Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Oculus Rift already has a Virtual Boy emulator]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/27/oculus-rift-already-has-a-virtual-boy-emulator/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/27/oculus-rift-already-has-a-virtual-boy-emulator/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/27/oculus-rift-already-has-a-virtual-boy-emulator/#comments
While the Oculus Rift is currently the world's great hope for a future lived inside digital spaces, it's not the first stereoscopic box developers have asked us to cram our faces into. For most of us, that honor goes to Nintendo's Virtual Boy, herald of vectorized headaches (in 3D!) to 700,000 or so hopeful people with $180.

If you're one of the lucky people with an Oculus Rift development kit, however, you can now recreate that ol' black-and-red magic with VBjin-ovr, a freeware Virtual Boy emulator for the Oculus Rift. As seen in this video from YouTuber Cymatic Bruce, wherein VBjin-ovr is used to play the obscure first-person survival horror game Insane Mouse Mansion, the Rift primarily functions as a head-mounted display, as Virtual Boy games have no use for the device's various bells and head-tracking whistles.

Still, the experience seems about as accurate as one could hope for without the real deal. Is there an Excedrin emulator out there?

JoystiqOculus Rift already has a Virtual Boy emulator originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 27 Apr 2013 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>emulationInsane-Mouse-MansionOculus-RiftpcVBjin-ovrVirtual-BoySat, 27 Apr 2013 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Lost Virtual Boy game NikoChan Battle found and being re-released]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/06/lost-virtual-boy-game-nikochan-battle-found-and-being-re-release/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/06/lost-virtual-boy-game-nikochan-battle-found-and-being-re-release/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/06/lost-virtual-boy-game-nikochan-battle-found-and-being-re-release/#comments
Planet Virtual Boy forum users stumbled on a copy of the unreleased Faceball game for Virtual Boy. Known as NikoChan Battle in Japan, iterations of the game were published on a number of platforms by Bullet-Proof Software, including Game Boy and SNES.

Those looking to add the rare game to their collection are in luck; reproduction cartridges for Virtual Boy will be released in February for $100, while the ROM of the game will be free to download.

JoystiqLost Virtual Boy game NikoChan Battle found and being re-released originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 06 Jan 2013 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bullet-proof-softwarefaceballnikochan-battleplanet-vbre-releaseROMvirtual-boySun, 06 Jan 2013 10:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Nintendo tried 3D on GameCube and GBA]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/07/nintendo-tried-3d-on-gamecube-and-gba/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/07/nintendo-tried-3d-on-gamecube-and-gba/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/07/nintendo-tried-3d-on-gamecube-and-gba/#commentsIn a new Nintendo-organized roundtable discussion with the excitable Earthbound writer and all-around Japanese celebrity Shigesato Itoi, company president Satoru Iwata and Shigeru Miyamoto discuss how the 3DS came about, revealing Nintendo's long history with 3D experimentation. In fact, the company had 3D running on both the GameCube and the Game Boy Advance SP, which was also used as a test platform for the DS's touchscreen technology.

"Making three-dimensional images that can be seen by the naked eye requires a special liquid crystal, so we tested it out by putting it in the Game Boy Advance SP," Iwata reveals. "But the resolution of LCD was low then, so it didn't look that great and it never made it to being a product."

Of course, Nintendo's most famous dalliance with three-dimensional technology, the Virtual Boy (pictured), actually made it into stores, where it ... didn't do much. Miyamoto attempts to cast the odd goggle thing as a toy, like the Ultra Hand or the Love Tester, rather than what was intended to be the next step in the company's game console line. "I imagined it as something that people who were on the lookout for new entertainment or who could afford to spend a bit of money could buy and enjoy, even if the price was a little expensive," he offers. "But the world treated it like a successor to the Game Boy system."

"That was also true within Nintendo," Miyamoto adds. "Our sales department treated the Virtual Boy as an extension of our licensing business." In hindsight, it does make sense for Nintendo to file away the Virtual Boy, along with its low sales and small game library, as a weird, one-off toy, instead of a true platform iteration. Of course, all the headaches it caused are probably best forgotten.

