Virtual Boy on ign

Aug 16, 2010 • 15:14

Here are some problems I have with this article:

However, there is one bellyflop in Nintendo history that is simply unavoidable. It was a failure so high profile that gamers still chortle about it today.

Who are these people “chortling” about the VB, other than gamers who have never played one? Perhaps the fact that a pretty active VB community still exists 15 years later is a testament to the fact that the VB wasn’t a complete failure.

Nintendo stuck with red LED displays so that the Virtual Boy showed only black, red, and every hue in-between.

As we know, the VB can’t show “every hue in-between” red and black. Get your facts straight, IGN.

The 3D itself was created by projecting the twin single-line displays – one for each eye – on to oscillating mirrors that tricked your vision into seeing a depth of field that wasn’t really there.

This is the most infuriating argument against the VB. They say the 3D effect is faked, but ALL stereoscopic 3D is “not really there.” It’s the same concept as modern shutter glasses, only in a red display. So if the VB is not real 3D, neither is the current 3D technology.

Between the all-red display and the somewhat jarring 3D effect, the Virtual Boy gained a reputation for taxing the eyes and causing either headaches or nausea.

No, the VB gained a reputation because people didn’t read the manual and adjust the IPD/Focus correctly. Or maybe I’m the only guy who has never gotten a single headache from playing the VB, and never had any eye strain issues. And these myths were perpetuated through word of mouth. Last time I checked, anecdotes could be passed on and embellished in ways other than the internet.

The Virtual Boy, though, insisted that the gamer give 100-percent of their attention to the game. You totally shut out the world when you put your face to the Virtual Boy.

That sounds like a selling point to me – I love the feeling of immersion you get playing the VB in the dark!

What fun is playing a game and being completely unable to share the fun with a friend? It’s not.

Oh, you mean like the way you can only see the 3D effect on a 3DS if you are staring at it right at the “sweet spot?” Maybe other people can see your game but they won’t see the 3D.

Don’t alienate the ones who don’t want 3D. Let’s say you are one of those people that cannot see 3D imaging for one reason or another. Or 3D indeed made you nauseous. You never could get any pleasure out of the Virtual Boy.

This is a NON-ISSUE. What idiot who can’t see 3D or gets sick would think it was a good idea to buy a VB?

Do not depend on a hardware “gimmick” to sell the system.

The VB may be gimmicky, but the games are surprisingly deep and fun, which apparently IGN doesn’t know.

Aug 16, 2010 • 15:59

akumie

you should really only play the Virtual Boy for 15 minutes at a time and then give your eyes a rest

I always hear people who talk about the vb say 10 min or 15 min but if they actually played the vb they would know its only 20 min

The rest of the pack – including Teleroboxer, 3D Tetris, Red Alarm, and Waterworld – gave no lift to the flagging Virtual Boy.

What are they smoking?, mMario clash was ok but to say it was better then red alarm that acyually showeed the true power of the VB is just being stupid

When Nintendo pulled back the curtain on its newest handheld rig, the 3DS, at E3 2010, the comparisons to the Virtual Boy were inevitable

Many people say this but I really dont get why since the vb is still the only machine that you really feel your in the game unlike 3DS
Yes only the player who plays the 3DS might feel the 3D but not like you put ur face in the 3DS and play in the dark

even though we pour one out for the Virtual Boy today, we also celebrate the pioneering spirit behind it

Well in my opinion the vb could have made it if Nintendo made more popular games like Zelda/Link, Bomberman (not puzzle Bomberman), Mario (side scrolling), James Bond, Mario kart…

Its like nintendo makes 10 games and if it doesnt sell good it just gives up instead of giving it a 100% chance

This reply was modified 13 years, 8 months ago by akumie.

Aug 16, 2010 • 16:08

Hedgetrimmer

@ Vaughanabe13 totally agree with all points.
I have never had a head ache form playing VB, apart from when i was sick (proper sick, vomiting, fever plus a few other symptoms) and off work, bit bored thought a game would help, it didn’t. I was dumb really as i already had a bad head etc, but my VB was next to the bed and I succumbed.

