Kings of the Beach is one of those NES sports games that actually holds up—surprisingly deep for a beach volleyball title. You start off with basic serves and spikes, but the real fun kicks in when you figure out how to position your team to block shots or fake out opponents. The sand physics feel just sluggish enough to make every dive for the ball tense.

There’s a solid single-player ladder with 20 teams to take down, each with their own playstyle. Some spam spikes, others play defensively—took me a few matches to adjust. And yeah, the beaches look like classic NES postcards: pixelated palm trees, choppy waves, the works. Rio’s court has this weird slope near the net that messes with your jumps if you’re not careful.

Best part? Two-player co-op or versus mode. Nothing like spiking the ball straight into your buddy’s face and watching them flail. Just don’t expect online play—this is pure couch rivalry. If you dig arcade-style sports games with a bit of strategy, it’s a solid pick.