The retro edit
How to host a two-player retro game night
The best thing about classic games is that anyone can play them in a minute. There are two buttons and a direction, and the rules explain themselves on screen. That makes them ideal for an evening with friends, a partner or the family, including people who would never describe themselves as gamers. Here is how to set the night up so it is about the games and not about the menus.
The console
All three of our TV consoles come with two wireless controllers, so a second player joins from the sofa without a cable across the floor. The Game Stick Lite 4K covers the arcade, 8-bit and 16-bit games that suit a night like this best. The X8 adds PS1 games, and the G99 reaches up to N64 and PSP games.
Before anyone arrives
- Switch on both controllers and check each one moves something on screen.
- Put the TV in Game mode. It removes the delay modern TVs add to smooth out films, so every jump and punch happens the moment you press the button.
- Pick six to ten games in advance and add them to favourites. A library of thousands is wonderful on a quiet evening and paralysing with guests waiting.
- Try each one for a minute so you know which button starts the game.
Choosing the games
Mix games where you play together with games where you play against each other. Start with the first kind. Losing to a friend in the first five minutes is a fast way to lose a player for the evening.
Play together
Side-scrolling beat-em-ups are the classic co-op genre: walk right, deal with whatever comes, share the food on the floor. Two-player shoot-em-ups and platformers with a second character work the same way. The skill gap between players matters less when you are on the same side.
Play against each other
Once everyone is warmed up, move to head-to-head games. Falling-block puzzle battles are easy to follow for anyone who has played the single-player version. Sports games are easy to understand from the sofa. One-on-one fighting games are the loudest, and a newcomer pressing buttons at random wins the odd round, which is half the fun.
Formats that keep everyone playing
Winner stays on
With more than two people, the winner keeps the controller and the loser hands theirs to the next person. It moves quickly, and nobody waits long.
A small tournament
Write names on a sheet, draw pairs and play best of three. Choose a game that finishes quickly. It turns a relaxed evening into a story people repeat the next time you meet.
Handicaps
If one player grew up on these games and the other did not, let the newcomer choose the stronger character or the easier setting. A close game is more fun for both.
Small things that help
Keep drinks away from the controllers and the stick. Put the controllers down between rounds so they are not dropped. If the evening runs late, use the save before you stop, so the game you were halfway through is waiting next time.
Playing in the same room, on handhelds
If the TV is not free, two handhelds can do the job. The R36MAX2 has built-in Wi-Fi that lets two consoles play together over the same network. For a comparison of the TV consoles, read Game Stick Lite 4K, X8 or G99.
