Dashin' Desperadoes

Dashin' Desperadoes, published by Data East for the Sega Mega Drive in 1993, rests on one clean idea: two characters racing each other through platform environments on a split screen. It is not a conventional progression through stages but a contest where both players can see one another and actively interfere — grabbing items that slow the opponent down and hunting for faster routes through the terrain.

Combining a platformer with a race was rare in the early nineties, and it is the main reason the game is still remembered. The split screen keeps the tension visible throughout: you always know whether you are ahead or falling behind. Solo play against the computer works, but the real value lies in two people on one couch.

Data East came to this with a long arcade pedigree, and its console work benefited: brisk pace, bold colour, and layouts that stay readable at speed. The Mega Drive had enough power to keep two independent viewpoints scrolling smoothly at once, which was not a given for split-screen designs on sixteen-bit hardware.

On OldGame.cz the game runs directly in the browser, which suits this kind of title perfectly — a few minutes is enough to know whether the concept appeals, with nothing to install first. If you are looking for something on the Mega Drive that works for two players and is neither a fighting game nor a sports title, Dashin' Desperadoes is among the more interesting options available.