Party Games: Holiday Party Hootenanny
Hello friends. Dan Ryan here, you… there. Thank you so much for checking in and if you like what you see please comment and share. Well, it’s that time of year again. Stockings are hung by the chimney with care, the tree is decorated in whatever manner you find most aesthetically pleasing, and friends and family are on their way. (if you don’t decorate a traditional christmas tree feel free to insert whatever holiday equivalent you like here, or don’t, it’s your world baby and we are just living in it) If you’re anything like me, and let’s face it, we have more in common than not if you’re not only on this particular website but also reading this blog post, then you probably have a desire to play some games when the company arrives. And I’m not talking about board/card games, though there are some fantastic choices in that space with things like Horrible Therapist or Ticket to Ride filling that role quite well. No, this is a video game blog and we are here to talk about video games, RETRO™ video games more precisely. So I got to thinking, what would be the best retro games one could play with family and friends during the holiday season? If one had access to all available platforms, and all available games for said platforms, which games would make the list? Being the holly jolly podcaster/writer that I am, I made that list, checked it twice, and had my elves transcribe it just for you. Submitted for your approval this is the top 5 retro games (in no particular order) you should play at your holiday gatherings or; the Holiday Party Hootenanny if your other title was way too long and complicated for a blog post. And if you just so happen to have a shiny new gift card burning a proverbial hole in your pocket, we have some fantastic options to play these titles right here on the site.
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Mario Kart series:
So this one is a no brainer really. Since its inception the Mario Kart series has been on the absolute best ways to play games with family and friends of all skill levels. And that part is actually incredibly important for a list like this. One of the joys of gaming during the holidays is getting people who usually don’t play games, heathens I know, to sit and play with you. Difficult controls are, in my opinion, the biggest barrier to entry and while Mario Kart has plenty of subtlety and nuance, it also is about as pick up and play as could be. My personal favorite is Mario Kart 8 Deluxe but really most of the games in this series would work. You get super fun gameplay, great music, recognizable characters, and an endlessly replayable gameplay loop that makes for an overall great time.
Streets of Rage series:
Beat ‘em Ups are also a no brainer pick for multiplayer sessions and there are certainly a ton to choose from. From modern titles like Marvel Cosmic Invasion, Shredder’s Revenger, and Scott Pilgrim to the tried and true classics like Double Dragon, Final Fight, and Turtles in Time. That said, the Streets of Rage series has always been my go-to pick, especially Streets of Rage 2. This series is the perfect way to kill some time with that relative of yours, sibling?, cousin?, that you maybe haven’t seen in a bit and want to catch up with over a game. SoR 2 took everything good about the first game and refined it to a T. It’s about as intuitive as a beat ‘em up gets, has great music, interesting characters, and can be finished in one sitting. It is one of the most satisfying beat ‘em ups ever made and you’d be hard pressed to find anyone that disagrees.
EA Street series:
Look, I don’t feel great about including EA on a list like this. They are, to put it lightly, a problematic company at best. Kris and I have spent far more time than we probably should have talking about them on the pod this year, and not for reasons they would want to be talked about. However, there is simply no denying what EA used to be, a company that made really fun, really accessible games. And nothing brings family and friends together like arguing over sports. So, Street. Whether you choose to fire up FIFA, NBA, or NFL Street, you are going to have a good time. As I covered on the blog earlier this year, the Street series took everything about its respective sport and boiled it down to a pure arcade experience that was easy to pick up and pull off some crazy moves. And it was brilliant. NBA Street would be my personal pick since the legends of the game are so well represented and speak to a multigenerational discussion. I absolutely adore spending time with older family members talking about various sporting legends like Hank Aaron, Lawrence Taylor, or Dr. J. The NBA Street series brings the aforementioned Dr. J as well as Jordan, Bird, Magic, and even Oscar Robertson, IYKYK. A great way to blend history and trash talk, the hall mark of any successful party.
Street Fighter series:
Alright so this is maybe (definitely) more niche and not as easy to pick up and get grandma involved, but maybe your grandma is super cool and is a dead ringer with Dhalsim. (I don’t know your life) Look, if you’re an olderish gamer, say you grew up in the arcades, this pick is for you and your friends. Personally I would go with one of the various Street Fighter 2 flavors, though I know some would argue 3 or even the Marvel vs Capcom games. Whichever you choose, you just can’t beat that feeling of lining up challengers and taking them on one by one. What makes the Street Fighter series so great for this type of gathering is that most people are at the very least tangentially familiar with the characters and mechanics. Take my cousin Jimmy for example, he is no longer one of us. He is a #adult who just doesn’t play games anymore. But, you can bet your sweet bippy that he would be right in line to give it a go and see if any of the old magic was still there. And I’m willing to bet there are quite a few people in your life who fit that same bill. So why not give them a chance to relive the glory days or to get their ass kicked by some kid WHOISJUSTBUTONASHINGANDDOESNTKNOWWHATTHEYAREDOINGOHMYGODICANTBELIEVEIMLOSINGTOTHISKIDIHATEITHEREMYBUTTONSARESTICKING!!!!!! Ahem, sorry.
Goldeneye:
I mean, I was just going to write the word Goleneye and leave it at that but that’s not nearly as funny as mentioning that I was going to do that and then not doing that even though I could have done that and it would have been fine because well, it’s Goldeneye and you know exactly why it is on this list. Goldeneye was THE multiplayer game back in the day. The one that everyone played and had a story about. And honestly, it doesn’t hold up. (yeah I said it) But, it doesn’t matter that it doesn’t really hold up because you aren’t pulling out the 64 and four controllers because you care about true FPS deathmatch gaming. No, you are pulling out the 64 and four controllers because you want to play slaps and show off. While certainly not for everyone who may be gathered to celebrate the yule, I would wager that a fair few of the people you’ve collected would be more than happy to spend a few hours running around in their own nostalgia. There are plenty of shooters that would work sure but none of them would be Goldeneye.
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And that’s the list. A holly jolly collection of awesome if I do say so myself. There are tons of games that could make a list like this, some older, some newer. But I want to know what you think. Join the Stone Age Gamer discord, or you can find me on Bluesky to let me know your thoughts. In the immortal words of Billy Joel, “Life is a series of hellos and goodbyes; I'm afraid it's time for goodbye again.” See you soon.
