The GBA had a multiplayer Zelda game, and every GBA Mario game came with a multiplayer version of the og Mario Bros. Arcade game.
An even less common connector could be used to connect a GBA to a GameCube. The uses of that one (as far as I’m aware):
- using Pokemon XD to battle two GBA Pokemon games using the GameCube 3D graphics
- a multiplayer Zelda game entirely based around the gimmick of using the GBA as a controller
- using a GBA Metroid to unlock bonus power ups in the GameCube Metroid
I think local multiplayer absolutely peaked with the Nintendo DS. The download games where you could play with one cartridge, multiplayer without wifi, pictochat. Today you have to subscribe to shitty online services or at least play through wifi, which completely annihilates the possibility to play in a car, bus or train without a router.
Nintendo fully panicked over the prospect of child predators and put a ton of barriers up for player interaction.
I think it was more about making money with subscriptions by incentivizing getting Nintendo Online to play against your friends. I bet they profited massively during corona from this business model.
