When Nintendo was actively releasing virtual console titles for the 3DS, there was always one system people were dying to see: the Virtual Boy. The Virtual Boy may have been Nintendo’s biggest failure and a potential black mark on the company’s legacy, but it still is a piece of video game history that deserves to be preserved. While you can emulate the console on a PC, it’s not the same without the 3D effect, which was the entire point of the system.
Just released Red Viper, a Virtual Boy emulator that runs on the Nintendo 3DS. All official games run at full speed! https://t.co/YSP3f7Yd0X pic.twitter.com/YiNh6sG74Y
— Floogle (@Skyfloogle) February 25, 2024
Thankfully, modders are on the case! Thanks to the tireless work of Floogle, anyone with a modded 3DS system can now enjoy Virtual Boy games without the ridiculous neck and eye strain. No need to attempt to strap the headset to your face or accidentally power down the console by knocking the controller out of its port.
Will I be stuck with the Virtual Boy Red?
The most defining element of the Virtual Boy was its red-tinted screens. In an attempt to cut down on costs, Nintendo opted for red panels that, while effectively delivering 3D, were just horrid to look at. Some people may enjoy that, but Floogle’s new emulator lets you change the color of the graphics on the fly. You can set it to a calm white and almost make Virtual Boy games look like they are rendered with vector graphics.
Other features of this emulator include the ability to utilize the right face buttons as the VB’s second d-pad, utilize the touchscreen for additional controls, and obviously, the ability to output in stereoscopic 3D. If you own a New 3DS, you can also map the second d-pad to the C-stick. Floogle has stated that Circle Pad Pro support should be possible, but it hasn’t been researched yet.
Where can I get this?
If you have a modified 3DS, you can simply grab this new Virtual Boy emulator over on Github. Included in the download are steps for installing the emulator on your handheld. Any ROM files you will need to locate on your own.
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Written by Peter Glagowski
Peter has been a freelance gaming and film critic for over seven years. His passion for Nintendo is only matched by the size of his collection.
