Volleyball (video game)

Volleyball (バレーボール) is a volleyball video game developed by Pax Softnica and published by Nintendo. It was released for the Family Computer Disk System in Japan in 1986, and for the Nintendo Entertainment System in North America and Europe in 1987. It was re-released for the Wii Virtual Console in Europe and North America in August 2007.

Gameplay
Volleyball is a sports video game that follows the rules of volleyball. The player controls a team of six players, three at the net and three in back. The player serves the ball into play by pressing the same button twice.

The game is a six player-a-side volleyball simulation. Players can select teams to compete in either a men's or women's competition from the following countries: United States, Japan, China, Korea, Brazil, Soviet Union, Cuba, and Tunisia.

Development
Volleyball is based on an arcade game, developed by Pax Soft Nica and Nintendo R&D1 and published by Nintendo. It was released in March 1987.

Reception
Christopher Michael Baker of AllGame rated the game two out of five and said that it showed the developer's inexperience at creating volleyball games. He could not figure out which character he controlled at any given point nor the ball's location as poorly anticipated by its shadow. He criticized the "annoying" sound effects. He said that Nintendo had made games for all other sports and likely was obliged to make a volleyball game. He ultimately recommended Kings of the Beach and Super Spike V'Ball instead.

Lucas M. Thomas of IGN said that Volleyball could be Nintendo's worst sports game, worse than even NES Soccer. He said the controls were automatically frustrating.