4-player games

[ducky123]

I just noticed when I played Dungeons & Dragons: SoM with 4 players that it's a complete mess on the screen. Everyone is just bashing the buttons mindlessly on the side and the enemies dont even have time to retaliate. Is this why I rarely see 4 player arcade games around? They turn all the 4 player games outside to only 2 players.

It's like you can't even lose. The enemies are too dumb to fight back against 4 players bashing buttons on the corners, once they get up they get knocked down again.

Anyone get the same conclusion tat is kinda cheating? I only tried it once. So, enlighten me if im wrong.

[paigeoliver]

I dunno, about half the people here insist on building 4-player cabinets. I never understood that. I have been hanging out in arcades pretty much my entire life, and there are NEVER 4 people on a 4 player machine. I am not even sure if I have ever seen 3 people on one.

Yet when asked about it, they all claim that having 4 players is very important, because playing those 4 player games was what they did back in the day.

What arcades were these people going to? Certainly none that I went to.

[Apollo]

Only game I ever played with more than 2 was Gauntlet and even that was almost always 3 not 4.

[Cisco Kid]

I definitely remember playing Gauntlet with for people ... second 4 player game for me (my first was Demolition Derby four-player stand-around table ... man that was a blast ... hehe)

TMNT and NBA Jam always seemed to have 4 people playing it.

... for some darn reason ... the Simpsons normally was usually one player ... weird ... and if that wasn't weird enough ... my arcade had the 6 player version of X-Men but Mortal Komabt killed the earnings on that game ... no one really payed all that much attention to it other than the diehard marvel fans ... it was lucky to have one person playing it (being across from the MK cabinet probably didn't help things either)

[paigeoliver]

Well, the Simpsons games (and everything else on that hardware) ramped up in difficulty as you added players. 4 Players on that puts a zillion enemies on the screen, it is more confusing than it is fun.

Never played Turtles with more than 2 players, and the only times I even did that was when I had my own TMNT machine (4-player boardset, but in a 2player cabinet).

Your NBA Jam mention did a spark a memory, I think have seen that going with all 4 players at once.

The 4 player cocktail games are a different beast altogether. Nobody (that I know of) has made any cabinets that can handle Atari Football, Quadrapong, Sprint 4, Demo Derby, Dunk Shot, Warlords, or that soccer game whose name escapes me at the moment. Those were all much better 4-player games because you weren't crammed up against the other players, and they weren't beat em ups,which scale badly with multiple players in my opinion.

[unclet]

I built my cabinet with 4 joysticks so I could play two player Karate Champ (each player uses two joysticks each).   Greatest game as a kid.    

I think someone mentioned Smash TV as well, but I have not tried that game yet.   There might be other's.

[paigeoliver]

Smash TV is a lot like Robtron, except with better graphics, 2 player action, and it isn't nearly as fun. Robotron has so much more interesting pacing than SmashTV.

Robotron starts off with all the enemies on the screen at once (sometimes over 100 of them). While SmashTV starts out with a much smaller amount of enemies onscreen that it trys to keep constant by having new enemies come in.

Basically, Smash TV is much easier (except for the boss characters, but Robotron doesn't need those since every stage past level 4 is a nightmare).

[Lilwolf]

I play more 4player then 2player... but thats when my kids have parties... they always crowd around it..

But I kick so much ass in all fighting games... I pity the fool who tries to defeat me!

So nobody plays me anymore... sigh...

[jerryjanis]

As a kid, I'd go to the arcade with friends and we'd play the games together.  Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Simpsons...  I'd say that there were always 3 or 4 of us playing at a time.  It was a blast back then.

These days when I play Turtles, I'm flabbergasted at how weak the game is, and how many hundreds of virtual quarters is takes to beat those games.  In fact, I like to play it as much as I can because it feels like I'm stealing some of my childhood quarters back.

[IceCold]

I've sometimes felt the need to have a 4 player cab.  I had a couple people come over, and 1 person ended up having to use a gravis gamepad pro USB and somebody else had to play something else(playstation) while the other people played arcade.  If I had a 4 player cab, that wouldn't have happened.  I'm thinking about making a big 4 player cab, with a 25 or 27 inch tv in it after I finish my current cab.

[mastahkaz]

If i built a cab it would be 4 player.  I have quite a few 4 player compatible boards + lots of friends who want to play = need a 4 player cabinet.  

[TalkingOctopus]

D&D:Tower of doom is a better 4 player game than its sequel.  Try upping the difficulty level to the highest (almost every arcade I've encountered has the difficulty upped anyway).  

Also, I just wanted to point out that 4-player control panels are also useful for the large class of 3 player games.  

[JackTucky]

I built my cabinet as a 2 player.  I have a 7 year old and a 5 year old.   They both want to play Simpsons and TMNT with me.  So I'm going to make a new CP that's 4 player.

