RickR Posted November 21, 2015 Report Share Posted November 21, 2015 Most folks deride the Virtual Boy, without ever having played it. You hear stories of headaches and eyestrain. And "Red LED's" for graphics always made me think of those really old Mattel handheld games. Well, this all changed for me many years ago when I actually got to play a Virtual Boy at a science museum. I was blown away. The graphics are indeed red, but they are really detailed; and there are many different shades of red. But here's the kicker - the 3D on the VB is for real. It works and its very impressive. I must have been playing that VB at the museum for a good 30 minutes. No worries, no one else was waiting to try it. Anyways, I knew I needed one for myself. And indeed I bought one shortly thereafter. I'll post pictures of my VB shortly. But here's a really good video of some games in action so you can see for yourself. Try out the 3D video if you have a 3DS. Roland says the VB is his second favorite system behind the Vectrex, and I can totally agree with this. I love love love all my Atari stuff -- but Virtual Boy is probably the favorite part of my collection. It's so unique and cool...and like the Vectrex, emulation doesn't do it justice. Commercially, the system was a flop. I tend to think if they'd called it "3D Boy" instead, it may have had a lot less bad press. There's nothing "Virtual" about it. It's strongest feature is 3d, and that's what Nintendo should have stressed. In any case, the system is really really fun, and when I get mine out, I literally spend hours with it. The games are excellent -- totally representative of Nintendo's gaming expertise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickR Posted November 21, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 21, 2015 You mean Red Alarm I assume. I think it's fun, but it's kind of confusing. Too much going on. I probably should read the manual on this one. Here's a gameplay video: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeeJ07 Posted November 21, 2015 Report Share Posted November 21, 2015 Nintendo also made a mistake by trying to push it as a "portable" system. People assumed it'd be portable like the Game Boy, but it's not quite. It's much more suited as a table-top set-up. "I'd buy that for a dollar!" -Smash T.V. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickR Posted November 21, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 21, 2015 Very good point Lee. It's not portable at all. Maybe they should have kept the word "Boy" out of there too. New perfect name: Nintendo 3D Station. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeeJ07 Posted November 21, 2015 Report Share Posted November 21, 2015 Indeed. I know why they kept Boy, though. Gunpei Yokoi. They wanted to keep that link in consumers' minds, but that marketing angle was rather out of touch. Yes, it was designed by Yokoi, but it couldn't be more different from the Game Boy if it tried. It's like if Sega had marketed the Dreamcast as a new version of the Genesis. "I'd buy that for a dollar!" -Smash T.V. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickR Posted November 21, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 21, 2015 And me. Pass the Metamucil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rowsdower70 Posted November 21, 2015 Report Share Posted November 21, 2015 I wasn't worried about the eyestrain, but the library never took off. "For you - Rowsdower from the 70 - have been appointed Omnivisioner of the Game Grid." ~ Atari Adventure Square Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Posted November 24, 2015 Report Share Posted November 24, 2015 Well, this all changed for me many years ago when I actually got to play a Virtual Boy at a science museum. I was blown away. The graphics are indeed red, but they are really detailed; and there are many different shades of red. But here's the kicker - the 3D on the VB is for real. It works and its very impressive. I must have been playing that VB at the museum for a good 30 minutes. No worries, no one else was waiting to try it. Anyways, I knew I needed one for myself. And indeed I bought one shortly thereafter. In any case, the system is really really fun, and when I get mine out, I literally spend hours with it. The games are excellent -- totally representative of Nintendo's gaming expertise. I have a lot of experience in this arena. I wish the Virtual Boy had lasted longer. It was fun technology! I think the perception of VR and "portability" vs. the reality of what it really was hurt it. This also had a bit to do with the Jag VR not hitting the market. It's a real shame, I enjoyed them both. It's truly nice to see you share your love for the Virtual Boy, Rick. Most folks deride the Virtual Boy, without ever having played it. This happens with a lot of things in classic gaming. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial comes to mind, among others. I call it a drive-by. When people roll up in the forums, deride something, provide zero insight into what they're saying, no justification for their immense criticism, don't say what they would have done differently, and they're gone before a reasonable discussion can ensue and there are zero consequences for their petulance. Not okay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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