Davis Cup II on the Genesis is one of those early tennis games that somehow nails the back-and-forth rhythm of the sport without overcomplicating things. You pick your country (I always went with Sweden for no real reason), and suddenly you're in this crisp, slightly blocky court where the ball physics actually feel satisfying—not too floaty, not too stiff.

The matches start simple, but the AI gets sneaky fast. One minute you're casually volleying, the next you're scrambling because the computer just pulled off a nasty drop shot. The controls are straightforward—no fancy power meters or trick shots—just timing and positioning. And yeah, the crowd animations are basically two frames of looping pixels, but there's something charming about how the game commits to its retro vibe.

If you've played other 16-bit sports titles, this one sits somewhere between "arcadey" and "just realistic enough." Doubles mode is where it shines, though—watching all four players awkwardly shuffle around the court never gets old. It’s not the deepest tennis sim, but it’s weirdly addictive once you get into the groove.