List of Virtual Boy games
Encyclopedia
The Virtual Boy
was the first video game console
marketed as having VR graphics
. It was created and developed by Gunpei Yokoi—the creator of the original Game Boy
and the Metroid video game franchise. The Virtual Boy was released by Nintendo
on in Japan and on in North America with the launch titles Mario's Tennis
, Red Alarm
, Teleroboxer
, and Galactic Pinball
. The last official title to be released for the Virtual Boy was 3D Tetris
, released on . In total, 22 Virtual Boy games were released; only 14 made it to North America. Several additional titles were announced to be released for the Virtual Boy as well, but they were canceled after Nintendo discontinued the system. The top games released for the Virtual Boy, according to Nintendo Power
, included Virtual Boy Wario Land
, Galactic Pinball, Mario's Tennis, Nester's Funky Bowling
, and Red Alarm.
The Virtual Boy was an attempt to simulate virtual reality
. The user looks into an eyepiece on the front of the console, where a projector displays red and black monochromatic images into the user's eyes—a technique similar to that used in IMAX
movies. The Virtual Boy was considered a hardware flop, selling 770,000 units before being discontinued a year after its release. Reasons for the flop include the implementation of a red-and-black monochromatic display as opposed to a full color display, the inability to conveniently and comfortably play the device, a retail price of US$
179.95 (by comparison, the Game Boy had an introductory retail price of $109.95), and the public's anticipation of fifth generation video game consoles
, which included the Nintendo 64
, Sega Saturn
, and the PlayStation
. As a further consequence, Yokoi was asked to resign from Nintendo.
The following list contains all games released on the Virtual Boy, including all games released either in Japan or in North America only. The Virtual Boy was released in North America and in Japan. Both the English and Japanese titles, as well as both the North American and Japanese release dates, are given when applicable.
Virtual Boy
The was a video game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was the first video game console that was supposed to be capable of displaying "true 3D graphics" out of the box. Whereas most video games use monocular cues to achieve the illusion of three dimensions on a two-dimensional...
was the first video game console
Video game console
A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
marketed as having VR graphics
Virtual reality
Virtual reality , also known as virtuality, is a term that applies to computer-simulated environments that can simulate physical presence in places in the real world, as well as in imaginary worlds...
. It was created and developed by Gunpei Yokoi—the creator of the original Game Boy
Game Boy
The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
and the Metroid video game franchise. The Virtual Boy was released by Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
on in Japan and on in North America with the launch titles Mario's Tennis
Mario's Tennis
is a sports game for Nintendo's Virtual Boy video game console. Also known by its working title Mario's Dream Tennis, it was the console's pack-in game in North America. The game features eight famous characters from the Mario series. Although a two-player function was announced, it was not...
, Red Alarm
Red Alarm
is a game for the Virtual Boy video game console. Released in August 1995 by T&E Soft, it was one of the four titles available at the console's introduction. The game takes place 70 years in the future , where a computer named KAOS threatens to take over the world and destroy mankind...
, Teleroboxer
Teleroboxer
is a game for Nintendo's Virtual Boy video game console. The game is a boxing simulator played in the first person view.-Gameplay and premise:Teleroboxer takes place in the 22nd century, when a technology called "Telerobotics" is used, allowing people to control robots to do tasks not normally...
, and Galactic Pinball
Galactic Pinball
Galactic Pinball is a video game for the Virtual Boy. It is pinball game featuring several different boards, including a cameo appearance by Samus Aran-Gameplay:...
. The last official title to be released for the Virtual Boy was 3D Tetris
3D Tetris
3D Tetris is a video game released for the Virtual Boy in 1996. A Japanese version was planned, to be called Polygo Block, but production of games was ceased due to lack of interest in the Virtual Boy system...
