It does not matter which game it is. If someone has company to play something with, they are definitely getting more laughs and more fun – especially if you are talking about an experience that was designed to be shared.
Nintendois one of the publishers best known for creating amazing games that can be even better when played together. If you have ever owned one of their consoles, you have probably spent many afternoons after school or birthday parties with friends and family around controllers – either racing, kicking each other’s butts, coming up with strategies, and so on.
10 Best Co-Op Games For Beginners
Looking to play with a friend who may not be as experienced in gaming? Check out these beginner co-op games.
I remember that I was so obsessed with co-op experiences on my Nintendo 64 that I even “forced” some single-player games to become multiplayer in some way. I mean, a fishing competition inThe Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, handing over the controller to the next player? Sure! Why not?
Having grown up with experiences like that makes the kid inside me burst with joy whenever Nintendo decides to launch a new game with a cooperative option, because it means reliving these emotions again.
So, inspired by our deep passion for sharing, let us take a look at the 10 best first-party Nintendo games that support co-op.
10The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and Four Swords
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and Four Swords
As soon asThe Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and Four Swords, a re-release of the classic A Link to the Past with a new multiplayer experience, was released in 2002, many people were confused and thought:“What is Nintendo thinking?”. Decades later, I can tell you that they were thinking about the future, since now is the perfect time to give this baby a chance.
At that time, the internet was not as widespread as today. So, having a multiplayer game was not that easy and required multiple GBA systems and link cables to work.
Its story and gameplay were creative and quirky, though, following Link and three of his clones through a series of puzzle-guided dungeons, while competing to collect rupees. Imagine just being able to run around Hyrule, cut a lot of grass, and annoy as many cuckoos as you want – with your best buddies?
The idea is great, but it was not at all accessible to play. And despite being acclaimed by critics and fans who gave it a try at the time, the game was not appreciated as it should have been.
Luckily for us, now we can enjoy Four Swords at its fullest, since it isavailable on Nintendo Switch Onlinewith online connectivity. Just go for it! It is one of the most fun and different co-op Nintendo experiences you will ever get.
9Super Mario Maker 2
Property Brothers
Super Mario Maker 2
If you are looking for a non-traditional co-op experience, your search is over.Super Mario Maker 2features levels designed for cooperative play, and players can also work together to create their own levels. You basically get to be Shigeru Miyamoto for one day. How awesome is that?
Unfortunately, there are a couple of downsides to it: you need an active subscription to Nintendo Switch Online to enjoy its online courses, and its search bar is a little broken.
Have in mind, though, that it can get a bit experimental and chaotic, since we are talking about levels that are created by other players, so you can expect many crazy challenges – which, in fact, are the greatest charm of this experience.
8Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Co-op By Essence
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
I know. You got me. This is not a co-op game – not by standard, at least. But I bet that you can not deny thatAnimal Crossing: New Horizons’ true essence relies on sharing your town, experiences, and turnips (for the right price, of course) with another player.
Its gameplay loop revolves around daily activities on an island that you can call your own. You name it, you organize it, you decorate it, you decide who stays, and so on.
Also, exploration is an important part of the experience, since it is possible to find different seasonal events around town, collect exclusive fruits, meet eccentric villagers, catch rare fish and bugs for the museum, buy furniture for your house – all tied to real-time progression.
The best part, though, is when you get to let someone visit your island and see all the effort you put into the place. you may walk side by side, exchange items and fruits, trade tips, have a drink at your house, or just hang out. If you’re playing locally, a buddy can even move onto your same island, which leads to many more hijinks to be had.
It is a great and creative way not only to share your experience in Animal Crossing with another player, but maybe reconnect with an old friend that you have not spoken to in a while. Why an online call when you get to negotiate pears and apples?
7Luigi’s Mansion 3
Spooky Together
Luigi’s Mansion 3
Getting scared together can also be a lot of fun, andLuigi’s Mansion 3is the living proof of that, since it has a fully fleshed, phantasmagoric mode for two players.
Its story is quite simple: Luigi’s friends are trapped in paintings by King Boo in a luxurious hotel called The Last Resort, and it is up to him to save the day with his vacuuming abilities. But, fortunately, he does not need to do it alone.
If the player so desires, he can summon Professor E. Gadd’s most recent invention, Gooigi (basically a gooey clone of Luigi), to be the second player. He has all the same abilities as the protagonist, but can not touch water. So both players need to think together on strategies to solve each puzzle.
Playing it as a cooperative experience is really fun and even accessible to non-gamers. Its commands are simple and easy to master, and cooperation is required more often than not, so no one ends up feeling useless – quite the contrary. Discussing solutions together is an important part of the game.
There is a small downside, though. Gooigi is only unlocked after the first few floors, which takes around an hour, but it can be less if you do not waste time. Every other level is available in co-op, and I dare to say that some boss fights are even better when defeated together.
6Nintendo Switch Sports
Nintendo Switch Sports
Building onWii Sports’ legacy,Nintendo Switch Sportsis a way of playing sports with friends without getting outside your house – which may not sound that healthy, but at least is pretty fun.
You can play up to four players locally (or eight players online), and pick from seven different mini-game sports, such as badminton, bowling, golf, tennis, swordplay, volleyball, and even soccer (or “football”, if that offends you, sorry).
On the latter one, players can even use a leg strap to kick and score goals, which probably led Nintendo’s marketing department to invest more than ever in warnings to avoid the classic accident of the controller flying into the television screen.
That said, Switch Sports is great to “pick up and play”, since it has intuitive motion controllers, making the experience accessible to literally anyone: any age, non-gamers, and people with disabilities. Just beware, because a simple “five minutes more” can quickly turn into hours.
