Cooperative video game
Wizard of Wor offered solo, competitive two-player, or cooperative two-player gaming[4][5] while Williams Electronics' Joust encouraged players to alternatively compete and cooperate by awarding bonus points for co-op play in some rounds and awarding bonuses for attacking the other player in others.
The feature became expected in the beat 'em up genre and was present in megahits such as Final Fight (1989), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1989), and The Simpsons (1991).
In 1998, Time Crisis II launched as the first in the series as a two-player arcade rail shooter where two players could provide cover for each other.
[citation needed] During this early era, many video games which featured co-op play (including beat 'em ups such as Double Dragon) were ported to less advanced home systems.
Though most of the console beat 'em ups were arcade ports, original franchises such as Streets of Rage and River City Ransom also became popular.
Electronic Arts has produced key co-op sports games, including the original NHL Hockey (1991) and Madden NFL (1990) installments on the Sega Genesis.
[7] Due to the lack of online multiplayer, co-op games in the RPG genre have generally been less common on console systems than on PCs.
Nevertheless, some of the earliest co-op action RPGs were console titles, including the TurboGrafx-16 game Dungeon Explorer (1989)[8] by Atlus which allowed up to five players to play simultaneously,[9] and Square's Secret of Mana (1993) for the Super NES which offered two- and three-player action once the main character had acquired his party members.
[11] Final Fantasy VI (1994) offered a form of alternating co-op play for its battles, with the second player taking control of half of the characters in the party.
Namco's Tales series allowed multiple players to take control of individual members in its real-time battles in some of the titles, such as Tales of Symphonia, while the Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance games replicated the Diablo formula for consoles, offering two-player simultaneous play through the game's campaign.
The 7th and current generations of video game consoles all feature wireless controllers, removing port-based local player limits.
Later PC RPGs became more powerful and flexible in simulating the shared real life RPG experience,[citation needed] allowing players to collaborate in games over the Internet.
The D&D-sanctioned Baldur's Gate and Icewind Dale games, released in 1998 and 2000, respectively, allowed up to six players to play through the campaign mode over a network.
Atari's Neverwinter Nights (2002) was an official and comprehensive D&D simulator, featuring even more robust game-creation tools and developing a sizable online community.
Split screen modes have also been combined with 3D Television technology by hobbyists, using alternate-frame sequencing for the purpose of presenting each of two couch co-op players with their own 2D full-screen image on the same display, rather than for stereoscopy.
Due to the complexity involved in correcting the resulting aspect ratios, and that in obtaining 3D glasses which allowed both lenses to synchronize to the same eye-frame, this remained the purview of enthusiasts until 2011, when Sony Computer Entertainment America began to market a 3D display product for their consoles.
[18][unreliable source] By contrast, in cooperative platform games, both players typically occupy the same screen and must coordinate their actions, particularly with regard to the scrolling.
These characters, while visually and physically separate from the first player's avatar, must adhere to the same fundamental game rules, including managing their individual health bars and resources.
This cooperative dynamic injects depth and collaboration into the gaming experience, fostering a sense of teamwork as players strategize and coordinate their actions to overcome challenges and achieve objectives throughout levels.
Split-screen modes are a common feature, allowing players to share a single screen while independently controlling their characters.
Additionally, players can choose from various display options to match their preferences, whether it's playing on a single screen, utilizing multiple monitors, or participating in online multiplayer.
