Family Tennis on the NES is one of those early sports games that somehow nails the simple fun of whacking a ball back and forth. It’s not flashy—just two players (or you against the CPU) on a basic court with that classic 8-bit tennis sound effect every time you hit the ball. The controls are straightforward: one button for regular shots, another for lobs, and that’s about it. No power meters or fancy spin mechanics here.

What’s cool is how it actually feels like tennis, even with the limited tech. The ball physics are surprisingly decent for 1987, and matches can get pretty intense if you crank up the difficulty. I remember getting wrecked by the CPU at first until I figured out the timing for returns. Also, the little umpire yelling "Fault!" in Japanese never gets old.

It’s not as polished as later tennis games, but there’s charm in its simplicity. If you’ve got a friend around, it’s a solid way to kill 20 minutes arguing over line calls.