Retro games for 4 players: 30 multiplayer games played locally on PS1, Dreamcast, Saturn, Mega Drive and arcade machines

The 30 games at a glance: PS1, Dreamcast, Saturn, Mega Drive and arcade

PS1 games for 4 players

On PlayStation, the four-player game used a multitap adapter plugged into a controller port. The games that used it became benchmarks for local multiplayer: kart racing, rally, football, party game, turn-based strategy…

1. Crash Team Racing (1999)

The king of karting on PlayStation. In split-screen four-player mode, the races of Crash Team Racing become a real battle of skids, boosts, and bonuses thrown in at the worst possible moment. The Battle mode, in closed arenas, is equally formidable. Our number one recommendation for a PS1 evening with friends.

2. Crash Bash (2000)

A game before time: Crash and his friends compete in dozens of mini-games. Push your opponents off a glacier, repaint the ground to match their color, defend your goals with shots… The games last a few minutes and everyone can win, even beginners.

3. V-Rally 2 (1999)

Developed by the Lyon-based studio Eden, V-Rally 2 was one of the most complete rally games on the PlayStation: dozens of special stages around the world, real championship cars, and even a circuit editor. Its four-player split screen was rare for a racing game of this ambition, and each special stage quickly turns into a hundredth-of-a-second duel.

4. Cochons de Guerre (2000)

Troops of pig soldiers face off in turn on 3D battlefields, using grenades, bazookas and airstrikes. Each player takes turns, the controller can even be passed from hand to hand, and every missed shot triggers the ridicule of the entire sofa. The French version, dubbed by well-known voices from the Guignols de l’info, has done a lot for its cult reputation.

5. FIFA: On the way to the 1998 World Cup (1997)

The World Cup episode in France, released a few months before the competition. All the national teams are involved, with a five-versus-five indoor mode that brings crazy matches. With two multitaps, the PlayStation could accommodate up to eight players: with four, two against two, that’s already a small World Cup in the living room.

6. Micro Machines V3 (1997)

Small cars racing on a kitchen table, a pool table, or a desk. All the players share the same screen, and the one who gets pushed away is eliminated from the round. Tactical, chaotic, and hilarious, Micro Machines V3 even allowed for playing up to eight people on the original console.

7. Worms Armageddon (1999)

Teams of earthworms face off in turn on destructible maps, with a completely insane arsenal: bazooka, sacred grenade, explosive sheep, aerial attack… A single controller is enough, since it changes hands with each turn. The missed shots and the worms that fall into the water guarantee the laughter.

8. Team Buddies (2000)

Small pill-shaped characters stack crates to create weapons, vehicles, and soldiers, then battle in arenas. A unique blend of strategy and action, with a quirky humor. A cult game for those who have experienced it, absolutely worth discovering.

Want to go further on the Sony console? Find our ranking of the best games on the market. 30 best PS1 games.

Dreamcast games for 4 players

The first home console of its generation to include four controller ports, the Dreamcast did not need any adapter to play four games. Its library of games took full advantage of this, from fighting games to tennis and first-person shooters.

9. Power Stone 2 (2000)

A completely free four-player combat game set in environments that move during combat: a fortress that collapses, a ship taking off, a giant pharaoh getting involved. You collect everything that gets dragged along (chairs, cannons, flame throwers) and use the power stones to transform. Chaotic, generous, and immediately fun.

10. Virtua Tennis 2 (2001)

The benchmark of tennis on Dreamcast. The exchanges are quick and precise, and this second episode adds the players from the women’s circuit, allowing for mixed doubles. In four, each holds their racket in doubles and the matches are played on the edge: one of the most accessible and most contested sports of the time.

11. Re-Volt (1999)

Radio-controlled car races in a supermarket, a museum, a residential neighborhood, or a garden. The little vehicles are nervous, the bonuses (rockets, water balloons, electroshocks) rain down, and the four-player split screen works very well. An original alternative to kart games, with a circuit editor as a bonus.

12. Quake III Arena (2000)

The FPS benchmark for arena combat, with weapons that have become legendary (the railgun, the rocket launcher) and crazy gameplay speed. On the Dreamcast, it is played by four players in split-screen mode, each in their own screen area. Short matches, simple rules: the one with the most frags wins.

