PixlBit

Multiplayer is awesome! There's nothing like having a bunch of friends over and playing something together, laughing, mocking, and getting competitive. Of course, just because a game is multiplayer does not mean it's good. Some multiplayer games are fun for awhile, but then they get boring. Some are crazy fun and you can't stop playing. Man, I have so many great memories. Let's take a look at gaming's greatest multiplayer series. No, this is certainly not all of them, but these are the most famous of them.

The Street Fighter Series

Street Fighter II was one of the most successful games EVER. It defined the fighting genre and is still considered one of the best games of all time. Two decades later, the SF series is still the most popular fighting series in gaming. Fighting with a friend is awesome; it's even better when you have a whole gang, and you take turns playing. The SF series gave rise to another culture: fighting tournaments! I have to admit, I've never been to one, but any die-hard SF fanatic willl not miss a tournament, facing off against other SF fanatics. In 2012, Capcom had SF tournaments all across the world in honor of the 25th Anniversary, giving away money and an awesome car as the first place prize. When it comes to fighting games, you can't beat SF! 

The Bomberman Series

Bomberman first blew a hole in the gaming market in 1983. The Bomberman series is known for its maze-like structure; the hero must use his bombs to blow up obstacles and enemies without getting caught in his own blast. But the series is also known for its multiplayer. I grew up playing Bomberman 64 and B64: the Second Attack. The multiplayer was fantastic. Four bombermen would run around laying bombs; if your character was killed, you would turn into a ghost and could jump on the other players to harrass them. You could find power ups such as skates to make you go faster or items to increase your bomb's fire power. When time was getting low, the walls would close in or the water would rise. Such tension! It was awesome. Multiplayer is a highlight of all the BM games. BM '93 (TurboGrafx-16) allowed up to five players at once. Bomberman Online (Dreamcast) was released in 2001, and did not even have a single player mode; the whole point was to play with other people via online. Bomberman Tournament (GBA) had incredible multiplayer; four people could hook up and play with just one game card. When it comes to multiplayer, Bomberman rules!

The Mario Kart Series

The first Mario Kart was released in 1992 for SNES, and it had two-player multiplayer. However, the multiplayer really picked up with Mario Kart 64, which introduced four players to the MK formula. I have good memories of my oldest brother playing MK64 with his friends. Racing was fun, but the battle mode was even better! Each MK game retained that sense of fun and charm (MK: Double Dash!! is probably my favorite in the series). MK DS introduced online play to the series and is considered the best game in the series by many fans. MK Wii and MK7 also had online play; a big part of MK is the multiplayer. Whether with friends, or online, there is sure to be tons of fun with MK! Diddy was good, but he fell short. Sonci tried, but it's not the same. When it comes to racing games, this series dominates. 

The Mario Party Series

The first Mario Party was released in 1999 for the N64. It was a unique game for the time, taking a board game approach to the Mario formula. There were several boards to play, but the best part was the mini games. These short games were fast, frantic, and fun. Let's face it, the MP series was made for multiplayer. Who wants to play a MP game by himself? Alone, it's not too exciting, but with friends, what a blast it can be! Of course, they milked the cow dry, so to speak, as they released game after game (currently, we're at NINE Mario Party games!). However, each game is fun in its own right. Many consider MP2 to be the best in the series. MP7 (GCN) allowed for eight players at once! Two people would share a controller and the mini games were simple, but believe me, it was fun! Yes, the series is getting stale, but more than his golf games, tennis games, or any other sports games (except for Mario Kart), Mario is best known for his party games. When it comes to throwing a party, Mario pulls out all the stops (he even invites Bowser!). 

The Super Smash Bros. Series

The first SSB was released for N64 in 1999. Masahiro Sakurai, the man behind the Kirby franchise, came up with a brilliant idea: what if Mario could fight Link? Who would win? Talk about fan service! More than any gaming company, Nintendo had several lovable and well-known characters from many diverse series. Mario, Link, DK, Samus, Fox McCloud, Kirby, Pikachu, even Ness, would all appear in the game. The game was a fighting game, but it was unlike any fighting game you had ever played: instead of a lifebar, your characters would receive damage. The more damage you receive, the farther you would fly off the stage. But you could jump back to the stage! Nothing had ever been seen like this before! Four characters could fight each at the same time! It's success propelled itself right into Super Smash Bros. Melee (2001, GCN). The game had more to offer, and it had been polished to perfection. For years, it sat at the top of the Best-selling GCN game list. Everyone that owned a GCN must have had this game. But then, in 2008, Brawl was finally released. Cancelled twice, this game was highly aticipated by TONS of fans. It was bigger and better than Melee. Nintendo Power gave it a perfect 10 out of 10. Of course, for all of these games, the best part was the multiplayer. Have some friends over, pop in Melee or Brawl, and you won't want to play anything else. These games (all of them) have incredible replay value to this day. Sorry, Playstation All-Stars, but you can't touch this series. When it comes to ultimate fan service, Nintendo knows how to do it. 

The Halo Series

The Halo series really introduced online FPS multiplayer to the masses. It began with Halo 2, which allowed online play through Xbox Live; but Halo 3 was the biggest of them all, offering multiplayer for the campaigne mode, and up to 16 players via wireless play! You could choose to play Deathmatch or Capture the Flag. I really had a lot of fun playing with friends (even though FPSes aren't my forte). The Halo series reached its peak with Halo 3 (although some may disagree with me because of Halo 4). There's nothing like walking around shooting or slicing your friends with a plasma sword. And it was so fun to ride in those vehicles! When it comes to space shooters, Bungie's got us hooked on Halo. 

The Call of Duty Series

Call of Duty was first released in 2003, and it was an FPS based on WWII. While CoD2 was released for Xbox 360, there's no denying that the third game had a much bigger impact. For one thing, CoD3 was released for PS2, PS3, Wii, Xbox, and Xbox 360. Online play was much more broad in CoD3. Of course, multiplayer was big; the PS3 and Xbox 360 allowed for up to 24 players at once. You could fight together as a team, or against one another. I remember when someone would sneak up behind you and take you down quickly with a knife. These multiplayer sessions could get intense. The CoD series is still excelling in great online multiplayer and just all around fantastic games. When it comes to intense war-like action, The Call of Duty series is your best option.