New Virtual Boy Footage Shows Unreleased Mario & StarFox Games

[Hadrian]

What with the big news this morning being Nintendo's upcoming reveal of the Nintendo 3DS, a system displaying "3D effects" without needing special 3D glasses, now seems like a great time to look at tech demos of Nintendo's other 3D portable, the failed Virtual Boy.

Enigmatic Youtube uploader Grooveraider recently posted this video from the 1995 Winter Consumer Electronics Show -- I believe this is the first footage of the demos at the expo ever posted online. Grooveraider explains how he captured the system's first North American preview:

"Nintendo hosted the VB demos in a small dark enclosed mini-theatre filled with attendees. We stood in a lengthy line waiting to get our chance to see the VB games for the first-time in the U.S. Nintendo wasn't allowing photography inside but I managed to pretend my camera wasn't shooting by placing some dark wire tape over the recording light. So basically I went against their policy and I had to be very careful that the Reps didn't see me recording."

Notice the demos for Star Fox and Mario Land, which were never actually turned into complete games!

Sourcey

 

[Deleted-171178]

Heres hoping for a 3DS Virtual Console release.

 

[TM2-Megatron]

Even though the Virtual Boy failed, I have to admit those videos look pretty cool. If only it'd been capable of full color.

Heres hoping for a 3DS Virtual Console release.

Ugh. Here's hoping for real cartridges.

 

[Overlord Nadrian]

Well, we should be happy, if they DID release those games we would've played them all day long and we'd be blind by now

 

[Hadrian]

Heres hoping for a 3DS Virtual Console release.

I'd love to see Wario Land VB get released again. An amazing game.

 

[_Chaz_]

The VB probably would have done better if those two game were released.

Well that and the fact that people like to not be blind.

 

[Nottulys]

I used to love that "system". I only had 2 or 3 games, and I only remember Wario Land and I forget what else. I would have definately loved that Mario Land.

 

[Advi]

So basically they were TRYING not to sell these things.

 

[syko5150]

lol i still have my Virtual Boy in a box in the attic somewhere that thing was horrible on the eyes =P

 

[Nottulys]

Yeah it was.

 

[geoflcl]

Man, I never thought I'd see Virtual Boy Mario Land in motion, let alone the Star fox VB game that I didn't even know was ever even planned!

 

[Deleted_171835]

Cool. It's little chunks of history like this that interests me. If the guy hadn't recorded this, the games may have never been known.

 

[TS1]

http://screwattack.com/videos/AVGN-Virtual-Boy

 

[Rydian]

Cool. It's little chunks of history like this that interests me. If the guy hadn't recorded this, the games may have never been known.

Speaking of which...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Fox_2
ROMs in various stages of completion can be found around.

 

[iceissocold]

Lol funny listening to them get all impressed and amazed at the different things going on. We have definitely come a long way.

 

[blackdragonbaham]

as if these titles couldn't have been brought out for the super nintendo if they really were worth to, can't understand these nostalgic emotions, first time i see a game for the vb in motion, even if its just a demo, and i really ain't impressed, lucky

 

[shakirmoledina]

it definitely seems like revival and selling of virtual boy games on the 3ds
mario looks really great for an old console... if strangely the nintendo 3ds can do similar (or logically better) then i cant see it losing