Lack of knowledge on how to use these items and get enjoyment from them is generally the cause, like its been said already i bet all these thousands and thousands of people who obviously can’t play VB cos they are ‘special’ & it makes them ill just needed to set it up right, they will never know the joy they have missed out on, good, they don’t deserve to know.
When i first got my VB a buddy dropped by, not a gamer but was interested as i had it set up and playing so i got up and sat him down in my place, have a blast while i make a brew and a number I tell him, so he did, liked it but then did say it felt odd and was a little bit blurry, of course i never adjusted the focus or IPD so its bound to have an effect.

VB 3D is closer to real 3D than the latest set of movies, unless you are looking at what the director wants you to look at its blurred, you can’t focus your eyes into the background, or the foreground cos its blurred, you can with our friend though, it was one of those seminal Nintendo moments when i just looked around the screen in Tennis and found it was all there, clear and sharp if i wanted it to be, awesome. 😀

Aug 16, 2010 • 18:43

gunpeiyokoifan

Instead of the headaches/eye strain/nausea haters claim it gives you, I have a blast of a time playing my VB, it is such a unique game console 😀

I used to have this Nickelodeon magazine years back that had 3D Glasses (Red/Blue) and the magazine was filled with 3D effects and such, and it gave me a terrible dizziness and I was almost thinking 3D was bad until years later I learn what a Virtual Boy is, I wanted to try it since Red/Black sounded easier than Red/Blue and it is! Red/Blue was too much of a “flickery” too different of colors together dizzy sickening experience but Red/Black gives me the 3D Experience (along with a videogame instead of some novelty magazine I can read a few times but get bored with) without any symptoms normal Red/Blue 3D gives me (plus the console is made by Yokoi so thats even better, I can play it in tribute each time!)

I love love love my Virtual Boy! (I’d say that over and over and still mean it)

I even used to REALLY hate Red, but I was proven that it was awesome by my dear VB 😀

Aug 16, 2010 • 21:47

DaVince

The VB flopped more because what it was: it simply was too revolutionary for its time; the technology hadn’t been perfected enough yet to attract many people to it.

I can imagine especially the red-only aspect of the console was a turn-off for many.

Aug 17, 2010 • 00:43

VirtualJockey

Every gamer I’ve ever known that actually played the VB, ended up buying one. The flop was the bad media, not because it was a bad console.

Are you going to tell me that there wasn’t a better democratic candidate in the 2008 election aside from either Clinton and Obama? The media ate up the African American and Woman thing, and so did the public.

My point? In any aspect of life, people live into media hype as often the only hype. I know many people that think the Virtual boy is a lame flop and gave you headaches. I’ve even heard some say that it makes you colorblind (which is a genetic disorder). The bottom line is that NONE of said people ever played the Virtual Boy. I mean, if you read someone’s random opinion, it must be fact, right? :rolleyes

My apologies, but it strikes a vein when people that haven’t played the VB judge it with such conviction.

As for common myths about VB, they are true to a degree. I once got very nauseous playing Wario Land at a friends house. I was about 15 years younger then, and I doubt that I adjusted the IPD and focus on my friends VB. I bet if you put on a pair of a friend’s prescription eyeglasses, you’d have eyestrain and get nauseous too after 20 solid minutes of wearing them.

I can’t see any reason to hate the VB if you’ve actually played it, and took the 15 seconds to lock in the focus and IPD for your eyes.

Aug 17, 2010 • 00:56

gunpeiyokoifan

Hey, if I was not only months old when the VB was around, I would have bought/wanted to get one regardless of what people said of it 😉

I’m getting a 3DS even if everyone complains about it too (a Red/Black one, of course)

Aug 17, 2010 • 02:10

VirtualJockey

gunpeiyokoifan wrote:
Hey, if I was not only months old when the VB was around, I would have bought/wanted to get one regardless of what people said of it 😉

I’m getting a 3DS even if everyone complains about it too (a Red/Black one, of course)

Jesus, you are young. If you would have just said that, you wouldn’t have caught so much flack I think. *Compared* to you, we’re all cranky old men. (I’m only 27, but I imagine that’s a rough average age for the oldschool gamer)

And yes, a Red/Black 3DS for me too! 🙂

Aug 17, 2010 • 07:18

Hedgetrimmer

RidingHero wrote:
(I’m only 27, but I imagine that’s a rough average age for the oldschool gamer)

Oh arse, I’m far past that, does oldschool gamer still count, retirement home gamer maybe more fitting.

And oh yes, Red/Black 3DS for me too, my wife has a great metalic red/black DS we bought in the US, I’m envious of it, mostly cos the screen is still perfect, but its red.