What's a great PS3 game for multiplayer gaming at the library?
April 16, 2014 2:38 PM Subscribe
My library has a Playstation 3 gaming program, and I'm looking to buy a few new games for it. Most of the people who come are ages 10-14, and I'm looking for games that would be appropriate for that age group (yes, I know most of them play Halo and Grand Theft Auto at home, but for the library they should really be rated T and under). We have some sports games (soccer, basketball, car racing) and some fighting games (Marvel Vs. Capcom, Street Fighter), and I'd really like a good game or two that doesn't fit in those boxes, but I'd be open to really good sports and fighting games.
Oh -- and it should DEFINITELY have multiplayer.
What should I get?
(We definitely can't get a next-gen console.)
Best answer: Sportsfriends will be out soon—it consists of several really great games geared specifically for local multiplayer.
posted by aparrish at 2:49 PM on April 16, 2014
posted by aparrish at 2:49 PM on April 16, 2014
Best answer: Minecraft is getting a playstation release in May. The Lego games are really funny and fun to play. They're split screen co-op.
posted by lovecrafty at 3:10 PM on April 16, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by lovecrafty at 3:10 PM on April 16, 2014 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Skylanders, which is ostensibly a kids game (6-12) has broad appeal - adults like it too, it's very popular, and doesn't fit in the usual pigeon-holes. It does cooperative multiplayer (both players on the same machine, players can drop in and out of the game at any time) and has a separate section for player-vs-player.
It might be less suitable for a library, because it involves toys and a portal peripheral, so the box comes with four items plus disk, instead of just disk.
posted by anonymisc at 3:21 PM on April 16, 2014
It might be less suitable for a library, because it involves toys and a portal peripheral, so the box comes with four items plus disk, instead of just disk.
posted by anonymisc at 3:21 PM on April 16, 2014
This site has a big list of multiplayer games with reviews. You would want to add the filter for couch-based multiplayer (as opposed to online). That list even has a column for how many people can play at once.
posted by aubilenon at 3:25 PM on April 16, 2014
posted by aubilenon at 3:25 PM on April 16, 2014
If you can get on the Playstation Network with the PS3, your options will open up tremendously. Tank Battles and Worms: Armageddon are two downloadable titles my kids love to play with me.
posted by tacodave at 3:30 PM on April 16, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by tacodave at 3:30 PM on April 16, 2014 [1 favorite]
Little Big Planet is a multiplayer game that my teen kids really like.
posted by okieangel at 3:32 PM on April 16, 2014 [6 favorites]
posted by okieangel at 3:32 PM on April 16, 2014 [6 favorites]
Seconding Little Big Planet and also recommending Tokyo Jungle.
posted by destructive cactus at 3:47 PM on April 16, 2014
posted by destructive cactus at 3:47 PM on April 16, 2014
Best answer: Can you buy PSN games? There are some real gems in there that kids love once they try, like Mushroom Wars, Calling all Cars, Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket-powered Battle Cars, Pixeljunk Racers, Pixeljunk Shooter, Pixeljunk Monsters. LBP Karting is great too and available cheap on disc.
Fat Princess is only 2 player but you can turn the blood into candy and it's really quite clever, although a little too bro for my taste and I wouldn't do it at my library.
Definitely get Sportsfriends, it's killer. Johann Sebastian Joust is great for teens, you just need move controllers.
In short, I'd take whatever money you have to buy titles and get a PSN gift card. It will go a lot farther than buying discs and plus you don't have to handle switching discs.
Feel free to memail me if you have other questions... I have tons of experience with library gaming.
posted by ulotrichous at 4:09 PM on April 16, 2014
Fat Princess is only 2 player but you can turn the blood into candy and it's really quite clever, although a little too bro for my taste and I wouldn't do it at my library.
Definitely get Sportsfriends, it's killer. Johann Sebastian Joust is great for teens, you just need move controllers.
In short, I'd take whatever money you have to buy titles and get a PSN gift card. It will go a lot farther than buying discs and plus you don't have to handle switching discs.
Feel free to memail me if you have other questions... I have tons of experience with library gaming.
posted by ulotrichous at 4:09 PM on April 16, 2014
Response by poster: Unfortunately we have no way to get it connected to a network.
Thanks for the suggestions so far!
posted by Jeanne at 4:17 PM on April 16, 2014
Thanks for the suggestions so far!
posted by Jeanne at 4:17 PM on April 16, 2014
I might suggest the various Lego games (Star Wars, Batman) I believe they have local multiplayer, and are cheap at this point.
posted by zabuni at 4:35 PM on April 16, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by zabuni at 4:35 PM on April 16, 2014 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Minecraft is getting a playstation release in May
I'm playing MineCraft right now on my PS3, four person multiplayer. It has been out for a while.
I really like the game The Cave - bonus positive depictions of women as smart and normal-looking. I usually have three people playing, I'm not sure if it handles four?
I love, love journey but it is one player (if online, you meet up with other players but you can't communicate except through "chirps" - perfect for avoiding bullying/language issues in the library)
My sons plays Terraria on our PS3 and EIGHT people can play at once according to him (I can't stand it so I haven't played it...)
Portal 2 is great for two person play (physics/puzzle based).
We play the racing game ModNation racers as a four-player. Cheap and Good!
posted by saucysault at 5:34 PM on April 16, 2014 [1 favorite]
I'm playing MineCraft right now on my PS3, four person multiplayer. It has been out for a while.
I really like the game The Cave - bonus positive depictions of women as smart and normal-looking. I usually have three people playing, I'm not sure if it handles four?
