Ganbare Pennant Race! is one of those weird, Japan-only NES baseball games from Konami that somehow feels both familiar and totally off. You get the usual batting, pitching, and fielding, but there's this weird charm to it—like the way the players slide into bases with way more enthusiasm than necessary, or how the crowd cheers sound like they were recorded in a tin can.

At first glance, it looks like any other 8-bit baseball sim, but then you notice the little things: the way the pitcher hesitates before throwing a curveball, or how the outfielders take these comically wide turns when chasing a fly ball. It's not the deepest baseball game out there, but there's something oddly satisfying about it, especially if you're into retro sports titles. Just don't expect MLB-level realism.

Oh, and good luck navigating the menus if you don't know Japanese—half the fun is figuring out what button does what.