VirtualBoy

"Nintendo's Virtual Boy Virtually Blows..."

Nintendo had released the 8-bit NES, and 16-bit SNES, along with the GameBoy and all three systems had been received well and were cash-cows. So when Sega and Sony announced their 32-bit projects, Nintendo decided it was time to create a 32-bit system of their own. Enter the Nintendo Virtual Boy, a stand-alone system that propped up on a flat-surface and contained its own built-in screen that you leaned forward into to view. The system had a double-grip controller with two buttons which was used for input. Basically the Virtual Boy was a 3-dimensional, cartridge-based system that featured a 32-bit RISC chip that used high-resolution LED displays, oscillating mirrors, and focusing lenses which produced a 3D effect when viewed by both eyes. The secret to the Virtual Boy's 3D capabilities were mirrors, and the ability to manipulate the human eye into believing it is seeing a 3-dimensional environment. The red screen was used because red and black have a sharp contrast, and the light emitting display can show up in darkness and are also cheaper to manufacture than a liquid crystal display featuring backlighting. Amazingly this red screen is easier on the eyes due to its low-frequency and low-energy wavelength and just made more sense financially than any other alternatives.

The 32-bit RISC CPU operated at 20 megahertz, and the Virtual Boy featured dual-mirror scan high-res LED displays. The games were either 8 or 16 megabits, and the sound was pretty decent considering it was digital stereo sound quality. The Virtual Boy sat up on a stand, that was then set on a flat-surface. The system was strictly one-player, and enjoying the games with other people was impossible since only one person could view the screen at once. Basically the high pricetag of 179 dollars placed the Virtual Boy out of reach of the younger audience, which was probably the audience that would have enjoyed the machine the most. While far from true virtual reality, the Virtual Boy was still a unique peripheral, and really provided the player with a one-of-a-kind experience. The game paks released for it were few, and not many of them were very good. One of my favorites was Mario Tennis and Galactic Pinball, both games are very fun and entertaining.

Overall the 32-bit Virtual Boy was a failure, and Nintendo's first taste of bitter defeat. Not enough people were interested in the machine, and many just felt it was too expensive and pretty lame as it was. The design of the system was kind of pathetic too, and it caused eye and neck strain if played too often. The Virtual Boy provided me with a couple hours of fun, but I never use it anymore. I don't regret buying it because I bought it for 25 dollars at Target on clearance and received all of my games at a solid 5 dollars per game. I really can't recommend this system to anybody, it is just that awful. It really was kind of unique and cool at the time, but nowadays it just looks ridiculous and the gameplay is nothing special. If anything buy it for the novelty factor, but don't buy it for the games because you'll be very disappointed if you do.

Reviewer's Score: 2/10, Originally Posted: 06/09/04