horror games were a singular experience. Things are often more frightening alone, so it made sense. Left 4 Dead changed that by creating a compelling four-player first-person horror shooter wherein the zombies were fierce and unrelenting.
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Couch co-op fans had options too. PC and Xbox 360 players could not get enough, and thanks to this game’s glowing reviews and player count, other horror franchises started to experiment with co-op, including Resident Evil. The co-op horror genre as we know it may not exist without Left 4 Dead.
New Super Mario Bros. Wii
Mario Gets A 4-Up
New Super Mario Bros. Wii
- Released
- November 15, 2009
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- e
- Genre(s)
- Platformer
- Co-Op Options: Four Local
The Mario games started with two players as an option, but it only allowed partners to swap between deaths. When the series made the jump to 3D, the 2D games were dead for ages until the DS revitalized the idea in 2006 with New Super Mario Bros., which was successful enough to pave the way forward for New Super Mario Bros. Wii.
This was the first mainline Mario game to offer not just two-player co-op, but four-player co-op, and the game sold incredibly well. It wasn’t the first four-player 2D platformer, but its success definitely changed Nintendo. Now, there are a handful of 2D and even 3D Mario co-op games.
Borderlands
The Looter-Shooter Is Born
Borderlands
- Released
- October 20, 2009
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- m
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, FPS
- Co-Op Options: Two Local/Four Online
The first Borderlands may not hold up as strongly as its direct sequel or any other entry in the series, as the franchise has evolved greatly since 2009. However, no one can deny the importance of what it did for shooters.
Borderlands added RPG elements such as leveling up and classes via premade characters. It was basically an evolution of the Diablo looter concept, except with wild amounts of guns instead of melee weapons. Four players could team up online for the lengthy campaign, along with splitscreen couch co-op on consoles.
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