2 Player Games Online – Play Arcade Classics With a Friend

Arcade games were made for two

Half the fun of the arcade was the second joystick. You either challenged the stranger next to you or dropped a coin in and joined your friend's game. This page brings that back: every game listed here supports Net Play, so two players can play the same game online in real time – versus in fighting games, co-op in shooters and beat 'em ups.

Versus: fighting games

Settle it one-on-one in the fighting games that support online play – the whole Neo Geo King of Fighters line from KOF '94 to KOF 2003 (except 2001), Super Street Fighter II, the Street Fighter Alpha games and X-Men vs. Street Fighter, Samurai Shodown II and The Last Blade.

Co-op: run and gun and shooters

Clear the stages together in Metal Slug 1 to 5 and X, Contra and Super Contra, or fly as wingmen in Raiden, 1945 and Aero Fighters.

Co-op: beat 'em ups

The Capcom brawlers were built for groups: Cadillacs and Dinosaurs, Knights of the Round, Warriors of Fate, Captain Commando and Final Fight – plus Double Dragon, Golden Axe and the Turtles games.

Tips for smooth online matches

• Use a wired connection or sit close to your router.
• Close other tabs and downloads that use bandwidth.
• Pick a friend nearby – the closer you are geographically, the lower the delay.
• Agree on the rules first – in KOF, decide team order or whether to allow repeated characters.