Number of Games Released: 22 Individual titles (19 Released in Japan and 14 Released in North America)

Region Coding: No Region Protection

Price: $179.99 & ¥15,000

Peripherals: AC Adapter

History:
The Virtual Boy was the first console to be billed as a ‘portable virtual reality device’ and was released by Nintendo in Japan on July 21, 1995 and in North America on August 14, 1995. The production delay of the Nintendo 64 had consumers wanting a new system as the SNES neared the end of its life cycle. It was rumored that Nintendo rushed the Virtual Boy to the market in an attempt to calm consumer anxiety over the long delayed Nintendo 64. Whatever the reason the red and black visuals of the Virtual Boy were not a hit with consumers and the system was doomed. A total of only 19 games were ever released in Japan, a slim margin over the 14 released in North America for the Virtual Boy. The fall of the Virtual Boy caused a very unfortunate loss to Nintendo; Gunpei Yokoi was asked to leave the company and never had a chance to create any more amazing video game consoles. The creator of the Virtual Boy, Gunpei Yokoi was also the man responsible for the creation of the Game and Watch games, the Gameboy and the Gameboy Pocket, among many other legendary Nintendo properties that he was a part of. He also played a large part in the making of Metroid and Kid Icarus on the Famicom as well, but shortly after the launch of the Gameboy Pocket, Gunpei Yokoi turned in his resignation and left Nintendo.

The Virtual Boy was one of the most unique console launches in game history; released when 'virtual reality' was beginning to become a pop culture fad, many expected the system to perform in a more realistic visual style than the red and black monochromes that the system provided. The visual style of the Virtual Boy left many gamers' eyes tired after just a mere 30 minutes of gaming, the red and black color scheme frustrate many gamers and the risk of eye strain loomed when playing a game. The Virtual Boy creates the illusion of 3D graphics by projecting two separate images, one black and one red onto the two LCD screens that make up the eye portion of the system. The resulting image appears to the viewer to be 3 dimensional; the contrast of the red pixels on the black background make the image stand out significantly creating the illusion. The image created by the Virtual Boy could cause eye strain to such a degree that it was not recommended for children under the age of 7.

Nintendo's claim that the Virtual Boy was a portable console is a bit of a stretch, the rather large size of the console would have prevented most gamers from taking the console any great distance. The console does fully disassemble into 3 main parts that could be transported in a backpack, but the fully assembled system measures 8.5 inches tall by 10 inches wide and is 4.3 inches deep. The 3 main parts are the bulky red and black Virtual Boy Console, the Stand and the Controller & Battery Pack but any avid Virtual Boy fan would most likely have the optional AC Adapter for those long 30 minute gaming sessions. The console was also awkward to play unless the player took time to adjust the stand to fit the players sitting position by using the tilting feature that adjusts the angle of the goggle view ports.

The Virtual Boy was a console that had a few flaws, but did push the industry forward trying new ideas. It is such a shame that the system was abandoned by Nintendo so early after it was launched. Given more time and effort from Nintendo and a few third party publishers, the Virtual Boy had great potential to spawn some innovative games using the new hardware invented by Gunpei Yokoi. The system is still a great investment for any collector who is at all interested in the early 32-bit 3D system that creates a better image of virtual reality than most 3D movies on DVD. The Virtual Boy will no doubt still be remembered as one of the greatest flops in video game history and for its short lifespan, but it still is a great addition to any gamer's collection.

Ultimately, the Virtual Boy did not fair well in the 32-bit era and was undone by the mighty PSX and the equally powerful Sega Saturn; aside from its many flaws. The monochrome visual style was the downfall of the console, but the system still represents the risks that Nintendo was willing to make to push the industry forward by advancing the technology. Although the Virtual Boy was considered a failure by Nintendo and had one of the shortest lifespans in video game history, the console is still a testament that new technology and ideas drive the industry forward. The major casualty of the Virtual Boy’s demise is the resignation of Gunpei Yokoi from Nintendo, the man who was responsible for much of what Nintendo is known for today, innovation.

Rare and Collectible Titles:

*Virtual Bowling (JPN)
Jack Bros.
SD Gundam Dimension War (JPN)
Space Invaders Virtual Collection (JPN)
Virtual Lab (JPN)
Space Squash (JPN)

*Nester's Funky Bowling is a North America exclusive and is not the same as the Japan only Virtual Bowling

Commercials

Gameplay: