Anyone have a Virtual Boy?

[farmecologist]

I just found a deal on one.  What a great, unique system!   The 3D effects are really impressive and are not just a gimmick.  It really is a shame that it didn't survive longer.   I think Nintendo botched the pricing on it.  It was just too expensive compared to the other systems that were around during that time period.

Also, the thing looks extremely strange..and yes, you look strange playing it.  My wide says it looks like a torture device from one of the "saw" movies!   

Anyone else have one? 

[versapak]

My wide says it looks like a torture device from one of the "saw" movies!  

I'm guessing that is a typo you shouldn't let your wife see.



A virtual boy was always a system I had an interest in, but unfortunately couldn't afford back in its day, and it wasn't around long enough to save up for.

I have played some of the stuff in red & blue 3d on PC emu, and I sure saw some promise in it, though the state of emu was pretty bad.

[farmecologist]

My wide says it looks like a torture device from one of the "saw" movies!  

Wow..that is a BAD typo..I hope the wife doesn't see it.   


I tried the emus too.  However, the emus really don't do the system justice.  Also, the controller is one of the best console controllers ever ( in my opinion ).   

[AtomSmasher]

I remember renting a virtual boy from blockbuster back when it came out.  I also remember that after playing it for a few hours I had a massive headache.

Funny thing about mentioning it as a torture device in saw, XPlay just did a saw parody and the first torture device they had was forcing the guy to play the Virtual Boy for two hours....his eyes ended up exploding.

http://www.g4tv.com/pile_player.aspx?video_key=13585

Its 2 or 3 minutes into the video.

[ChadTower]

I have 5-6 of them... and the full domestic game collection.  One of my favorite systems.

[crashwg]

I have one, with it I have Mario Tennis, Red Alarm, Galactic Pinball and some Japanese Golf game.

Pretty sweet system.  Got it for like $75 with Mario Tennis when they realized that they werent selling well and the price started to come down.

A little while back I went to play it and one of the screens was out of whack and I was all like "Dammit!" Then I smacked the thing on the side and looked again and it was fine.  Not that I suggest anyone do that if they have a problem but I thought I'd share. 

[farmecologist]

I have 5-6 of them...

A little while back I went to play it and one of the screens was out of whack and I was all like "Dammit!" Then I smacked the thing on the side and looked again and it was fine. 

Ha! Yes I agree..with this system you pretty much need a couple of backup systems.  They seem very fragile.


What is your favorite game for it?   I'm really impressed with Warioland.   Excellent use of 3D effects that are not just a gimmick.

[ChadTower]

Warioland is probably the best domestic game for that system... I enjoy Mario Tennis quite a bit, too.  Jack Bros is pretty good but also the hardest US game to get.

[dudebozo]

wow...bringing back some serious memories.  i remember getting mine back in 97, i think, at toysrus.  they were clearing them out, and i got it for 30 bucks.  i was pretty impressed with it.  but i did get extremely bad headaches after playing it.  i remember rigging it somehow to use a strap to keep it around my head, instead of that stand.  it wasn't pretty by any means, but it got the job done i guess.  geez...now i have to dig thru my boxes to find my virtual boy.  hahaha

[ChadTower]

The best way to play it, I've always found, is to lay on your back and rest it on your face.  Sounds odd but you don't get a neck ache/headache from it that way.

[Stingray]

That's the only Nintendo system I've never owned. One of these days I need to pick one up.

-S

[ChadTower]

Easiest way is to probably just hit up Ebay for one with 4-5 games.  They don't go for much.   Keep in mind the stand it comes with is almost always broken.  It has this cheap plastic piece that bears all of the weight of the VB where the two halves of the stand are joined.  That piece is almost always at least cracked.

[abrannan]

I have one I picked up when Blockbuster was clearing out their rental inventory.  Unfortunately I could only afford a very few games at the time, so I missed out on Wario.  The system was enough ahead of its time that it shouldn't have been made then.  It's disastrous existence has probably pre-emptively killed any more VR-based consoles.  Fact of the matter is that if they'd just waited a few years, they'd have had full color LCD screens to use (rather than the 4 shades of red monstrosity), dedicated 3d hardware and a lighter weight assembly.  While that version surely would have also failed, it wouldn't have been *as* bad, and possibly would have left the window open for a follow-on attempt.

[ChadTower]

It's not VR and it's not LCD.  Nor was it meant to be either.  In fact the stereoscopic effect would be quite impossible with an LCD display.

[Tahnok]

I've had a virtual boy without any games kicking around for a while now. I don't even know if it works. I really should pick up at least one game. More than anything, it looks really cool sitting among the rest of my consoles.

[farmecologist]

Ha!  Lay on your back and rest the unit on your face, eh?  Never thought of that! 

Here is a link with a good review of the system:  http://www.videogamecritic.net/vboyinfo.htm.  Also some reviews of vboy games on there.   

[abrannan]

It's not VR and it's not LCD.  Nor was it meant to be either.  In fact the stereoscopic effect would be quite impossible with an LCD display.

Really? I didn't know that two LCD screens showing slightly different images to each eye was impossible.  Care to enlighten me as to why?  Sync issue that isn't overcome with PoV? 

[ChadTower]

It's not a 3D simulation in that sense.  It is a stereoscopic view.  They're not the same thing.  It doesn't give the illusion of varying depth the way an LCD would (in fact the way that VR simulators do).  It gives the illusion of two levels of depth and some animation that fakes movement between them (such as the ball in Mario Tennis getting smaller as it goes to the far level).

VR implies an entire presented environment complete with things outside of your view.  That's why you strap a VR simulator to your head and why it has motion sensors, so you can move your head and the view recalculates itself to present a different viewpoint within the environment.  The Virtual Boy is really more like a Viewmaster with video than any type of Virtual Reality.

[crashwg]

The best way to play it, I've always found, is to lay on your back and rest it on your face.  Sounds odd but you don't get a neck ache/headache from it that way.

Agreed. 

Also, play in a dark room so when you take the thing off your face you aren't blinded by the ambient light.

[The 80s Man]

I bought one from a 2nd hand store and it only has one working screen, I guess that's what I get for only 8 dollars

[Glaine]

I didn't get headaches but I too rented that thing from Blockbuster when it first came out (I kept calling them everyday till they had one) and it messed my eyes up for about a week. Don't remember exactly how, but kinda blurry/cross-eyed vision I think. Really cool system though, the 3d was amazing.