JoystiqNintendo tried 3D on GameCube and GBA originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 07 Jan 2011 20:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3dsdsiwata-asksnintendovirtual-boyFri, 07 Jan 2011 20:20:00 EST<![CDATA[Retro consoles torn apart, ancient innards exposed]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/09/08/retro-consoles-torn-apart-ancient-innards-exposed/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/09/08/retro-consoles-torn-apart-ancient-innards-exposed/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/09/08/retro-consoles-torn-apart-ancient-innards-exposed/#commentsFiled under: , ,

If you want to see just how far game consoles have come over the last few decades, check out iFixit's teardown of the Atari 2600. As you can see, there's not much to onetime king of home entertainment. Just look at how complex an iPhone 4 is in comparison! The Atari teardown was part of a full week of retro console deconstructions, including the Famicom, Magnavox Odyssey and even the Virtual Boy. Check them out for yourself -- if you think you can handle all that naked, aging PCB.

JoystiqRetro consoles torn apart, ancient innards exposed originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>atari-2600culturefamicomifixitmagnavox-odysseyteardownvirtual-boyWed, 08 Sep 2010 21:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Flashboy Plus breathes life into Virtual Boy (yes, you red that right)]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/27/flashboy-plus-breathes-life-into-virtual-boy-yes-you-red-that/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/27/flashboy-plus-breathes-life-into-virtual-boy-yes-you-red-that/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/08/27/flashboy-plus-breathes-life-into-virtual-boy-yes-you-red-that/#commentsFiled under: , ,

We apologize that we can't deliver this post to you in glorious red monochrome 3D. Unfortunately, that technology hasn't been invented yet and hopefully never will be. So here in boring old 2D, we bring you news that Nintendo's unloved offspring, the Virtual Boy, is back. Well, sorta. It's back in the sense that someone has actually made a new flash cart that allows for homebrew devs to make games for it. (Or -- and this is never going to happen -- unscrupulous individuals to play pirated ROMS on it.)

That "someone" is Richard Hutchinson and the something he's built is the Flashboy Plus. Hutchinson introduced the original Flashboy back in 2007; the Plus model, costing $130 and already sold out until late this year, can store one game and has battery backup for a single save slot. (Swap games and that save state gets wiped, too.)

We know it's a long shot, but perhaps this device will lead to fan ports of 3DS games to the superior Virtual Boy. Mark our words: Glasses-free 3D is a fad; nothing is more immersive than pressing your face into a sweaty eye hood for hours at a time.

JoystiqFlashboy Plus breathes life into Virtual Boy (yes, you red that right) originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 27 Aug 2010 01:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>flash-cartflashboy-plushomebrewnintendorichard-hutchinsonvirtual-boyFri, 27 Aug 2010 01:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Time ranks Virtual Boy, Farmville among top 50 worst inventions]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/30/time-ranks-virtual-boy-farmville-among-top-50-worst-inventions/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/30/time-ranks-virtual-boy-farmville-among-top-50-worst-inventions/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/30/time-ranks-virtual-boy-farmville-among-top-50-worst-inventions/#comments We rarely, if ever, write rebuttals to stories posted on the esteemed, list-friendly publication known as Time, but we've got more than a few bones to pick with its recently posted "50 Worst Inventions" list. Around every turn, the list seems to get it wrong. For instance: FarmVille? There are 70 million people who'd disagree with that one. And Virtual Boy? The world's first fully-3D game console/amateur LASIK surgery machine? That's about as progressive and brilliant as inventions get.

Check out the full list of so-called failed products on Time's site, and see if you share our feelings. Like, auto-tuning, guys? Really? One of the worst inventions ever? And Olestra? The ultimate nutritional cooking supplement? Did they read this list before they published it?

