Virtual Boy Games

Virtual Boy Games

The Virtual Boy was the first video game console marketed as having virtual reality 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 July 21, 1995 (1995-07-21) in Japan and on August 14, 1995 (1995-08-14) 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 March 12, 1996 (1996-03-12). 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. Yokoi left Nintendo soon after the Virtual Boy's failure, but despite rumors to the contrary, he was not asked to leave the company. He completed work on the Game Boy Pocket and left of his own volition.

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.