SLIP SCREEN TUNNEL TV

The developers – under the EA Games label – have worked on two of the best split-screen gaming experiences we’ve ever played. Of course, we can’t talk about modern couch co-op games without addressing the gargantuan efforts of Hazelight Studios. While certainly not as prominent as they once were, some recent games have included split-screen multiplayer as one of their core selling points. This “split-screen renaissance” has seen the release of some of the most touching and retro-inspired games we’ve seen in recent years, proving once more that the demand for more couch co-op games still exists in today’s gaming landscape. Some modern games have been offering players the option to play them using the good ol’ split-screen multiplayer we all know and love. Well, as it turns out, there is some light at the end of this tunnel. After all, if developers can’t be bothered to make a game playable offline, how will they find the time to implement the option for local couch co-op? Sure, when we put it like that, it might sound like there’s no hope for split-screen gaming ever coming back.

SLIP SCREEN TUNNEL TV

However, there are plenty of gamers who miss the old days, where friends could gather around a single TV set just to enjoy a quick round of Mario Kart or simply have a laugh while playing one of those classic co-op SNES games the likes of which we haven’t been seen in years. It seems like couch co-op has no place in our era of always-online consoles and games-as-a-service titles. Even when the Xbox Live service revolutionized online gaming with its powerful matchmaking and flexible chat options, games like Halo 3 and Gears of Wars still gave players the option to play in split-screen multiplayer. Granted, the promise of playing a game with someone, no matter the distance, sounded like something straight out of a sci-fi flick back in the early 2000s. Perhaps in the name of gaming progress, split-screen multiplayer was slowly but steadily replaced by the world of online games. In a sense, it was the best era for multiplayer gaming. After all, consoles like the Nintendo 64, the original Xbox, and even the PlayStation 2 – with the help of a multitap – allowed up to four players to play on the same console as long as they had enough controllers for all. For most of us who grew up in the 90s or early 2000s, it was almost inconceivable to think that it would come a time when couch multiplayer would no longer be possible.

Slip screen tunnel