About this game
Volleyball is a 1986 sports game developed by Pax Softnica and published by Nintendo for the Famicom Disk System, adapted from Pax Softnica's earlier MSX title Attack Four. Players choose from six national teams — including Japan, the United States, Cuba, and the Soviet Union — and compete through a full tournament. Released as one of the FDS's early titles, it reached North American and European audiences as an NES cartridge in 1987, becoming one of the system's first sports titles in the West.
The Story Behind
Volleyball was released during the debut year of the Famicom Disk System in Japan, when Nintendo was rapidly building out its disk software library. The FDS launched in February 1986, and Nintendo enlisted external developers like Pax Softnica to expand the catalog — Volleyball arrived just five months later in July. When Nintendo brought its early sports titles to North America in 1987, Volleyball was among the first wave, establishing a pattern of accessible multiplayer sports games that would define Nintendo's early NES library for Western audiences.
Tricks & Tales
Volleyball was developed by Pax Softnica, a small Tokyo-based studio that worked closely with Nintendo during the Famicom era on several contracted titles. The game is an adaptation of Pax Softnica's earlier MSX title Attack Four, reworked for the Famicom hardware in a co-development with Nintendo R&D4. The FDS version (FMC-VBW) features six selectable national teams, each with different stat profiles, providing early examples of team differentiation in sports games.
Collector's Guide
Region & Compatibility
Originally released for the Famicom Disk System in Japan (FMC-VBW, July 1986). Ported to NES cartridge for North America and Europe in 1987. The FDS disk version features the original Japanese team roster and presentation; the NES version is largely equivalent in gameplay.
Available in our shop
Hand-cleaned and tested units shipped worldwide from Toyohashi, Japan. HP direct purchase exclusive: we include a printed shop owner's note card with every order.
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