Since the early days of gaming, people have been trying to figure out the best ways for friends to play together. This is evident in all the excellent multiplayer games from 8-bit and 16-bit consoles. Before becoming a third-party publisher, Sega had its fair share of intensely enjoyable multiplayer titles.
The games below all live on in the memory of older gamers who were loyal to the Sega console line. By the time the Dreamcast came around, some titles were even letting players jump online. Though all these titles are more than 20 years old, modern gamers can still find a lot of joy from their multiplayer modes. The Master System has no titles on this list, but a couple of the Genesis games here are also on Sega's first home console.
9 Power Stone — Dreamcast
While Super Smash Bros. is the absolute king of party brawlers, the Dreamcast had Power Stone for an opportunity to beat up their friends in virtual combat. Unlike many other fighting games of the time, players and their buddies could battle it out in fully 3D environments.
It wasn't until the sequel that four players could battle it out at the same time, however. For those who don't have a Dreamcast, the game was re-released on the PSP in 2006, allowing a legion of new players to try it out.
8 Streets Of Rage — Genesis
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Beat 'em ups were some of the most fun gamers could have with cooperative multiplayer in the early 90s. Part of their appeal is how easy they are to understand.
Of all the brawlers out there in the era, Streets of Rage was the king of them all. The three Genesis games are short, but infinitely replayable. 2020 saw the release of a fourth game in the series, Streets of Rage 4. This game was a magnificent return to what made 90s brawlers so incredible.
7 SoulCalibur — Dreamcast
The Dreamcast not only had unique exclusives like Shenmue; it also was home to some of the finest home ports of arcade games during the time. SoulCalibur was a prime example of this.
The port was so good, it was easy to justify staying home and playing the game instead of feeding quarters into a cabinet. Its score of 98 on Metacritic makes SoulCalibur one of the best-reviewed games of all time. SoulCalibur is actually the second game in the series. 1995's Soul Edge is the first title, though it is not as highly regarded as SoulCalibur.
6 Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine
In Japan, this is the first Puyo Puyo game. For western audiences, the game was renamed and soaked in the Sonic aesthetic. Genesis owners were happy to have a puzzle game like Dr. Mario or Tetris available on their own console.
The Puyo Puyo games eventually dropped the Dr. Robotnik name in the west, and the series still lives on to this day. Most recently, it teamed up with another legendary puzzle game for the Puyo Puyo Tetris series.
5 Saturn Bomberman — Sega Saturn
Bomberman has had nearly countless entries over the decades. The core gameplay generally remains the same, but it is a timeless formula. Saturn Bomberman earns a place on this list for one particularly exceptional feature.
Using two multitaps, up to ten people can participate in a single battle. It is a lot of chaos for one television screen to handle, but the fact it is even an option is something commendable.
4 Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 — Dreamcast
There is a whole series of crossover fighting games from Capcom. These games came out on both arcades and consoles. Marvel Vs. Capcom is particularly legendary, with its sequel only heightening the hype for the franchise.
With more than 50 characters in the roster, there is almost everybody that fans of either franchise could want in such a title. Though sequels have come out since Marvel Vs. Capcom 2, most are still enamored with the second game in this series.
3 Contra: Hard Corps — Genesis
Contra games were generally associated with the older Nintendo consoles, but Sega received its own exclusive game in the series. What's more, it's one of the most beloved.
Contra: Hard Corps is not just any entry in the franchise; it is often considered one of the finest the series ever produced, on par with Contra 3 for the SNES. Like most of the other entries in the franchise, it is fully playable cooperatively.
2 Virtua Cop — Sega Saturn
It is not always easy to bring certain arcade games to home consoles. Light gun games in particular often have a hard time when brought over to the living room. Fortunately, the conversion of Virtua Cop was pulled off excellently.
Players can use a light gun peripheral for a more faithful arcade experience, but the controller works just fine as well. Of course, light gun games are always better with a friend by one's side, and this one is no exception. It works best as a multiplayer game.
1 Phantasy Star Online — Dreamcast
While not truly an MMORPG by the modern definition of the word, Phantasy Star Online was an incredibly deep online RPG experience at a time when such a thing was nonexistent on consoles. It paved the way for the MMO genre as gamers know it today.
The Dreamcast was one of the first consoles with the ability to connect to the Internet, beating out the PS2 by several years. Servers have long since closed down for the game, but fans keep it alive. The sequel, Phantasy Star Online 2, came out in Japan in 2012, but only came to western gamers in 2020.