One Life Left

The past few years have been a rotten time for local multiplayer video games. Big name franchises have been shifting focus to online multiplayer, sometimes dropping their local multiplayer altogether. Last year, when I popped open my brand new copy of SSX for the PS3, I found that EA had decided not to include any kind of local mutiplayer play in this version of the game. This came as a surprise to me, as all the previous versions of the game had included a local competition mode, and it did not seem like its omission added anything to the SSX experience. I played a lot of SSX’s online mode, but it never scratched the same itch.

Fortunately, I can report that the past year has stood witness to a rebirth of the local multiplayer game. Titles like Divekick, Nidhogg, Samurai Gunn and the upcoming Starwhal are providing the kinds of frantic, easy to learn experiences that go off great at parties (or at least at the kind of parties I attend).

First up, Nidhogg: Loosely described as a fencing tug of war game, Nidhogg pits two players armed with swords against one another. Each player is trying to slay their opponent and move past them in order to be eaten by the titular Nidhogg and claim victory. Whoever scored the last kill is the player trying to move to the other side of the screen. To accomplish this goal, players can swordfight their opponents directly, throw their swords at them, punch and kick them, or simply run by. Nidhogg games can get pretty heated, and of all the games listed in this article it is the one that is most prone to Smash Brothers Syndrome (a condition in which one friend gets too good at the game and ruins everyone else’s fun). If you can avoid that dangerous scenario, however, Nidhogg presents a totally unique take on the 1v1 fighting game, and can make for hours of good fun.

Samurai Gunn provides a slightly different experience. While it also involves sword fighting and platforming in a 2D environment, Samurai Gunn operates at a much more insane pace. Allowing up to four players, Samurai Gunn hands each character a sword and a gun with three bullets. Each character receives three new bullets every time they respawn. As one hit is all it takes to slay an opponent, the game play in Samurai Gunn becomes a frantic, screaming mess pretty quickly. With players dying and respawning left and right, and bullets flying across the screen, it can be pretty hard to get used to playing such a high energy game. Once you have a handle on the controls, however, Samurai Gunn is incredibly rewarding. Baiting your friend into swinging too early and jumping past her slash to take her out with one of your own, or successfully getting the drop on another friend just as he finishes off another player is hilariously fun. The manic pace at which the whole game operates and the insanity of its various stages means that even good players can have a bad game, and bad ones can sometimes get into a serious groove. With its simple controls and objectives, and short game times, Samurai Gunn makes for an excellent party game.

Starwhal, the last new game on this list, might be the finest example of a sword fighting game I have ever played. While Nidhogg and Samurai Gunn have actual sword fighting in them, Starwhal simulates the experience so much better. Again allowing for four players, Starwhal casts everyone as narwhals in space. Each narwhal is trying to stab the others in the heart with their tusks. The controls, while simple, take a bit of getting used to. You press a button to move forward, and can swing your tusk left and right to change directions or stab someone’s heart as they move past. You are never in full control of your narwhal, but that doesn’t really matter. The feel of the game is so spot on, and the way the characters flip and wiggle across the screen is alternately amusing and awesome. Flipping over opponents, pulling off successful baits and switches, executing a perfectly timed cross-stage charge—all of these moments make playing Starwhal with a group of friends a fantastically good time. It is a pretty stupid game, the controls are difficult, and that is exactly the way it should be.

All of these games invoke a similar spirit. Each one provides easy to learn, often manic and often loud fun. They are little bottles of joy that you can share with friends, and each has a suite of well-designed mechanics to keep you interested. As they are all indie titles, they also come quite cheap, and Starwhal has a free demo on its website. With these games already out, and titles like Towerfall and Sportsfriends hitting the PC (and the PS3 in the case of Sportsfriends) in the near future, this trend promises to continue for at least a little while longer. So grab yourself some friends and a few beers and have yourselves a rip-roaring good time.