[Via Kotaku]

JoystiqTime ranks Virtual Boy, Farmville among top 50 worst inventions originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 30 May 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>farmvilleinventionslisttamagochitimevirtual-boyworst-inventionsSun, 30 May 2010 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[WRUP knows its real roots]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/17/wrup-knows-its-real-roots/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/17/wrup-knows-its-real-roots/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/17/wrup-knows-its-real-roots/#commentsFiled under: ,

We return to the roots of Joystiq's WRUP series, celebrating one of the best examples of a "missing link" between handheld and home consoles. Nintendo's Virtual Boy wasn't exactly sure which one it was supposed to be; 13 years later, we're still not sure, either. Fun fact: Nintendo only shipped 800,000 of these worldwide. Compare that to the Nintendo DS' total sales of 2.41 gazillion units.
  • Alexander Sliwinski: I've got my first WoW raid in almost eight months tonight. It's time to prep for WotLK and relearn my Paladin. Probably get a couple more CivRev achievements (still need conquer on Deity). Otherwise, patiently awaiting Fable 2's arrival on Tuesday. I tried Amazon's new "release day" shipping, so I'm curious to see if it works.
  • Christopher Grant is turning Japanese-ah, I really think so. And truth be told, he's a very tall guy, so it might take awhile.
  • Griffin McElroy: I am currently nearing the end of Evidence: The Last Ritual (In Memoriam 2 for European readers), which, I believe it's worth noting, is much more terrifying than that Dead Space title my cohorts seem so infatuated with. I would wager that the antagonist of their game doesn't send them e-mails informing them that they are waiting just outside their door, anxiously awaiting the chance to turn their skin into some sort of hat.
  • Kevin Kelly: I'm jumping on the Dead Space bandwagon as well, and for some strange reason I started playing through the Halo 3 campaign again and I have no idea why. I'm also still trying to get the Bayonet for my Springfield Rifle in Call of Duty: World at War. Damn bolt-action gunplay!
  • Kyle Orland:
  • James Ransom-Wiley: With Dead Space put to rest (and the Phils just resting!), I'm clear to head out of town for the girlfriend's sister's law school family weekend -- that's right, folks, I'll be playing the new, WORLD EXCLUSIVE bonus content for the game of Life! In my absence, my best friend has volunteered to apartment-sit (a.k.a. shut himself in, pull the curtains, and finally sink into MGS4). Nothing quite like the first time, is there?
  • Jason Dobson: Finishing cleaning up the creepy crawlies cluttering up the Ishimura this weekend, as well as putting the finishing details on my Halloween costume. But what will Jason be?
  • Justin McElroy: OK, I think I'm finally going to crack open Dead Space. Also, I'm going to try to get some Warhammer Online. (Praag sever, Order side, I'm Amundsen, say "hi".)
  • Ludwig Kietzmann: I've got a deadline to work with this weekend. With my copy of Dead Space arriving on Monday, I'll have to clear out my survival-horror plate -- meaning Silent Hill Homecoming -- before Sunday calls it quits. When I'm not immersing myself in a corroded iron nightmare, I'll be traipsing through the more cheerful lands of Vesperia. And when real-time combat grows tiresome, I've always got my turn-based fodder to fall back on in Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood.
  • Randy Nelson: I had been planning to scare myself silly playing Dead Space. Instead, I think I'll just do something silly in LittleBigPlanet. What? It's been delayed? But I have my boxed copy right here! Wow, this really is a rare gaming experience ... in more ways than one. [Ed. Note: All those in favor of beating Randy to a bloody pulp, say "I."]
  • Ross Miller will be jumping back-and-forth between Dead Space and -- not to take as much heat as Randy LittleBigHalfNelson -- Fallout 3.

JoystiqWRUP knows its real roots originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 17 Oct 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>nintendovirtual-boyvirtualboywhat-are-you-playingwrupFri, 17 Oct 2008 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Virtual Boy blowing up in UAE]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/16/virtual-boy-blowing-up-in-uae/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/16/virtual-boy-blowing-up-in-uae/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/16/virtual-boy-blowing-up-in-uae/#commentsFiled under: ,

Want even more proof that everything Nintendo touches turns to gold? There's a new hot, impossible-to-find toy in the United Arab Emirates, and it's ... the Virtual Boy. That's right, even Nintendo's poorly conceived, poorly executed leavings are flying off the shelves.

