*ALL 22* Nintendo Virtual Boy Games!!! Retail, Prototypes, Homebrews!!!

The Nintendo Virtual Boy was a game system promising to usher in the era of 3D gaming. However, it was a colossal failure for Nintendo who have since disowned the system and all of it's games, even the good ones! But is that attitude justified? Should Nintendo release a Virtual Boy collection of games for their modern systems? In this video I decide to play EVERY released game as well as some prototypes and homebrews!
Love the Virtual Boy? Check out Keith Apicary's video! • Keith Apicary - Virtua...
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[@iiqulo]

If you were playing the games in 3D, that would be your indication on where and when to hit the ball in Mario Tennis and probably Space Squash as well. It's easy to forget that games are designed to be played in a particular way, and if you don't play them that way, they might not work properly. It's not the games' fault.

[@GregsGameRoom]

Good point.

[@R_wir3]

​​@@GregsGameRoomgive them a try on the 3DS!

[@Jolt7800]

I have been fascinated with VR since I played Dactyl Nightmare in the early 90s. Like most others I never played the Virtual Boy, so I definitely appreciate all this footage. Was very curious about this system. Definitely seems like some odd choices for game design. Wow, what dedication to make homebrew games for this handheld. Thanks for another great review!

[@Svante]

I love playing emulated Virtual Boy games on my Quest 3. Being able to adjust the 3D depth and colors makes it so much more enjoyable, than using the real thing, which I used to own.

[@shaggy791]

Can you help me to do this? I own a virtual boy (2 of them that need repair, and a good one on the way), but also own a Quest 3. The VB is always so uncomfortable to play. If you could help me out, it would be greatly appreciated. Can you do homebrew as well? Would save me from having to buy one of those expensive Hyperflash 32’s.

[@roost3r]

A good friend of mine had the Virtual Boy. I remember playing tennis and that "Tetris". It was really exciting at first (as a kid), but got old super quickly. Love your videos, btw. They're always so enjoyable and informative. Thank you for sharing with us!

[@GregsGameRoom]

Thank you! Yeah most of the games get old quick with that red coloring!

[@TheWarmotor]

Got one of these with all but two of the games for like $40 for ALL of it when it hit the clearance bin at Toy's R Us. Stayed new in box in my parents storage unit until they defaulted on the bill. I wasn't super concerned.

[@SomePeopleCallMeWulfman]

I really enjoyed playing Mario's Tennis on my Virtual Boy. The emphasis being on "Mario's Tennis" and not on "Virtual Boy". My biggest problem with the VB was that my back would start hurting way before my eyes did. There's absolutely no comfortable way to use that thing.

[@GregsGameRoom]

Ha, imagine playing it without the stand!

[@whoeverest_the_whateverest]

My guess is that with those two games heavily relying on 3d perspective view you really have to see it on original hardware's monitors to get the intended effect (or in this case any actually-3d monitors/virtual glasses that can fully recreate the intended 3d effect) I have no idea if it's true and how much does the perspective work when on actual ed and not emulator on standard 2d screen, just judging from other examples of games made with very specific screen in mind, like utilising ghosting effects on gamegear/gameboy or games on vectrex and etc

[@GregsGameRoom]

You can do the 3D in emulation but without some kind of eye separation there’s little point.

[@meetoo594]

Hunter was a cool Amiga game. One of the first gta style open world games where you could use any vehicle and free roam independently of the storyline. Nice to see it in proper 3d but its running a bit slow.

[@GregsGameRoom]

I thought it felt like a 16-bit computer game.

[@atmaweapon2803]

This had already been said, but the novelty and fun of the Virtual Boy library was the depth-of-field effect that playing it with a headset gave, which is something few people actually got to experience first hand. It actually did feel like you were moving around in a three dimensional space, for the most part. When it came out, in the era, it was really cool. I think there's a common misconception that there was nothing special about the pile of wireframes in every VB game, especially for people that only got to try it on emulation after the fact. I never owned one, but I played one at a Blockbuster as a demo. I was genuinely impressed by the 3D effect, but maybe not quite enough to spend money on it at the time.

[@GregsGameRoom]

It definitely has to be played on real hardware to be appreciated.

[@Yey1nasJourneys]

This was fun, I especially enjoyed/appreciated your honest reviews. 😊 The 3d one would have given me a headache, thanks for adjusting the color settings so that we could see. 👍🏻Good video sir!

[@GregsGameRoom]

It definitely gives one a headache! Hard to believe Nintendo thought it was a good idea for a short time!

[@wadmodderschalton5763]

The Virtual Boy was originally supposed to be a headset with motion tracking, but Japanese safety regulations forced Nintendo to put it on a stand, and its budget seems to actually show. Due to the failure of the system, it was never released in PAL territories such as Europe and Australia, and I wouldn't be surprised if there are any surviving PAL prototypes. The fact that Nintendo never re-released or remastered any of the system's games means that they quietly and unofficially "disown" this system altogether.

[@GregsGameRoom]

Interesting since Atari was going to release the Jaguar VR with motion tracking at about the same time.

[@MarquisDeSang]

Played for hours back then, never felt anything special. It was actually very comfortable. 3D stereoscopic images withotu ghosting only became a reality with VR. Red Alarm is one of the best shmup ever made. The best way to play virtual boy is on an Oculus Quest in VR.

[@joaogabrielgama4925]

I really don't understand everyone's implication with Red. I personally think it's beautiful.