, released on . In total, 22 Virtual Boy games were released; only 14 made it to North America. Several additional titles were announced to be released for the Virtual Boy as well, but they were canceled after Nintendo discontinued the system. The top games released for the Virtual Boy, according to Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power magazine is a monthly news and strategy magazine formerly published in-house by Nintendo of America, but now run independently. As of issue #222 , Nintendo contracted publishing duties to Future US, the U.S. subsidiary of British publisher Future.The first issue published was...
, included Virtual Boy Wario Land
Virtual Boy Wario Land
Virtual Boy Wario Land, known in Japan as , was released by Nintendo for its ill-fated Virtual Boy system in 1995. It stars Wario in a platforming adventure quite similar to most of his other starring roles....
, Galactic Pinball, Mario's Tennis, Nester's Funky Bowling
Nester's Funky Bowling
Nester's Funky Bowling is a bowling video game developed by Saffire Corporation and published by Nintendo for the Virtual Boy handheld game console. It was only released in North America on February 26, 1996. Players control Nester, a character from the Nintendo Power comics, or his twin sister...
, and Red Alarm.
The Virtual Boy was an attempt to simulate virtual reality
Virtual reality
Virtual reality , also known as virtuality, is a term that applies to computer-simulated environments that can simulate physical presence in places in the real world, as well as in imaginary worlds...
. The user looks into an eyepiece on the front of the console, where a projector displays red and black monochromatic images into the user's eyes—a technique similar to that used in IMAX
IMAX
IMAX is a motion picture film format and a set of proprietary cinema projection standards created by the Canadian company IMAX Corporation. IMAX has the capacity to record and display images of far greater size and resolution than conventional film systems...
movies. The Virtual Boy was considered a hardware flop, selling 770,000 units before being discontinued a year after its release. Reasons for the flop include the implementation of a red-and-black monochromatic display as opposed to a full color display, the inability to conveniently and comfortably play the device, a retail price of US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
179.95 (by comparison, the Game Boy had an introductory retail price of $109.95), and the public's anticipation of fifth generation video game consoles
History of video game consoles (fifth generation)
The fifth-generation era refers to the computer and video games, video game consoles, and video game handhelds available at stores...
, which included the Nintendo 64
Nintendo 64
The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
, Sega Saturn
Sega Saturn
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console that was first released by Sega on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe...
, and the PlayStation
PlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
. As a further consequence, Yokoi was asked to resign from Nintendo.
The following list contains all games released on the Virtual Boy, including all games released either in Japan or in North America only. The Virtual Boy was released in North America and in Japan. Both the English and Japanese titles, as well as both the North American and Japanese release dates, are given when applicable.
Released games
| English title | Japanese title | Publisher | Release date North America (NA) |
Release date Japan (JP) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3D Tetris 3D Tetris 3D Tetris is a video game released for the Virtual Boy in 1996. A Japanese version was planned, to be called Polygo Block, but production of games was ceased due to lack of interest in the Virtual Boy system... |
Polygo Block | Nintendo Nintendo is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel.... |
Not released | |
| Galactic Pinball Galactic Pinball Galactic Pinball is a video game for the Virtual Boy. It is pinball game featuring several different boards, including a cameo appearance by Samus Aran-Gameplay:... |
Galactic Pinball | Nintendo Nintendo is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel.... |
||
| Golf Golf (Virtual Boy) Golf, known in Japan as , is a golf game for the Virtual Boy.. The game featured 47 virtual opponents and used Virtual Boy's 3D capabilities. Player controls a few parameters before his/her shot such as the speed of the shot, direction, type of club to use... |
