Summary
There are so many ways for gamers to play with each other these days through online multiplayer systems that it is easy to forget about the days when the option was much less frequent and gamers trying to play with each other had to be in the same room. However, back in the old days of the video gaming industry, there were a number of great options for cooperative play.
Three is an odd number, and most games that worked cooperatively for three players could just as easily be played with four. But some ofthe very best retro cooperative gamesworked extremely well with a couple of friends along for the ride.
6Secret Of Mana
One of the best-remembered andmost beloved games of the 90s,Secret of Manais a classic high-fantasy adventure that was originally released in America asFinal Fantasy Adventure. This game followed three adventurers trying to prevent an evil empire from taking over the entire world with their flying fortress, just one of thegreat stories from theManafranchise.
Three boys from a small village enter a forbidden area and one finds a forgotten sword, but raising it unleashes monsters in nearby villages. Joined by a fairy and a girl, three players can play together because of the Super Multitap accessory for the SNES.Secret of Manamanaged to be the perfect game for three players while still being highly enjoyable in a single-player capacity. It remains one of themost must-play games from the SNES era.
5Alien Vs. Predator
Long before the franchises ever clashed on the big screen,AlienandPredatorwent to war in 1994’sAlien Vs. Predator. Released for the CPS-2 arcade system, this game still plays well today, albeit with fairly simple controls that merely allow players to move, shoot, melee, and jump. Still, there are few games from that time that are so well-built specifically for three players.
Up to three friends could join together to play as three of four available characters. Two were cybernetically-enhanced humans and the other two were Predators. The players had to work together to defeat Aliens, including an Alien Queen on multiple occasions, and also humans who had helped the Alien invasion of Earth come to pass. The strangely convoluted plot aside,Alien vs. Predatorwas a great crossover and a fantastically fun arcade game for three players.
4Trine
Not as distantly retro as some other available games, but theTrineseries is one of the best gaming franchises for three players to tackle together that there has ever been. The first game in this franchise was a side-scrolling 2D puzzle platformer with action elements, where players had to use the various skills of a thief, a knight, and a wizard in order to solve puzzles.
The great thing aboutTrinewas a single player could progress by switching characters, or three players could join together, with each taking one of the roles. The franchise is much beloved,particularlyTrine 2andTrine 4, making this franchise a clear winner for a group of three looking to find a fun game that contains puzzle elements that sometimes require critical thinking.
3Three Dirty Dwarves
An unusual but very fun beat-em-up gamereleased for the Sega Saturn in 1996,Three Dirty Dwarvesfocused on children imprisoned by General Briggs, who took control of their favorite video game dwarves and guided them to a portal that led to the real world. Plot aside, the gameplay was a classic beat-up game for up to three players, and it was truly great.
Dwarves went down easily, sometimes after only a single hit, but they could be revived by another player. This made the game not only easier with friends but almost made them necessities for players to progress.Three Dirty Dwarvesmay never have been popular enough to turn into a franchise, but it still plays great today and is perfect for three players.
2Beast Busters
Beast Busterswas the first ever rail shooter game that three players could partake in. Released in 1989, this horror game was a first in several ways and provided a great deal of fun that it still manages today.The rail shooter never truly goes out of style, andBeast Bustersis still tremendous fun if players can find a place to give it a go.
Up to three players each take control of one of the militiamen, who are all attempting to fight their way out of a city filled with the undead.Beast Bustersdebuted on an arcade machine that came with three guns, making it incredibly original for its time and allowing players to have each other’s backs in a very fun way.
1Rampage World Tour
An arcade game that got several releases and ports across other devices,Rampage World Tourwas a sequel to the originalRampagearcade game that allowed three players to join in the action. Released originally in 1997, players had to work together to destroy every building in each stage, taking control of giant creatures that would literally rampage around, fighting the military and trying not to get taken down by them.
Later turned into a film starring Dwayne Johnson, theRampagegames have been mostly forgotten, butRampage World Tourwas by far the best example of one of these games that required co-op among three players to be successful. There may not be many games quite as perfect for three players to revisit from classic eras like this one.