I love, love journey but it is one player (if online, you meet up with other players but you can't communicate except through "chirps" - perfect for avoiding bullying/language issues in the library)
My sons plays Terraria on our PS3 and EIGHT people can play at once according to him (I can't stand it so I haven't played it...)
Portal 2 is great for two person play (physics/puzzle based).
We play the racing game ModNation racers as a four-player. Cheap and Good!
posted by saucysault at 5:34 PM on April 16, 2014 [1 favorite]
Came here to recommend Portal 2 and Little Big Planet.
I haven't played them, but it looks like some of the Lego games (Lego Batman, Lego Starwars) have split screen co-op modes.
posted by Hactar at 5:37 PM on April 16, 2014 [1 favorite]
I haven't played them, but it looks like some of the Lego games (Lego Batman, Lego Starwars) have split screen co-op modes.
posted by Hactar at 5:37 PM on April 16, 2014 [1 favorite]
I'm playing MineCraft right now on my PS3, four person multiplayer. It has been out for a while.
Yeah, but it's only available via the PSN, right? It's getting a disk release in mid-May. And PS4 sometime after.
posted by lovecrafty at 6:12 PM on April 16, 2014
Yeah, but it's only available via the PSN, right? It's getting a disk release in mid-May. And PS4 sometime after.
posted by lovecrafty at 6:12 PM on April 16, 2014
Scott Pilgrim vs.The World is a great multiplayer beat 'em up.
posted by MeatheadBrokeMyChair at 7:20 PM on April 16, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by MeatheadBrokeMyChair at 7:20 PM on April 16, 2014 [1 favorite]
(also, buying used games at Gamestop is a GREAT way to save money...just make sure to get copies with the original case/instructions)
posted by sexyrobot at 9:31 PM on April 16, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by sexyrobot at 9:31 PM on April 16, 2014 [1 favorite]
Portal 2
The Lego series (Lego Batman, Lego Harry Potter, etc)
posted by skittlekicks at 7:20 AM on April 17, 2014
The Lego series (Lego Batman, Lego Harry Potter, etc)
posted by skittlekicks at 7:20 AM on April 17, 2014
Journey's great, but not *exactly* a multiplayer game. Flower doesn't fit. Tokyo Jungle is great but there is some animal procreation going on that, while not exactly graphic, may not be the best thing for a library.
Get Sportsfriends. Playstation All-Stars (think Super Smash Brothers, basically). Little Big Planet 2. Modnation Racers. Any of the LEGO games.
posted by graventy at 8:51 AM on April 17, 2014 [1 favorite]
Get Sportsfriends. Playstation All-Stars (think Super Smash Brothers, basically). Little Big Planet 2. Modnation Racers. Any of the LEGO games.
posted by graventy at 8:51 AM on April 17, 2014 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Check out co-optimus. It's basically dedicated to stuff like this. You can search by rating, console, and whether it's couch co-op or not. It doesn't include vs games, so fighting games or arena games are out, but it will tell you every co-op multiplayer game ever made.
I only ever play multiplayer. Good games for kids:
- Lego Games (all of them, as others have said)
- Spyro
- Shrek
- Toy Story*
- Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest (it's really for kids. It's kind of like the Lego LOTR but a bit different)
* Basically any kids movie has a game to match. Usually multiplayer. Brave, UP, Cars, etc. Some are better than others, some are worse.
posted by Dimes at 10:47 AM on April 17, 2014
I only ever play multiplayer. Good games for kids:
- Lego Games (all of them, as others have said)
- Spyro
- Shrek
- Toy Story*
- Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest (it's really for kids. It's kind of like the Lego LOTR but a bit different)
* Basically any kids movie has a game to match. Usually multiplayer. Brave, UP, Cars, etc. Some are better than others, some are worse.
posted by Dimes at 10:47 AM on April 17, 2014
nthing Little Big Planet (and its sequel, LBP2). My favourite games in the whole universe, no question.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 6:41 PM on April 17, 2014
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 6:41 PM on April 17, 2014
Unfortunately we have no way to get it connected to a network.
Could you bring the console home and load games on it there? If so, WipEout HD is kind of a must
posted by sexyrobot at 9:27 AM on April 18, 2014
Could you bring the console home and load games on it there? If so, WipEout HD is kind of a must
posted by sexyrobot at 9:27 AM on April 18, 2014
Oh I missed the no network bit. The true joy of LBP is playing levels other people have made--and making your own--and shared over the network.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 1:25 PM on April 18, 2014
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 1:25 PM on April 18, 2014
Response by poster: So, this is extremely embarrassing, but the belief that I had some money to spend on PS3 games actually came about as a result of miscommunications from an epic game of Telephone.
Nevertheless, Sportsfriends looks fantastic, and I love the Lego games and the Katamari Damacy games, so I'll be looking to get those in the near future. My kids love Minecraft but they usually play it on the public PCs, so they may prefer that to the non-networked Playstation experience.
I really should have considered taking the console home to load things over the network that way -- I'm gunshy about taking expensive library property on public transit, but it's a good solution! And thanks for your suggestions!
posted by Jeanne at 5:06 PM on April 18, 2014
Nevertheless, Sportsfriends looks fantastic, and I love the Lego games and the Katamari Damacy games, so I'll be looking to get those in the near future. My kids love Minecraft but they usually play it on the public PCs, so they may prefer that to the non-networked Playstation experience.
I really should have considered taking the console home to load things over the network that way -- I'm gunshy about taking expensive library property on public transit, but it's a good solution! And thanks for your suggestions!
posted by Jeanne at 5:06 PM on April 18, 2014
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by sexyrobot at 2:44 PM on April 16, 2014 [4 favorites]