OK, so the box of 100 of the ill-fated consoles, recently unearthed in a Dubai warehouse, is probably so popular thanks to rabid collectors wanting to snap them up, and not because the children of the UAE want to finally experience Teleroboxer for themselves. Just don't be surprised to see Nintendo including them in its NPDs next month.

[Thanks, Ben]

JoystiqVirtual Boy blowing up in UAE originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 16 Sep 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>nintendovirtual-boyTue, 16 Sep 2008 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Lost cache of Virtual Boys discovered in Dubai]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/15/lost-cache-of-virtual-boys-discovered-in-dubai/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/15/lost-cache-of-virtual-boys-discovered-in-dubai/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/15/lost-cache-of-virtual-boys-discovered-in-dubai/#commentsFiled under:

Dubai is like the most magical place in the world. They're trying to build underwater hotels, spinning buildings and now they apparently have open worm holes that lead back in time. That's the only explanation for over 1,000 Virtual Boys being discovered in a warehouse in the Rashidia area there by a business owner. It looks like you can toss out that DeLorean you got on eBay.

38-year-old electrical engineer Mohammed Omran was stoked to hear of the new surge in product, snatching one up as soon as he could. As you read this, he's probably eye-deep in red tennis players and other headache-inducing sprites. "I was chasing it in all the shops and all the markets in Dubai Khour, but everything was always vanished," he said. "It's not an easy system to find."

That probably has to do with it making you feel like your eyeballs are melting after 10 minutes of gameplay.

[Via Kotaku]

JoystiqLost cache of Virtual Boys discovered in Dubai originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 15 Sep 2008 21:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dubaidubai-virtual-boynintendonintendo-virtual-boyvirtual-boyMon, 15 Sep 2008 21:07:00 EST<![CDATA[Virtual Boy looks cool for the first time ever]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/05/virtual-boy-looks-cool-for-the-first-time-ever/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/05/virtual-boy-looks-cool-for-the-first-time-ever/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/05/virtual-boy-looks-cool-for-the-first-time-ever/#commentsFiled under:


It turns out that staring at red-on-black images isn't so bad when you don't have to cram your face into a machine to do so. This shirt, created for German Virtual Boy fansite vr32.de, almost makes the Virtual Boy's reviled display palette appear ... artistic. As if Nintendo limited the display of the system because it would look cool, and not for technological reasons. It looks great on a shirt, anyway.

It features a Virtual-Boy-as-octopus design on the front and Planet Virtual Boy branding on the back. We doubt that many were made, but for the moment they're available for 17 Euros plus shipping (which would probably be a lot!) by contacting Planet Virtual Boy's DrAetzn.

[Via Nintendo-Online]

JoystiqVirtual Boy looks cool for the first time ever originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 05 May 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>shirtshirtsvirtual-boyMon, 05 May 2008 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Become a Virtual collector]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/26/become-a-virtual-collector/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/26/become-a-virtual-collector/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/26/become-a-virtual-collector/#commentsFiled under:


New to Nintendo handhelds with the DS? Interested in learning firsthand about one of Nintendo's weirdest, most baffling missteps? Or maybe you just want the full catalog of releases for a Nintendo system, and want to take the easiest way out? The DS has hundreds of games-- you can't collect all of those! Maybe you love red.

Whatever the (crazy) reason, you now have the opportunity to buy the full set of US-released Virtual Boy games for $1,500 (or best offer.) They're all complete in their boxes, where they should remain for all time. It even includes Nester's Funky Bowling, the only game to star a character created for Nintendo Power magazine! Well, the only game other than Pilotwings 64, which kind of featured Nester as well.

[Via GameSniped]

JoystiqBecome a Virtual collector originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 26 Oct 2007 18:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ebaynesters-funky-bowlingoh-god-my-eyesvirtual-boyvirtualboyFri, 26 Oct 2007 18:40:00 EST