[@Hyreia]

Honestly, they should've almost made it pea green like the original Gameboy if they had to make it a color. Not red. I presume the red color not only a way to reduce costs but also theoretically reduce eye strain?

[@GregsGameRoom]

Red was the cheapest (and worst) color. Anything would have been better!

[@Videogamelover58]

Great video

[@mgratk]

My cousin got the VB when we were kids. The 3D was quite impressive for its time. The tennis was the biggest hit of the few games he had. Overall the biggest problem was that the idea was ahead of the available technology.

[@GregsGameRoom]

Definitely ahead of its time. They really perfected the technology with the 3DS.

[@jonathanbetenbender307]

Did you play this in 3D/VR cuz I did and I didn't have any issue on Red Alert, but Mario tennis took a few minutes to get used to (I was swinging too early)

[@stevehusch3606]

Someone should try making a snes like version of fzero for it if it can do a decent street fighter it should do a decent fzero too

[@GregsGameRoom]

Or just porting SNES games to it. Doom VB anyone?

[@shaky6669]

My Brother got it on day one. it was cool, but yet a disappointment at the same time. I did really dig Warioland and Mario Clash. You just couldn't play it more than 20 minutes without a headache and your eyes hurtling from the headset. The emulator's with the color change would be the best way to play. Need to see if I can do that on the Oculus 2 for the 3D effect.

[@GregsGameRoom]

I couldn’t even play the games emulated for more than 20 minutes. Something about the red that makes me queasy.

[@selbyjohnson5986]

I bought a Virtual Boy at Target for $20 back when they were clearanced. I played it a few times but hated it. I sold it when crazy people started paying $500 for them.

[@juststatedtheobvious9633]

Nothing was as immersive as 3D gaming while the eye piece blocked all light from the outside world. I love this video, for sharing your experience and introducing me to new homebrew, but your casual dismissal of Red Alarm? How are you getting enough polys for two screens at a smooth, stable enough frame rate? Why are you even attempting to play this in 2D? Other games also suffered. I'd prefer you played them in VR. This video was a mixed bag, all around, falling short of its obvious potential while also exceeding expectations and introducing lesser known works... the most Virtual Boy Virtual Boy retrospective ever.

[@sergeipohkerova7211]

I feel like with more mature 2024 tech, an updated virtual boy even with the same awkward form factor (except maybe moving the power plug to a less vulnerable place) would probably be really fun to play and not as uncomfortable haha😊

[@GregsGameRoom]

Lots of VR stuff today. Some have VB emulation!

[@System_Sega]

It's a System I always wanted go try but I don't want to pay the high prices they go for. I think Nintendo missed a opportunity not releasing some of these games on the 3DS. It feels like Nintendo are a little bit embarrassed or ashamed of the Virtual Boy.

[@wadmodderschalton5763]

Nintendo clearly disowns the Virtual Boy completely.

[@GregsGameRoom]

Yeah I think they’re very embarrassed by it.

[@user-lr4sd2cw6d]

I loved Virtual Boy games in their natural colors, red and the empty void of space aka black.

[@GregsGameRoom]

I couldn’t play them that way for long before getting sick. Took me 2 weeks to record that footage!

[@gaylordfocker7990]

Black isn't a color so it was technically one color and one shade.

[@teddym2808]

Terrific, thanks Greg.

[@CokerCulture]

That golf game was definitely not a good idea; I can’t imagine attempting to play it like that. Do you think this was something that might’ve been too ambitious for the time? It felt like the only *true* winner was Warioland.

[@GregsGameRoom]

The VB was suited for short duration games. Imagine trying to play 18 holes of that golf game! Ugh!

[@CokerCulture]

@@GregsGameRoom I couldn’t imagine trying to play a full round of golf with that

[@joesshows6793]

That street fighter game has some insane graphics

[@reinforcedpenisstem]

Fish eating simulator? That's not a fish eating simulator.

[@GregsGameRoom]

My fish is eating more fish!

[@alexshadowfax1119]

They should release a virtual boy mini classic, it would allow us to play these games that are way too overpriced.

[@jamesborlan2850]

Honestly, these games arrent really terrible, but they would've been more successful if they were not released on the virtual boy I will say this though i can understand why screwattack labeled mario's tennis as one of the worst mario games Mainly because sports games featuring characters like mario, sonic, mega man, snoopy, yogi bear etc can come across as a cash grab (except for kart racing thats honestly the only fun sports game genre in my opinion) Then again i am not a fan of the mario tennis nor mario golf series because why would i play golf or tennis with mario when i can do it in real life I do feel mario Clash got way too much hate. If this wasn't released on virtual boy, it would most likely be more successful

[@GregsGameRoom]

Which is why I think there should be a collection for the Switch!

[@CassiDS]

0:15 'Gunpei Yokai'? Do ya think he's a kitsune or something??? (yes, it Does irk me to see fifty-year-olds pronounce Japanese words and names so whitely due to not researching how they're meant to be pronounced, thanks for noticing; this just happened to be the straw that broke the camel's back regarding that for me)

[@GregsGameRoom]

Lighten up Francis.

[@goatbone]

​@@GregsGameRoom Sort of a funny slip up but it is a bit disrespectful to fudge somebody's name.

[@gaylordfocker7990]

If you didn't play these on the actual system, it doesn't count. You didn't actually experience the gameplay and weirdness of it all. Anybody can fire up an emulator. Do better.