Best Xbox 360 Multiplayer Games

When you're looking to have some fun sitting down and playing video games with friends who are actually under the same roof as you, you don't have to worry about your internet connection or Xbox Live subscription in order to get started; however, you do need a game that actually plays well as a local multiplayer game. Being able to talk to the guy who's got your back in the game without losing any quality through a headset is invaluable and makes communication much easier, and besides, people should play video games together, or socially, not holed-up in their basement with a bunch of people who have no connection to them whatsoever except the internet. Togetherness, my friends, is what makes playing video games a more relaxed social experience as opposed to a hobby designated for nerds (not that there's anything wrong with being a nerd, but some people don't take too kindly to the term; however, I'm actually not one of them).

Rock Band for the Xbox 360 is one of the best local multiplayer games you can get because it requires multiple people to play if you want to live up to the full band experience. Yes, it is possible to play the singleplayer mode on one instrument or play online, but everyone else isn't there, next to you, able to directly listen to your commands and encouragement. Having someone drum, sing, play bass, and play guitar all in the same room always makes for a better band, as well as bonding, experience; there is something magical about music: it brings people together. Rock Band is very good at bringing people in the same band together because they need to work with each other to keep the beat, save each other if they fail out of a song, and time their score multipliers to shatter records. The Rock Band experience is the best bonding experience you can get for the Xbox 360, and you don't even need to know what the internet is to have it.

Halo 3 is a great multiplayer game in all of its forms, both online and local, but it excels in its local play because it allows the players to have a great deal of freedom when setting up a match. When playing locally, players can choose from several game modes such as Juggernaut, Rocket Race, and good ol' Death Match, and then customize their game mode to the fullest; it is even possible for a player to create his or her own game mode. This makes for great fun because the players' creativity and cooperation in creating a suitable and unique game mode directly influences how fun the game is; keep in mind, this is all before you actually get to playing the game. Once in the session of the game, Halo 3 is incredibly fun when you have all of your friends on the same couch and have split your screen in four to go kill each other. Jeering, shouting cries of victory, and laughing with your friends cannot be denied as enjoyable, and Halo 3 also makes for great tournament play that can be organized by players locally: you can't have a challenger/champion tournament when playing online, but you certainly can when playing locally.

Madden 08 is another brilliant local multiplayer game for the Xbox 360 that uses the traditional approach to sports games to deliver a sound experience to players on the same console. It handles very well and is ideally played against an opponent who is more intelligent and more creative than the artificial intelligence without being frustrated; come on, how many of you have ever yelled that the game is rigged because the computer player manages to accomplish next to impossible feats without you seeing any of the process behind it? Having a friend next to you gives you some reassurance that you are actually playing a real person who must obey the rules of the game like you do, and this is a real person whom can be beat, if you're one of those gamers who must dominate. Picking off your opponent's passes, chasing his running back down the field, and sacking his quarterback (and being able to rub it in his face obnoxiously) is part of what makes Madden 08 so attractive as a local multiplayer game.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare can be played locally just as well as it can be played online. Yes, there can only be four players in a local match, but you don't need to worry about those players unexpectedly quitting and deserting you in the middle of a match, not to mention the connection issues that the game's online play is notorious for. There is a myriad of weapons and classes to choose from, not to mention the dozen-plus game modes and maps, that make the game ever-changing and fresh with each round. You and your teammate can converse (in whispers, if you want the full cloak and dagger experience) side by side to bring down the enemy, who happens to be sitting not five feet from you. Seeing the look of surprise on your friend's face after you jump down from a deck and shank him is priceless, and Call of Duty 4 gives you plenty of priceless moments with your buddies.

Rockstar Games Presents: Table Tennis is a brilliant local multiplayer game; however, it can only support two people at a time because the game only includes singles table tennis matches. Nevertheless, the game is enjoyable for two players: Pick your champion from the United States, Japan, China, or another country, and jump right into the high-speed action. Table tennis is fun in real life, yes, but Rockstar has managed to make that experience entertaining on a video game console as well. Besides, if you do not own a ping-pong table or if you do not have space for one, this is a nice alternative if you are infatuated with the sport.

The best local multiplayer games are the ones that are easily playable with two to four people but still give you a rewarding experience that brings everybody present together. The games above are not the only good local multiplayer games for the Xbox 360, but they are the best. If you're thinking of buying another game and are interested in its local multiplayer, ask your self a few questions: How many players does it support? Is it a shooter, sports game, or role-playing game? Is it a game that focuses more on the singleplayer story and simply has the multiplayer mode "added-in" as an afterthought? All of these are factors that you need to consider before purchasing a game to have fun with a few friends with, and Rock Band, Halo 3, Madden 08, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, and Rockstar Games Presents: Table Tennis all make for fantastic local multiplayer games.