My 2 year old also would like to bang away while we play, so that makes 4.  

I agree, I never saw 4 people playing in the arcade, but I need one here.

Oh, we did play that motorcycle game where you actually sat on the bike and leaned left/right with 4 players all the time.  But we were 25 and a little, uh, "tipsy" most of the time.

Art

[SNAAAKE]

try captain comando,its 4p

[RedSquirrel]

I would have liked to make a 4 player cp,. but the amount of decent 4 player games and the fact that i have limited amount of room put me off. I think 2 player will be fine for the moment., and if things do change its not too hard to make another cp..

[SirPoonga]

yeah, I'd like a 4 player panel too, but a 4 player cabinet takes up alot of space.  I just added USB ports for add on gamepads.

[cdbrown]

I went for the 4 player mainly because as I was growing up, my friends and I would always have competitions on NBA Jam on the way home from school.  Just the other night I had some friends over and all they wanted to play was 4 player games so that alot of people can play at the same time.

I'm also going to build a 2 player panel with t-sticks and spinners and a 3rd panel which will have 2 trackballs.

[u_rebelscum]

Try upping the difficulty level to the highest (almost every arcade I've encountered has the difficulty upped anyway).  

Yes, up the difficulty level, since most arcades had it near or at the hardest level.


FWIW:

I definitely remember playing Gauntlet with for people ... second 4 player game for me (my first was Demolition Derby four-player stand-around table ... man that was a blast ... hehe)

I loved four player demo derby.  In fact, it's one of the major reasons I starting hacking mame, and the result is Analog+.

The 4 player cocktail games are a different beast altogether. Nobody (that I know of) has made any cabinets that can handle Atari Football, Quadrapong, Sprint 4, Demo Derby, Dunk Shot, Warlords, or that soccer game whose name escapes me at the moment.

Do you mean "Atari Soccer"?

[paigeoliver]

Try upping the difficulty level to the highest (almost every arcade I've encountered has the difficulty upped anyway).  

The 4 player cocktail games are a different beast altogether. Nobody (that I know of) has made any cabinets that can handle Atari Football, Quadrapong, Sprint 4, Demo Derby, Dunk Shot, Warlords, or that soccer game whose name escapes me at the moment.

Do you mean "Atari Soccer"?

Actually, I think i was talking about Tehkan World Cup or something like that. Maybe it was a two player though.

[MaximRecoil]

When Rampage came to our local general store in '87 there was always 3 people on it. Not necessarily 3 friends either, just whoever was in line. That was a hell of a popular game. I never cared for the type of game that someone who has been playing for 5 minutes is just as good as someone who has played for a year. There was really no way to be good or bad at Rampage. It is not like you could knock down buildings and avoid getting hit with all that crap flying around at the same time. That game was designed for one purpose; to suck quarters, and it did it well in its day.

[paigeoliver]

The key to playing "quarter sucker" games (basically anything with a continue option), is to NEVER CONTINUE. If you have to continue, then you really aren't ready for the level you are playing on.

I first started my "never continue" strategy with Star Wars Trilogy. I had been playing it for a while, and I could beat the game, but it took me 3 or 4 credits to do so.

That was until I stopped continuing. Instead I would just start over from the beginning if I died. Soon I was making it to the final battle on my first credit. Then I had a game where I started the final battle with full energy, and since that game I have been able to beat the game on one credit each time. So far in my best game to date I finished the game with 70 something percent energy, having not even taken a single hit in the first 3 stages.

This strategy works for any game that doesn't have built in unavoidable life stealing situations (without powerups to counteract them). I used to think Star Wars was like that, but it isn't, it just has a couple of REAL HARD targets that you have to shoot down instantly. It is quite possible to finish the game without being hit (as long as you play the stages in order, everytime I play them out of order I get shot once by one of the speederbike guys, may be coincidence, but it happens EVERY TIME). I still can't always take down the two sets of ties in the wide cross formation in the final battle, but they are the only ones I even regularly have any trouble with.

[hyiu]

I like multi player games MUCH more than 1 player games in general....  to me... its the "human interaction" that makes the game most fun....

granted... I play all games, and I like most of them... but when I play against the computer... I develop "patterns" and it quickly becomes boring.... a human player (playing with or against doesn't matter...) adds sooooooo much fun to it....

also.... trash talk is the other part that is fun....

4 player games ??... sure...
Cyberball..... GREAT FUN !!!!....
simpsons / TMNT... (ok... I guess I'm too old for his game.... somehow...)
Xmen....
Guantlet..... great fun also....
I think golden axe or some other game like that is like 3 people...
ohhh... also .... pit fighter... kinda dumb... but what the hack...
I forgot what else....
all those racing games....
fighting games....
scroll along fighters...
anything....

when I go to the arcade with my friends... (good old days...)
we always go for the multi players games..... haa haa haa....

