Track & Field 2

Track & Field 2 brings Konami’s fast-paced arcade sports formula to the NES, offering a broad collection of events for solo players and head-to-head competition. Released in 1987, it follows the spirit of the original Track & Field while expanding the lineup beyond straightforward running contests. Players can compete in familiar athletics events such as sprinting, hurdles, jumping, and throwing, along with precision-based challenges that test timing and control in different ways.

The basic idea is simple, but success depends on learning the rhythm of each event. Rapidly tapping the action buttons can build speed during races, while jumps and throws require careful timing rather than frantic button mashing alone. A poorly timed takeoff or release can ruin an otherwise strong attempt, giving the game a nice balance between accessibility and practice. Each event has its own feel, so a technique that works in a sprint will not necessarily help with a field event.

The NES hardware gives the competition a colorful, energetic presentation, with clear event layouts and lively action that keeps the focus on performance. In two-player mode, the game becomes especially enjoyable as friends trade attempts, chase better distances and times, or compete for overall superiority across multiple events. There is no need for a complicated ruleset; the appeal comes from immediately understandable controls, quick rounds, and the satisfaction of shaving seconds off a record or improving a personal best.

Whether you remember it from the late-1980s NES era or are discovering it for the first time, Track & Field 2 is a spirited example of Konami’s arcade-inspired sports design. RetroCloud lets you play online on your browser and revisit its button-mashing contests without needing the original console.