I just got a RG353v and a friend at work has a modded switch. We were planning on playing games at lunch and I am looking for recommendations. We are both fans of 4-5th gen and will probably play those the most. Any genre of game is fine, co op or competitive is fine too. So far we have windjammers as a go to but I want to dig deeper and get weird with it.
So many options. Some deep cuts for you though:
PlayStation:
Rakugaki Showtime - a bizarre four-player arena battle with a ton of zany unlockable characters, this game was never translated but is worth the effort since it was made by the gods of game design, Treasure (makers of Gunstar Heroes, Contra Hard Corps, Silhouette Mirage, Ikaruga, and many other gems - made up of some of the OG designers of Contra).
Trap Gunner - two player split screen 3/4 view game where you lay traps to try and kill the other player. Not a ton of longevity, but worth several fun afternoons.
Blast Chamber - four player frenzied dystopian sportsball game that takes place in a cube-shaped arena with a clever gimmick: any player can run up to a wall and rotate the entire arena 90° and cause their opponents to fall.
Return Fire - frantic two-player capture the flag with a variety of military vehicles and a fun classical soundtrack.
The Unholy War - made by Toys For Bob, which was at the time the home of the creators of Spyro, Skylanders, Archon, and the greatest PC game of all time, Star Control 2 (now free on Steam as Free Stars: The Ur-Quan Masters). A beautifully balanced and fun combination of chess-like board tactics culminating in asymmetrical 1-on-1 live combat.
Genesis/Mega Drive
Gunstar Heroes - a cooperative run and gun game that out-Contra’s Contra. The game that put Treasure on the map.
General Chaos - weird, small scale real time strategy action with cartoony soldiers. Strange but quite fun.
Star Control - two-player strategy/action in a similar formula to Unholy War (these guys loved this formula and made many variations of it), this game has you navigating a small star map to position your fleet. Conflicts are resolved in a top-down ship combat mode that is incredibly fun on its own thanks to a wild selection of unique ships.
Mutant League Football/Hockey - two versions of the same concept, these games really liven up the sports for those who aren’t die-hard Madden junkies. Most of my games I ended up winning by default because too many of the opposing team members had died. Playing against a friend, you really feel it when you get one of your players murdered.
Super Nintendo
Metal Warriors - split-screen, asymmetric, side-scrolling mech combat. Always fun to get the drop on each other.
Bomberman - obviously not a deep cut, but I had to mention it. Controller-throwing four-player competitive deliciousness.
Thanks for the list. I haven’t thought of Blast Chamber or the Mutant League games in a while!