Volleyball Simulator

Volleyball Simulator does exactly what its title promises, although anyone expecting a modern sports game with photorealistic athletes should probably adjust their expectations immediately. Released in 1987, it attempts to recreate volleyball using the technology available to home computers of the period, focusing on positioning, timing, and getting the ball back over the net before your opponents become unpleasantly smug. The graphics are simple, but the underlying concept is recognizable, and there is a certain satisfaction in learning how to control the players and anticipate the ball. Matches can become surprisingly competitive once you understand the mechanics, particularly when several rallies begin to string together. It is very much a product of its era, where a handful of pixels could represent an entire sporting event and imagination supplied the missing stadium, crowd, and questionable referee decisions. As a historical curiosity, it is an entertaining glimpse at early computer sports simulations.