It is important, though, to highlight some downsides, such as having a “battle pass” to unlock cosmetics and requiring you to buy an online subscription to play online. But believe me, order some pizza, forget about your bills, and just play a few matches of volleyball with friends – I guarantee you will have lots of fun.
5Super Mario Bros. Wonder
Platformer Chaos
Super Mario Bros. Wonder
Okay, I need to get something off my chest first.Super Mario Bros. Wonderis a fantastic2D platformer, where every stage is a unique experience that keeps you smiling from beginning to end – and its co-op mode adds absolute chaos and tons of laughs to it.
Allowing up to four players to play (local or online) through all the stages, the co-op mode works in quite a straightforward way: you need to progress at the same pace, sharing a pool of lives and power-ups. Sounds easy? Think again.
Its camera is focused only on one player, meaning that the other constantly needs to keep up, otherwise it ruins the platforming. So, forget about being precise all the time. What you truly need is team cooperation to overcome obstacles (literally) together, which adds a different dynamic to the game.
That transforms Super Mario Bros. Wonder into a more difficult experience, but a lot more fun if you are looking for a little co-op challenge, especially if you are competitive and have another buddy like you nearby.
Also, a plus is that everyone can play with any character they prefer, including Mario (well, obviously), Peach, Toad, Toadette, Nabbit, and even four different colored Yoshis. By the way, a pro tip: make a friend pick Yoshi and ride on his back to catch a ride – pure magic.
4Pikmin 3 Deluxe
Somehow, Louie Returned
Pikmin 3 Deluxe
Pikminis by far myfavorite RTS of all time, since it is so different from what we usually expect from the genre – a quirky, colorful setting instead of a dark, realistic one. And I can not describe how happy I was when they released a co-op mode withPikmin 3 Deluxe.
You and a friend can play together in the main campaign for the game, which follows the story of a three-crew team that was sent to an alien planet to find food, but ends up crashing and getting separated.
It is up to you (and your pal) to reunite them, fix their ship, and also find enough food before returning home. For that, you need to gather as many Pikmin as you can, retrieve every ship part and fruit that appears on the way, and even defeat scary bosses.
What I love about it is that the co-op mode was very well-thought-out, since there are moments where having a buddy makes the game easier, but there are other moments that actually become harder. For example, two whistles for the same Pikmin can get a little chaotic in the heat of a battle.
That said, the stages’ dynamic frequently changes, not only keeping players from getting bored, but on the edge of their seats all the time.
3Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
A Modern Classic
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Mario Kart 8 Deluxeis not only the best-selling game on the Nintendo Switch 1, but the onlyMario Kartgame that we have ever seen anyone get sick of or have trouble playing it at a friend or family gathering. Ever.
That said, it is a Mario Kart that truly excels at mixing nostalgia and innovative elements, refining what we love the most about this racing franchise, and keeping it accessible and fun to every player. It has responsive controls and precise drift mechanics to please veterans, but its balance between luck and skill maintains everything exciting for everyone, no matter their abilities.
10 Most Underrated Mario Kart Tracks, Ranked
These Mario Kart tracks deserve a few extra laps.
Also, a big plus is the game’s vibrant, colorful aesthetics and anti-gravity effects, which add a fantastic feel while driving and dodging green shells on the most different, crazy tracks.
But I have got to confess that what kept Mario Kart 8 Deluxe away from the a higher spot on the podium of this list is that the competitive modes are even more fun than the cooperative ones.
2Super Mario Party Jamboree
Completely Jamboreezed
Super Mario Party Jamboree
TheMario Partyfranchise is always a great way to reunite friends and family in a board-game experience, but in a video game – and, maybe, start a fight about bonus stars at the end of it. Who knows?
Jokes aside,Super Mario Party Jamboreeis an excellent and incredibly fun party game that is literally everything that I asked for in this saga.
It has an online option, more than a hundred mini-games (!!!), different gaming modes, a wide variety of boards, and, most importantly, the classic Western Land map fromMario Party 2. Oh, how I missed this one.
10 Best Games To Play With Randomizers
Randomizers are a great way to squeeze more playtime out of great games, and these randomizers in particular are awesome shake-ups.
Also, there is an alternative mode called “Pro Rules”, which makes everything more strategic and less about luck – if you hate event spaces as much as I do. It is perfect for players who want to give a little competitive spice to it.
Jamboree is definitely the definitive experience for a Mario Party fan, and being able to play locally or online with friends is super fun.
1Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury
Super Mario 3D World
I have to say that I was not the biggest Wii U player back in the day, butSuper Mario 3D Worldwas my favorite game on the platform. I played it alone, though, and it was asolid single-player Mario experience. Definitely, a 10 out of 10 for me.
But then it was launched on Nintendo Switch 1, and all I heard about it was its co-op mode that allows for up to four players, which made me interested in replaying it. So I got myself a copy, invited a friend online, and got to relive the experience – which resulted in some of the most fulfilling moments I ever had with a cooperative game by Nintendo.
The game is designed with co-op in mind, and you may feel that with how all playable characters have their own unique abilities, making each playthrough of each level distinct. Mario is the most balanced one, Luigi excels at jumping higher, Peach can float in the air, Toad is surprisingly fast, and Rosalina can spin attack – that makes each player use the other person’s abilities to their advantage, bringing a whole other dynamic to the table.
Another plus is that the game is accompanied by Bowser’s Fury on the Switch, which also has a co-op mode, despite being more limited and local only – in a similar way toSuper Mario OdysseyandSuper Mario Galaxy 2.
A second player can join in as Bowser Jr. to assist Mario, attacking foes and even flying away, but that is about it. It is not a full game, but a nice addition. So, by the end of the day,Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Furyis the absolute must-play for co-op lovers.
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Just because Mario himself isn’t in the game doesn’t mean it’s not a Mario game.