T&E Virtual Golf | |||
| Jack Bros. Jack Bros. Jack Bros., known in Japan as , is the only video game developed and published by Atlus for the Virtual Boy console in 1995; its pre-production name was Devil Busters, which was soon changed.... |
Jack Bros. no Meiro de Hiihoo | Atlus Atlus is a Japanese computer and video game developer, publisher, and distributor based in Tokyo, Japan, best known for developing the console role-playing game franchise Megami Tensei. The first Megami Tensei was a Nintendo Entertainment System video game published by Namco based on a trilogy of... |
||
| — | Innsmouth no Yakata | I'Max I'Max is a Japanese video game company . Their list of titles is relatively sparse, with their only games listed on IGN being Insmouse no Yakata for the Virtual Boy and Dual Orb II for the SNES. Super Keirin, Ball Bullet Gun: Survival Game Simulation, or Dossun! Ganseki Battle were another bunch of games... |
Not released | |
| Mario Clash Mario Clash is a game produced by Nintendo in 1995 for the Virtual Boy. It is the first stereoscopic 3D Mario game. It is heavily based on the original Mario Bros.. Mario Clash did not use polygons like Super Mario 64 did. Instead, it uses 2D sprites.... |
Mario Clash | Nintendo Nintendo is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel.... |
||
| Mario's Tennis Mario's Tennis is a sports game for Nintendo's Virtual Boy video game console. Also known by its working title Mario's Dream Tennis, it was the console's pack-in game in North America. The game features eight famous characters from the Mario series. Although a two-player function was announced, it was not... |
Mario's Tennis | Nintendo Nintendo is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel.... |
||
| Nester's Funky Bowling Nester's Funky Bowling Nester's Funky Bowling is a bowling video game developed by Saffire Corporation and published by Nintendo for the Virtual Boy handheld game console. It was only released in North America on February 26, 1996. Players control Nester, a character from the Nintendo Power comics, or his twin sister... |
— | Nintendo Nintendo is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel.... |
Not released | |
| Panic Bomber Panic Bomber is a puzzle video game developed and published by Hudson Soft for the TurboGrafx-CD on December 22, 1994.-Gameplay:It is a "falling blocks" puzzle game based on the Bomberman franchise. The goal of the game is essentially to cause your opponent to lose by causing their gameplay field to fill to... |
Tobidase! Panibomb | Nintendo Nintendo is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel.... |
||
| Red Alarm Red Alarm is a game for the Virtual Boy video game console. Released in August 1995 by T&E Soft, it was one of the four titles available at the console's introduction. The game takes place 70 years in the future , where a computer named KAOS threatens to take over the world and destroy mankind... |
Red Alarm | Nintendo Nintendo is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel.... |
||
| — | SD Gundam Dimension War SD Gundam Dimension War is a Japanese-exclusive turn-based strategy game for the Virtual Boy based on the Gundam anime series. It is one of the rarest games for the Virtual Boy, sometimes reaching $1,400 on auction sites such as eBay. Along with Virtual Bowling this game was the last video game officially released for the... |
Bandai Bandai is a Japanese toy making and video game company, as well as the producer of a large number of plastic model kits. It is the world's third-largest producer of toys . Some ex-Bandai group companies produce anime and tokusatsu programs... |
Not released | |
| — | Space Invaders Virtual Collection | Taito Taito Corporation The is a Japanese publisher of video game software and arcade hardware wholly owned by publisher Square Enix. Taito has their headquarters in the Shinjuku Bunka Quint Building in Yoyogi, Shibuya, Tokyo, sharing the facility with its parent company.... |
Not released | |
| — | Space Squash Space Squash was released in Japan by Coconuts Japan in 1995 for the Virtual Boy.This game is essentially a 3D version of Pong. You control a robot who moves up, down, left and right to intercept the ball as it moves towards you. The gameplay is similar to games such as Super Glove Ball for the NES or Cosmic... |
Coconuts Japan Coconuts Japan -Famicom:* I Love Softball* Pachi-Slot Adventure 3: Bitaoshii 7 Kenzan!* Bakushō! Ai no Gekijō-PC Engine CD:*Pachiokun 3 Pachisuro & Pachinko*Pachiokun Maboroshi No Densetsu*Pachiokun Warau Uchuu-PlayStation:*King of Bowling*King of Bowling 2... |
