Nintendo has gambled a lot when it comes to releasing video games and consoles. For example, it was risky releasing the NES because of the video game crash a few years earlier with Atari. But thanks to marketing the console as a toy, the NES sold well, which led to Nintendo becoming a global phenomenon. However, one gamble that didn’t pay off was the Virtual Boy, which was a 3D-capable system released in 1995.
It was barely around for a year before it was discontinued, which meant many projects were canceled. Now, decades later, Nintendo is going to re-release the Virtual Boy as an accessory to the Switch 2 in 2026, with games added to their online library. The unit will cost $100, which is a lot for an accessory for a small number of games. If Nintendo wants to give players a reason to keep the accessory, here are some clever ways they can extend its life.
Make New Games
If Indies Can Do It…
The best thing Nintendo can do with this new peripheral is to support it better than the original Virtual Boy. Between all territories, there were only twenty-two games made before the system was discontinued after about a year of support. Even though the system is considered a flop, it does have its fans.
There was a thriving community that made homebrew Virtual Boy games and demos that ran on emulators. There are demos for a Virtual Boy Star Fox and Mario Kart game, for example. If indie developers can make Virtual Boy games, then so can Nintendo. It may not be easy to make something this old using modern hardware, but if anyone can figure it out, it’s Nintendo. Hopefully, they will release these games freely into the online retro library.
Support These Games With New Content
Let North America Experience Some Lost Gems
There were a few games for the Virtual Boy that never left Japan, like Innsmouth no Yakata and SD Gundam: Dimension War. These two games are still worth playing today, and SD Gundam: Dimension War at least has an English fan patch. It would be great if Nintendo officially re-released these games with full English support. That’s one way Nintendo could update these games, but there are other possibilities too.
For example, on the various virtual console libraries, like the SNES and the NES, Nintendo released special versions of games. These special editions warped players to certain sections of the game or gave them a lot of power-ups. Some examples include Metroid, Ninja Gaiden, and Super Mario Kart. Nintendo could add special editions of Virtual Boy games too.
Create A Virtual Boy Remix
A Powerful Successor To NES Remix
This idea goes beyond the special editions in the online libraries and calls back to one of the best things about the Wii U. There were two NES Remix games on the Wii U, which took classic NES games and turned them into bite-sized mini-games. For example, players could collect a certain amount of coins in a Mario game or slay enemies in a Zelda game.
The coolest levels were the ones that put characters into other games, like controlling Kirby in a Mario game. Nintendo could make a Virtual Boy Remix game with the same idea. This may be harder to do in 3D, but the Remix series should return in some form, be it Virtual Boy, SNES, Game Boy, or some other medium.
Add 3D Support For Retro Games
Like The 3DS NES Ports
The 3DS had a lot of great ideas built into it, and Nintendo experimented with some features through the eShop. Nintendo re-released several NES games in 3D, including Kirby’s Adventure and Kid Icarus. They looked amazing in 3D and played a bit better too. Sega re-released some classics too, so the overall idea was a lock for retro fans.
Nintendo could do this again by deconstructing NES games, to start, and adding 3D layers. Playing The Legend of Zelda with blaring red graphics may not be what everyone wants, but it is an idea Nintendo could try.
Release A Weekly Video Series
Or Trailers In 3D
Beyond retro classic re-releases, Nintendo also made short videos that were exclusive to the 3DS eShop. Certain trailers could be viewed in 3D, and there were also shorts about the cute little Pikmin creatures from their titular series. These are only a few examples, and while the eShop is now gone, some of these videos have been archived to YouTube, minus the 3D support.
Nintendo could do this again by making exclusive content for the Virtual Boy accessory. This could include trailers and short films again. Like the other video content, these things should be free too, which goes without saying.
Bring Back The 3DS
Reusing Technology
This idea is a bit more lofty, but adding 3DS support would be the ultimate goal. No one wants to experience classic 3DS games like Super Mario 3D Land or The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds with a red tint. Nintendo could release a new screen overlay to insert into the Virtual Boy for clearer vision instead.
This may be impossible, but generally speaking, fans want to see 3DS games ported to the Switch or Switch 2. So far, there have been a couple of examples, like The Legend of Legacy, Bravely Default Flying Fairy, and Luigi’s Mansion 2. They may lack 3D support now, but they could have it in the future. Even without 3D support, it would just be nice to play some classics again.