[u_rebelscum]

The 4 player cocktail games are a different beast altogether. Nobody (that I know of) has made any cabinets that can handle Atari Football, Quadrapong, Sprint 4, Demo Derby, Dunk Shot, Warlords, or that soccer game whose name escapes me at the moment.

Do you mean "Atari Soccer"?

Actually, I think i was talking about Tehkan World Cup or something like that. Maybe it was a two player though.

I was thinking Tehkan World Cup, too, but all the info I found on it last night is only two player game. [shrug]  Tehkan is a great game, though.

[CitznFish]

Quartet is a lot of fun with 4 players

[MaximRecoil]

The key to playing "quarter sucker" games (basically anything with a continue option), is to NEVER CONTINUE. If you have to continue, then you really aren't ready for the level you are playing on.

I'll agree with you there although my two favorite games (Punch-Out!! and Super Punch-Out!!) had kind of a unique approach to that. You were only allowed one continue (rematch). I consider high scores on the Punch-Out games to be legitimate with the use of that one rematch. In fact, if you want to gamble, that rematch can be used to your advantage if you use it early on an easy opponent and get in as many hits (points) as you can without KO'ing him and then lose purposely. That will help you out in the points department rather than using the one continue on the guy that you can't beat and can hardly get a hit in on.

This strategy works for any game that doesn't have built in unavoidable life stealing situations (without powerups to counteract them).

Yeah, that describes Rampage pretty well. If Rampage does have powerups (I don't recall any), there are not enough of them and after a few levels, you might as well try to dodge raindrops to avoid getting wet in a downpour. Rampage happens to be one of those games that doesn't reset your score when you continue either so the more quarters you have, the higher your [illegitimate] score will be. That game had to be the most shameless "quarter sucker" ever.

[hyiu]

just want to ask 1 thing..... anyone here can finish... (or get somewhere far...) in the metal slug games ??...

I mean... its fun.... but its a MAJOR quarter sucker.....

I think I need like 100 credits... (if not more...) to finish the game....  

guess I suck at it.... haa haa....

[jdsony]

The Metal Slug games are not too difficult once you get good at them. I haven't been practicing much but I made it to Level 3 without dying the other day in Metal Slug 2, I plan on working on getting better than that though. Most of the games are pretty fair with the exception of number 4 which is quite brutal. Some of the bosses seem like they are impossible without dying but I think there is always a spot to dodge their weapon spray if you can find it. I find it is a lot harder with 2 players just because it makes it harder to see bullets and your player.

[RedSquirrel]

i have a 2p cab. I kept saying to people there is no need to make 4p cabs.

But recently, there has been 3 people (inc me) wanting to play games. Yesturday two of us used the cp, and one the keyboard. it kepts having probs. I think im gonna get a gamepad working for the 3rd and 4th players.

[grafixmonkey]

I just noticed when I played Dungeons & Dragons: SoM with 4 players that it's a complete mess on the screen. Everyone is just bashing the buttons mindlessly on the side and the enemies dont even have time to retaliate. Is this why I rarely see 4 player arcade games around? They turn all the 4 player games outside to only 2 players.

It's like you can't even lose. The enemies are too dumb to fight back against 4 players bashing buttons on the corners, once they get up they get knocked down again.

Anyone get the same conclusion tat is kinda cheating? I only tried it once. So, enlighten me if im wrong.

Well, in an arcade there usually aren't four people on a 4-player cab mostly because not that many people go to arcades anymore, and because if they do they usually aren't there in groups of four...   at least that's my theory.  

I built my cab 4-player because that way I can include more friends in the game at parties.  That, and my friends seem to have the most nostalgic fondness for the four player games.  Whenever I tell someone about the machine, the first game they ask if it has is the 4-player Turtles.  (or sometimes Simpsons.)  Next they always ask about the X-Men game...   anyway, having four players is great for having people over, even if you don't end up playing 4-P games the whole time.  

By the way, I notice that D&D on my system is a lot more challenging than you make out...  Is the difficulty control for the game turned down in the setup screen?  (press F2?)

[Luxury]

maybe i grew up in some wierd town...but the multiplayer games were always used.  Me and my friends would always gather around x-men 6 player (though never with more than 4), and all of the 4 player games with usually 3 people.  sunsetriders, gauntlet, tmnt, etc.  

for my cabinet...i have 2 friends that always come over...together.  my one friend has neo-geo cabinet, and i always hated going to his house and one person is left twiddling their thumbs standing there.  so i built a 4player panel, and it pretty much ONLY gets used with 1 person (me) or 3 people.  

many people here have problems with big 4 player panels...and i kind of agree with them.  if you dont need a 4 player...then dont build one.  but its not about the fact that its 4 players...its the fact that they are UGLY.  hell - you can have a 6 player panel, but if it looks good, then im all for it.  most 2 player panels i have seen have looked good.  most 4 player panels are complete messes.