Over the past couple of weeks I’ve discussed my upbringing as a gamer alongside my siblings, and the real world traits it has helped me in developing. So far we’ve touched on hand/eye coordination and sharing via the tried and true “Pass and play” method. This time around let’s talk teamwork!

The original Nintendo entertainment system gave us Contra.

me and my brother used the famous Konami code to get 30 lives and beat the game. We hit “continue” an endless amount of times to finally complete Double Dragon and the Ninja Turtles games blah blah blah…

Sure those required some teamwork. Let’s both shoot at that big alien together and try not to lose a life…big whoop…but there is one childhood game that truly redefined co-op play for me.

Goof Troop for the Snes

Let me just start by saying this game is totally underrated.  Me and my brother would rent this gem once every couple of months to try and conquer it. Although it has the option of being enjoyed solo, you’d be doing yourself a huge disservice to not play it alongside someone.

Goofy and Max are on a Pirate inhabited island trying to rescue Pete and his son PJ. every stage has enemies to defeat, but the Genius of Goof Troop lies in it’s puzzles.

Sure, there’s a second player in control of another character on screen…but that’s almost just a ruse. What Goof Troop really wants is another person in the room helping solve  puzzles. two heads are better than one, afterall.

“Okay, what if you stand there and push the block against this button. when the gate opens I’ll use the grappling hook and we can both walk across to get the key” conversations like these were common practice while making our way across that pirate island. In the end, I actually don’t think me and my brother ever finished the game, but we earned something much more valuable. Trust in each other. JK I’m being dramatic, but still we had a ton of fun!

Here are a couple games available now that are incredible at showcasing teamwork. Grab a controller and play along with your kids!

Overcooked

You, and up to three other players are tasked with managing a kitchen within a restaurant. chop/stew/cook, and plate dishes together, and make sure the clientele is satisfied. Don’t forget the dishes!

Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime

Gather some friends or family over , and explore the depths of the universe together! Your team’s spaceship always has more stations than it does players, guarantying multitasking and chaos will ensue. “Asteroids to our left! someone pull up the shield! enemy’s below us, MAN THE TURRETS!” It’s a frantic good time.

Snipperclips

I’ve mentioned this one before , but with a deluxe edition releasing soon, it’s worth mentioning again! Work together and get creative to solve hilarious puzzles with up to 4 players!