Did the Super Mario Bros anniversary Nintendo Direct tick off everything on your bingo card? A Mario game release? Check: Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2 are coming to the Switch in October. A new Mario movie? Check: The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is coming in 2026. A revival of the Nintendo's biggest-ever flop? Wait, what?
“Coming to Nintendo Classics... Virtual Boy!” proclaimed the announcement with a dramatic pause that sounds like it was intended for comedic effect. I'm a big fan of retro game consoles, but the whole presentation had the feel of a fan-made April Fool's joke posted at the wrong time of year.
Released in 1995, the Virtual Boy was marketed as a kind of virtual reality experience on the back of its stereoscopic 3D graphics. But if you don't remember it, I'm not surprised. It totally bombed.
The strange stand-mounted device was never released outside of Japan and North America. There were reports that the red-on-black vector-line graphics caused eye strain and vertigo, and the console was withdrawn after less than a year due to poor sales.
Suffice it to say, Virtual Boy is a device that many people didn't expect to hear Nintendo mention ever again let alone try to revive. But then this is the company that put a 3D modelling app in Donkey Kong Bananza just for the fun of it.
The plan is to gradually release 14 'classic' games from the failed device (only 22 were ever made). These will include Mario's Tennis, Galactic Pinball and Jack Bros. They'll only be available to subscribers to the premium Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack service.
You'll also need a dedicated accessory to play them: either a $99 plastic replica of the Virtual Boy or a $24.99 cardboard model (yep, it just gets funnier). Both options contain lenses that sit over the console, allowing you to see the Virtual Boy's signature stereoscopic 3D effect on either the Nintendo Switch 2 or the original Switch.
It seems most fans are as surprised as I was. “I'm unfortunate enough to know how uncomfortable using the original Virtual Boy was. Re-releasing it without any changes whatsoever is definitely a choice,” one person commented on the announcement video on YouTube.
It's bizarre, but then it's also very Nintendo. They're probably the only gaming brand that could pull something like this off thanks to the loyalty built up with die-hard fans and their ability to tap into nostalgia for retro gaming.
The worst thing is, I'll probably buy it. I never got to experience Virtual Boy the first time around, and I'm curious to know if it was really as bad as people make out.
The Nintendo Switch Virtual Boy accessories will be launching on the Nintendo online Store on 17 February. In the meantime, check out our pick of the best Nintendo Switch 2 accessories or see my pick of the best retro handheld game consoles for alternatives.
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