Geek Out: Local Multiplayer is Better

Finally I can talk about video games this week. I can, right? No more comic book news? Fox didn’t just release the X-men rights or anything like that. Marvel didn’t announce that they’re going to use Miles Morales instead of Peter Parker? Ok good. So lets talk about some video games.

Does anyone remember the days when you didn’t need an internet connection to play a game? I know it makes you feel old, but there was a time when a system had 4 controllers ports or you had to buy a multitap in order to fully experience a game. Most game publishers have forgotten what a local multiplayer experience can do, all but Nintendo. Let me say this first, I am not a Nintendo fanboy. Excluding Wind Waker, I can’t stand the Legend Of Zelda series, in my opinion the best Mario games aren’t the main series, but the spinoffs and what the hell is a Pikmin, however in saying that I do enjoy a good Star Fox game every once in a while. With that out of the way, for me personally Nintendo owned 2014. Yeah Bayonetta 2 was good, but Mario Kart 8 and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U(yes that is the full name of the game) were by far the best entries in the game’s respective series’. A lot of people bash Nintendo for its lack of focus on online multiplayer. I myself did and the reason why I did it was because for the life of me I couldn’t understand why they used such a complicated and content lacking online system, until now.

This past Christmas, good ol’ Santa aka Amazon dropped a Wii U on my doorstep. I was indifferent to it , but once I opened the two games I stated above there was no going back. I, my family and friends played those two games way too much. An unhealthy amount of hours went into those two games and the reason why is because Nintendo never forgot how great a local multiplayer experience can be. Now don’t go and start thinking that I’m against online multiplayer because I’m not. I love the fact that I can play Call Of Duty against my cousin via the internet, it’s great, but playing with 3 other people who are all in the same room is just plain better.

Rivalries are formed and arguments break out, but in the end it’s all about having fun. Watching my mom play Mario Kart against her sister, my friend and my two little cousins was hilarious. My mom and my cousins know how to play, but watching my aunt go from terrible to competent all in just a few races was unbelievable. The woman moves her whole body while she plays the game. If shes making a left turn then she turns her whole body left and vice versa. If it helps her then that’s great but to someone who isn’t playing it’s dead funny. Providing me with even more humor was when my aunt and her daughter began to argue over the game. One claiming that the other cheated. To most people they would say that this is the reason why games are bad for you, but for those who think that you are dead wrong. It was a funny and healthy argument that everyone in the room laughed at.

During the winter break my friends would come over and the first game that they would want to play was Mario Kart. These sessions were grossly different from the ones that I had with my family. The sessions were a lot more competitive and the arguments that broke out while still being healthy were a bit more heated. Controllers were almost thrown and people were accused of cheating, but once everything was said and done, laughter and fun always ended the days.

The point of my long rambling isn’t so much on my experience that I had, but with how games should be played and Nintendo is the only company that still understands that. Every company and consumer are so interested in what the online experience is like that they tend to forget how much fun local multiplayer can be. In my opinion video game publishers and developers should look at offering a well-rounded local multiplayer experience and gamers should look at bringing friends to their houses more to play instead of waiting for their friends to get online. The experience is better…trust me.

I’m out!!!!