The Virtual Boy was technically a portable gaming device, like the Game Boy, but it was much bulkier to carry around. It was released in 1995, and not long after, it was discontinued. To paint a clearer picture, Japan discontinued it in December after releasing it in July, while North America waited until 1996.
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It didn’t get the breathing room it so rightfully deserved. If Nintendo had more faith, perhaps the landscape of 3D gaming would have changed before the 3DS even came into view. Either way, Nintendo is attempting to bring the Virtual Boy back in 2026 via an add-on for the Switch and Switch 2. While they may not be the best games Nintendo has ever made, these Virtual Boy games are interesting and maybe even a little fun.
Virtual Boy Wario Land
The System’s Rotund Star
Virtual Boy Wario Land
- Released
- December 1, 1995
- ESRB
- E for Everyone
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo
- Genre(s)
- Platformer
Virtual Boy Wario Land was THE game to buy with the Virtual Boy, and it remains the best game on the system today. It’s a bit stiffer than the Game Boy games of this era, but the sprite work is amazing. Wario is well-animated with plenty of tough, goofy, and pained expressions. Players can jump back and forth between planes and gather power-ups just like the main Wario games in a fulfilling adventure of treasure hunting.
Mario Clash
An Action-Based Puzzle Game
- Developer: Nintendo
- Publisher: Nintendo
- Released: October 1, 1995 (NA)
- Platform: Virtual Boy
Mario Clash is a new entry in the Mario Bros. Series of platform puzzle games, not to be confused with a classic Mario platformer. Each level has a set number of enemies that need to be defeated before moving on. Players can aim from left to right or throw across different planes to damage enemies. The perspective takes a bit to get used to, but Mario looks great in the game, and it’s simple fun that any type of player can sit down and enjoy.
Mario’s Tennis
A Better Pinball
- Developers: Nintendo, Tose
- Publisher: Nintendo
- Released: August 14, 1995 (NA)
- Platform: Virtual Boy
Mario’s Tennis is the first tennis game based on the Mario license, which predates the N64 title by five years. While not as robust as that game, there are a few characters to play with from the start, like Mario, Peach, and Toad.
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Besides height, each character plays virtually the same, as players have to hit balls back and forth with their opponent. It’s another Mario game with some amazing sprite work and a decent back-and-forth gameplay loop.
Jack Bros.
A Forgotten Shin Megami Game
- Developer: Atlus
- Publisher: Atlus
- Released: October 1995 (NA)
- Platform: Virtual Boy
Jack Bros. Is a spinoff of Shin Megami starring two of the franchise’s biggest mascots: Jack Frost and Jack Lantern. Those two characters can be chosen from the start, along with the now more obscure Jack Skelton. Like any character, players will go through vertical dungeons, which look trippy in full VR. Collect keys, fight monsters, and then face a looming boss. It’s not the best Shin Megami spinoff, but it’s not a bad one either.
Panic Bomber
Blow Up Tetris
- Developers: Raizing, Hudson Soft
- Publisher: Hudson Soft
- Released: December 1995 (NA)
- Platform: Virtual Boy
Panic Bomber is the best strict puzzle game on the Virtual Boy, including the two Tetris games. It’s based on the Bomberman franchise, and like Tetris, players have to match blocks to eliminate them. These blocks are cuter and better animated than other puzzle games at the time, plus there were bombs to help build combos. The 3D aspects won’t come alive as well as other Virtual Boy games, but it’s a better one to play regardless.
Red Alarm
A Star Fox Clone
- Developer: T&E Soft
- Publisher: Nintendo (NA)
- Released: August 14, 1995 (NA)
- Platform: Virtual Boy
Red Alarm is technically the most impressive game on the system, which looks bad in screenshots and videos. From a distance, it looks like a bunch of lines that vaguely resemble a video game in motion.
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However, in VR, these lines come together to make things look more like what the developers probably intended. It’s a 3D shooter that plays a bit like the original Star Fox game on the SNES, which also excelled at pushing the graphical boundaries.
Innsmouth No Yakata
A Spooky Dungeon Crawler
- Developer: Be Top
- Publisher: I’MAX
- Released: October 13, 1995 (Japan)
- Platform: Virtual Boy
Innsmouth no Yakata is a pretty in-depth dungeon crawler that was unfortunately never released outside of Japan. In first-person, players can explore a mansion to find keys, bullets, and other items. It can be confusing to navigate, which was par for the course for dungeon crawlers of this era, but it’s worth a look just to see the monsters. There are some amazing 2D sprite monster models that may not be as scary as Resident Evil zombies, but they are cool to look at in 3D within Innsmouth no Yakata.
SD Gundam: Dimension War
A Tactical Shooter
- Developer: Locomotive
- Publisher: Bandai
- Released: December 22, 1995 (Japan)
- Platform: Virtual Boy
This is another Japanese-exclusive game, but SD Gundam: Dimension War has received an English patch. Maybe that means Nintendo will patch it themselves when they bring it to the Switch and Switch 2 systems. Regardless of history, players will move their mech units in a 3D space similar to other tactical Gundam games. Once combat is engaged, players will be able to fight in vertical or horizontal spaces, which is uncommon but welcome in a tactical game.
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