I have an old Raspberry Pi 1 (!) still going strong with Batocera Linux running NES, SNES and Mega Drive (Genesis) emulators.

I’m looking for easy multiplayer games that can be played with a 5yo. Non violent and ideally co-op, bonus points if somewhat educational.

  • RightHandOfIkaros@lemmy.worldEnglish
    3·
    6 hours ago

    Troddlers - SNES

    The music in Troddlers slaps.

    Its a puzzle platformer game similar to Lemmings. Little dudes walk in a straight line and you play as a wizard that can place blocks. You have to get the little dudes to the exit.

    The only violence is when the little guys or the other player gets smooshed by a block I think, its been a long time since I played the game.

  • the_wiz@feddit.orgEnglish
    2·
    5 hours ago

    Pacman! I am not entirely sure, but I think it was an Atari 2600 where I really enjoyed this on at a similar age

  • Bravo@eviltoast.orgEnglish
    5·
    15 hours ago

    SNES:

    • Harvest Moon - this can lead into allowing the kid to plant something IRL and having them water it regularly, allowing them to “be a real farmer”. Incidentally this is also a great way to get a child to eat vegetables, as a child who refuses to even consider eating a vegetable will change their mind when they grew it themselves

    • Super Mario Kart

    Mega Drive:

    • Dr Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine - simple puzzle game with humorous characters from the old cartoon
  • directive0@lemmy.worldEnglish
    5·
    16 hours ago

    The NES sesame Street games are pretty good.

    My youngest loved sesame Street countdown. it was really forgiving and taught her basic platformer mechanics.

  • GenosseFlosse@feddit.orgEnglish
    3·
    15 hours ago

    Lemmings for Amiga had a 2player split screen mode. Goal is to guide the most lemmings (yours and the other players) into your exit.

  • whotookkarl@lemmy.worldEnglish
    5·
    20 hours ago

    A bunch of arcade games become much more friendly to kids with infinite continues, shmups, fighters, brawlers, etc but for those you’ll need to filter on violence. I’d probably also avoid anything RPG or story heavy.

    My picks would be Bubble bobble, Kirby on SNES, ice hockey on NES, Mario 1-3, super Mario kart, Tetris, monkey ball, Dr Mario. For Sega Sonic 1-3 & knuckles, ecco, robotnik’s mean bean machine, Alex kidd, outrun

  • zod000@lemmy.mlEnglish
    4·
    20 hours ago

    It doesn’t count as non-violent, but every kid I have played it with has thoroughly enjoyed the TMNT arcade game (as well as the Simpsons game that plays similarly. If you play with them you can essentially carry them through the game and they are just along for the ride, but feel like they are part of the team.

  • the16bitgamer@programming.devEnglish
    5·
    1 day ago

    Lots of other great suggestions. But I do think the consensus is multiplayer games with coop.

    Konami beat ‘em ups like TMNT, The Simpson, Xmen would be great.

    I’m also going to throw in Party games or kart racers, CTR and Mario Kart of Mario Party or Crash Bash would also be great

    That said Pokémon might be a nice option too though not sure how you’d play that together.

    Or edutainment like Gizmos and Gadgets or Jumpstart

  • Blue@lemmy.worldEnglish
    36·
    2 days ago

    Bubble Bobble is one of my favourite retro multiplayer games since it has both players playing simultaneously (not each take a turn/hand off the controller) but might still be a bit difficult for a 5 year old 🤔

    Edit: Tetris & Dr. Mario for the SNES might also work

    • Minnels@lemmy.zipEnglish
      3·
      1 day ago

      Dr Mario? My 3 yo wanted me to play Dr Mario while looking around in the n64 thing on switch. The game totally crushed me. Maybe 5 year olds are better at it than 40 year olds 😂

    • cannedtuna@lemmy.worldEnglish
      12·
      2 days ago

      Nah. I played the crap outta Bubble Bobble around that age. Some of my best early memories involve playing Bubble Bobble on NES with my parents after dinner every night. Had all the level codes jotted down on a sheet of notebook paper, including all the lettered levels.

    • Whats_your_reasoning@lemmy.worldEnglish
      2·
      1 day ago

      I second Dr Mario. When I first went off to kindergarten, my mom and little brother would play Dr Mario together. It’s perfect for that age range, simple to play and control, with an option for two-player mode.

    • ace_garp@lemmy.worldEnglish
      6·
      2 days ago

      If Bubble Bobble fits; Snow Bros, TumblePop, Puzzle Bobble or Super Pang may work too.

      • Bonus educational game, is to install GCompris and solve the puzzles together.
    • jjjalljs@ttrpg.networkEnglish
      2·
      1 day ago

      I played the shit out of bubble bobble as a 3 year old. It has passwords for saves, which was tricky because none of me and the other neighborhood kids could read. It’s a great game, though.

      There’s one level like a third of the way through that baffled us for weeks. Still hard, as an adult. Good fun, though. Lots of “go go go go get it go go go oooh no dang.” moments.

    • Albbi@lemmy.caEnglish
      2·
      2 days ago

      This is a great idea. I was also just thinking of using cheats to enable invincibility for player 2, that way they can save you and not worry about dying.

    • Rhynoplaz@lemmy.worldEnglish
      2·
      2 days ago

      I’m double on the Bubble Bobble! A core memory for me is playing that game with my brother for hours on end!

    • pezhore@infosec.pubEnglish
      7·
      2 days ago

      Honestly? This is a great, low stakes way of letting him get the feel for the game without feeling like he’s not “helping”.

    • pinball_wizard@lemmy.zipEnglish
      3·
      1 day ago

      This is the way.

      And in case OP doesn’t know: the same can be done with Sonic 3 and then with Sonic and Knuckles.

      But also, I second starting with Sonic 2. The controls are a bit simpler, and it’s a classic.