Not released | |
| Teleroboxer Teleroboxer is a game for Nintendo's Virtual Boy video game console. The game is a boxing simulator played in the first person view.-Gameplay and premise:Teleroboxer takes place in the 22nd century, when a technology called "Telerobotics" is used, allowing people to control robots to do tasks not normally... |
Teleroboxer | Nintendo Nintendo is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel.... |
||
| — | V-Tetris V-Tetris is a Japanese-exclusive Tetris game for the Virtual Boy. It is not to be confused with the similar Virtual Boy title 3D Tetris, as the two games are entirely different. V-Tetris, unlike 3D Tetris, is mostly the same as the original Tetris games, the only difference being the cylindrical puzzle mode... |
Bullet-Proof Software Blue Planet Software Blue Planet Software, formerly known as Bullet Proof Software, is a video game developer and publisher. The original Bullet Proof Software was founded in Japan in the 1980s. Blue Planet Software was founded by Henk Rogers in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1996.... |
Not released | |
| Vertical Force Vertical Force Vertical Force is a vertically-scrolling shooter, with two layers for Nintendo's Virtual Boy video game system. It was developed by Hudson Soft and released in 1995.-Gameplay:... |
Vertical Force | Nintendo Nintendo is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel.... |
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| — | Virtual Bowling Virtual Bowling is a Japanese-exclusive bowling game for the Virtual Boy. Along with SD Gundam Dimension War this game was the last video game officially released for the Virtual Boy in Japan.... |
Athena Athena (company) is a Japanese video game developer, founded in July 1987.-Games:*Biometal *Blockids *Castle of Dragon *Championship Bowling *Daioh *De-Block... |
Not released | |
| Virtual Boy Wario Land Virtual Boy Wario Land Virtual Boy Wario Land, known in Japan as , was released by Nintendo for its ill-fated Virtual Boy system in 1995. It stars Wario in a platforming adventure quite similar to most of his other starring roles.... |
Virtual Boy Wario Land | Nintendo Nintendo is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel.... |
||
| — | Virtual Fishing Virtual Fishing is a Japanese-exclusive fishing game for the Virtual Boy. It was never released in the US due to negative receptions with the console.... |
Pack-In-Video Pack-In-Video is a Japanese video game publisher and developer which developed a wide range of games for the Famicom platform. The games published were mostly focused on the Japanese market although a few titles have been published abroad... |
Not released | |
| — | Virtual Lab Virtual Lab . is a Japanese-exclusive puzzle game for the Virtual Boy. Its working title was Chiki Chiki Labo. It is often thought of as being the worst Virtual Boy game released. It was the last Virtual Boy game released in Japan.... |
J-Wing | Not released | |
| Virtual League Baseball Virtual League Baseball Virtual League Baseball, known in Japan as , is a baseball video game developed and published by Kemco for the Virtual Boy. A sequel titled Virtual League Baseball 2, was planned, but later became cancelled due to the poor sales of the Virtual Boy console.-Gameplay:There are three modes of play in... |
Virtual Pro Yakyū '95 | Kemco KEMCO , sometimes referred to as Kotobuki System Co., Ltd., is a Japanese video game developer and publisher established in 1984 as a subsidiary of Kotobuki Engineering & Manufacturing Co., Ltd, located in: Seika, Japan.... |
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| Waterworld Waterworld (Virtual Boy) Waterworld is the name of various video games released for the Super Nintendo, Virtual Boy, Game Boy, and PC based on the film of the same name, along with unpublished games for the Mega Drive/Genesis, Sega Saturn, and 3DO. The Nintendo and Sega console versions were all produced by Ocean Software,... |
— | Ocean Software Ocean Software The British company Ocean Software was one of the biggest European video game developers/publishers of the 1980s and 90s... |
Not released |
External links
- List of Virtual Boy games at GameFAQsGameFAQsGameFAQs is a website that hosts FAQs and walkthroughs for video games. It was created in November 1995 by Jeff "CJayC" Veasey and was bought by CNET Networks in May 2003. It is currently owned by CBS Interactive. The site has a database of video game information, cheat codes, reviews, game saves,...