13. Dead or Alive 2 (2000)

A spectacular 3D fighting game, with multi-level environments where you can project your opponent from one platform to another. Its Tag Battle mode allows for four-player play: two teams of two, one fighter active per team, and you pass the baton to your teammate to chain combos.

Saturn games for 4 players

The Saturn came with a six-player adapter, and two adapters could even be combined. Few games took full advantage of it, but two of them have become true classics of gaming among friends.

14. Saturn Bomberman (1997)

For many fans, the best Bomberman ever released. With two multiplayer adapters, the Saturn could accommodate up to ten players in the same arena, a record. The Battle mode offers dozens of arenas and guest characters, and even with four players, each match ends in screams of joy.

15. Guardian Heroes (1996)

A beat’em all game signed by Treasure, the creators of Gunstar Heroes, mixed with a role-playing game: you gain experience and the story changes according to your choices. The adventure is played in two, but it’s the Versus mode that makes it a game for evenings out, with up to six players competing against all the characters encountered in the story.

Mega Drive games for 4 players

The Mega Drive also had its own 4-player adapters (the Team Player from Sega and the 4 Way Play from Electronic Arts), and Codemasters even slipped two extra controller ports into some cartridges. Here are the games that made the most of them.

16. Mega Bomberman (1994)

The Bomberman Battle mode is perhaps the best multiplayer game of all time: placing bombs, trapping your opponents, collecting bonuses, and surviving to the end. Mega Bomberman adds mounts that grant special powers. A game only lasts two minutes, but you always always «do one last one».

17. Micro Machines 2: Turbo Tournament (1994)

Codemasters had found a brilliant trick: a cartridge equipped with two additional controller ports, for playing with four people without an adapter. Circuits on breakfast tables, in offices or in the garden: collisions and low-impact hits: the Micro Machines formula at its best on the Sega console.

18. Gauntlet IV (1993)

More than just a simple adaptation of the arcade game Gauntlet, Gauntlet IV adds a quest-like mode with quests to explore, experience to gain, and equipment to buy. The Arcade mode remains faithful to the original, and the Battle mode transforms the dungeons into arenas. Four players—warrior, walker, wizard, and elf—must learn to share the food… or not.

19. General Chaos (1993)

Two generals, Chaos and Havoc, face off with their squads of soldiers in real-time battles full of humor. In four-player mode, each player commands a soldier, and the one-on-one combat always ends in joyous carnage. A little-known gem from the Mega Drive.

20. FIFA International Soccer (1993)

The very first FIFA, the one that launched the series. Its isometric view, its controlled dribbles and stadium atmospheres clashed with the football games of the time. Up to four players could be split between the two teams: in two-on-two matches, the games quickly became a matter of honor between friends.

To discover the rest of Sega's library, check out our top list. 25 best Mega Drive games.

4-player arcade games

Arcade is the realm of multiplayer gaming. The four-player consoles from Konami, Data East, or Midway were a huge hit in arcades, and they remain the easiest games to share with friends, even for non-gamers.

21. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1989)

The game that caused a queue in every arcade. Each player chooses their own turtle (Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello or Raphael) to save April O'Neil from the clutches of Shredder and Krang. Faithful to the cartoon's visuals and digitized voices, there are pizza slices to replenish your strength: this is the ultimate co-op beat'em all game, perfect for a first night of retro gaming.

22. The Simpsons (1991)

Homer, Marge, Bart and Lisa set out to catch up with Smithers, who has kidnapped Maggie. Each has their own weapon: the vacuum cleaner for Marge, the skateboard for Bart, the skipping rope for Lisa. The two-character combos (Homer and Marge riding together against the enemies) and the series’ humor make it one of the funniest games in the arcade.

23. X-Men (1992)

The X-Men stage was a monster: two screens side by side and six players at the same time. Cyclope, Colossus, Wolverine, Tornado, Diablo and Dazzler face off against the Sentinels and Magneto in continuous action. The four-player version is just as fun, and Magneto’s welcome has become a cult among fans.

24. Sunset Riders (1991)

A run-and-gun Western adventure, with bounty hunters, horsemen and saloons. Steve, Billy, Bob and Cormano hunt down the most wanted bandits in the West to collect their reward. Fast-paced action, colorful bosses and cult-like lines: a game of rare generosity, absolutely worth trying with four players.

25. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time (1991)

The sequel is even better. Shredder steals the Statue of Liberty and sends the turtles through time: prehistory, pirate ship, Far West, future… The attacks are more varied, the levels more inventive, and the four-player game is a real festival. If you only had to keep one beat’em all, it would probably be this one.

26. Captain America and the Avengers (1991)

Captain America, Iron Man, The Eye of Hawk and Vision unite their forces against Red Skull. Each hero has his own style (Cap’s shield, Iron Man’s rays, The Eye of Hawk’s arrows), and flight phases in a shoot’em up add variety to the gameplay. The appearances of many Marvel characters and the digitized voices make it a colorful beat’em all, ideal for four players.

27. Gauntlet (1985)

The ancestor of all cooperative games. Warrior, Walkyrie, Wizard and Elf explore infested dungeons while their health decreases continuously. Food is vital, and beware of those who destroy it by mistake with a poorly aimed shot… Simple, strategic and perfect for testing teamwork (and friendships). Its sequel on the Mega Drive, Gauntlet IV, is presented above.

28. Crime Fighters (1989)

Less well known than the Ninja Turtles, this urban beat’em all game from Konami also plays with four players. Punching, kicking, weapons picked up on the street: the action is immediate and without downtime. A good way to prolong the evening once the classic games are over.

29. WWF WrestleFest (1991)

The 90s catch in all its glory. In tag team matches of two against two or in the chaos of the Royal Rumble mode, WrestleFest brings together the stars of the time in a game that’s immediately fun. Spectacular moves, exits from the ring, and folding chairs: ideal for entertaining a party.

30. NBA Jam (1993)

From two-on-two basketball with impossible dunks, players who catch fire after three shots («He’s on fire!»), and zero whistles. NBA Jam is played cooperatively or head-to-head, and every match ends in cheers. One of the most unifying sports games ever created.

Our tips for a successful retro evening

• Start with the arcade The four-player beat’em all games (Ninja Turtles, Simpsons, X-Men) are easy to pick up in a few seconds, even for those who have never played before.
• Alternate between cooperation and duelling : a Ninja Turtles game to bring the team together, then a Bomberman or Crash Team Racing to settle scores.
• Bet on short games Crash Bash, Bomberman or NBA Jam allow you to use the controllers if there are more than four of you.
• Keep a game at a turn-by-turn basis With Worms Armageddon or Cochons de Guerre, just one controller is enough and no one waits long for their turn.
• Plan for four identical controllers No one wants to inherit a controller that malfunctions at the crucial moment.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best retro 4-player game?

It all depends on the atmosphere sought. In cooperation, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time remains a sure bet; for competition, Crash Team Racing, Power Stone 2 and Bomberman (on the Mega Drive and the Saturn) are unbeatable.

Which PS1 games can be played with 4 players?

With the multitap, many PlayStation games can be played with four players: Crash Team Racing, Crash Bash, V-Rally 2, FIFA 98, War Pigs, Worms Armageddon, Micro Machines V3 and Team Buddies are among the best.

Which Dreamcast games can be played with 4 players?

The Dreamcast has four built-in controller ports, which has given rise to many four-player games: Power Stone 2, Virtua Tennis 2, Re-Volt, Quake III Arena and Dead or Alive 2 (in Tag Battle mode) are among the best.

Which Mega Drive games can be played with 4 players?

Mega Bomberman, Micro Machines 2, Gauntlet IV, General Chaos and FIFA International Soccer are a must-have. Depending on the game, you needed the Team Player adapter from Sega, the 4 Way Play from EA or a J-Cart cartridge from Codemasters.

How to play 4 players on a retro console?

On the original consoles, an adapter was often required (multitap on PlayStation, 4-player adapter on Mega Drive, six-player adapter on Saturn), in addition to four controllers. Only the Dreamcast had four built-in ports. Current retro consoles like the GearMaster directly handle four-player gaming: you just plug in four controllers.

Which retro games can you play with children?

Crash Bash, Crash Team Racing, Mega Bomberman and Ninja Turtles are easy to pick up and suitable for younger players. They allow families to spend time together without beginners feeling lost.