Nintendo Virtual Boy facts for kids
The Virtual Boy was a unique game console made by Nintendo. It was designed to be somewhat portable (easy to move around). What made it special was its two screens that showed games only in red and black colors. To play, you had to place your face right up to the system. Each eye saw a slightly different image, which created a cool 3D effect, making games look like they had depth.
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How the Virtual Boy Created 3D Images
The Virtual Boy didn't use regular LCD screens like many devices today. When Nintendo first tested LCDs, they caused blurry images and made players see double. Instead, the Virtual Boy used a special method.
For each eye, there was a line of 224 tiny, very bright lights called LEDs. These LEDs would flash on and off extremely fast in specific patterns. A lens would then make this line of lights look bigger. A vibrating mirror would quickly reflect each line of light into your eye. Because the lights flashed so fast, your brain would combine them to see a full picture. This is called persistence of vision.
Health Concerns for Players
Unfortunately, the fast flashing of the lights caused problems for some players. Many felt sick, dizzy, or got headaches after playing for a long time. To help with this, Nintendo added an "automatic pause" feature. This feature would stop the game every 30 minutes. It reminded players to rest their eyes and take a break.
History and Release of the Virtual Boy
The Virtual Boy was first sold in 1995. However, it was not very popular with consumers (people who buy things). There were several reasons why it didn't sell well.
Why the Virtual Boy Was Not Popular
- High Price: The console was quite expensive for its time.
- Monochrome Graphics: Games were only in red and black. Most other consoles offered full color.
- Eye and Neck Strain: Playing for long periods could hurt players' eyes and necks.
- Need for a Stand: The system needed a stand to be played, which made it less portable.
- Competition: Many people were saving their money for the upcoming Nintendo 64, a more advanced console.
Nintendo tried to lower the price many times, but the system still did not sell well. Because of this, Nintendo stopped making the Virtual Boy in 1996. Only 22 games were released for the system in Japan and North America.
Popular Games for the Virtual Boy
Even though it wasn't popular, some games for the Virtual Boy were well-liked. These include Mario Tennis and Virtual Boy Wario Land. In Japan, Virtual Boy Wario Land was known as Wario Cruise.
The Creator of the Virtual Boy
The Virtual Boy was created by Gunpei Yokoi. He was also the person who designed other famous Nintendo products, such as the original Game Boy and the Game & Watch handheld games.
Images for kids
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The screens of the Virtual Boy
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The Virtual Boy controller, and battery pack instead of AC adaptor
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Mario's Tennis, the North American pack-in for Virtual Boy, is converted by an emulator to anaglyphic red and blue format, to simulate the Virtual Boy's stereoscopic display on a 2D display.
3D red cyan glasses are recommended to view this image correctly.
See also
In Spanish: Virtual Boy para niños
