Virtual Boy Games Ranked
Image: Nintendo Life

Nintendo is an odd company in many ways; deeply conservative in some respects, but also able to swing for the fences and invest money and resources in the pursuit of pure novelty. Time and again it puts out products that no other platform holder would have dreamed of, and more often than not those frivolities turn out to be delightfully entertaining. Not every idea can be a winner, though, and there are few more high-profile failures in the Kyoto company's back catalogue than the Virtual Boy.

Doesn't work.
Doesn't work. — Image: Gavin Lane / Nintendo Life

An odd concept for a console that delivered rudimentary (and very red) autostereoscopic 3D gaming through a built-in viewer, its development was led by legendary Nintendo engineer Gunpei Yokoi, the same man behind the Game & Watch handhelds and the all-conquering Game Boy. Virtual Boy launched in Japan on 21st July 1995, but performed very poorly, both at home and in North America. So poorly, in fact, that it never reached European shores at all; production was discontinued after only five months in its homeland.

With a catalogue of just 22 games released between both territories, it's an infamous example of one of Nintendo's more outlandish products completely missing the mark. But does it really deserve its reputation? Surely there are a couple of stone-cold classics in its library which would make tracking down a Virtual Boy worth it, no?

We've ranked all 22 games in order of merit below. To hear more about each game, check out our reviews for each and every one. That these games never found their way to 3DS feels like a real missed opportunity, that's for sure - especially to poor Europeans for whom the Virtual Boy represents a tantalising missing piece of the Nintendo puzzle. Perhaps it's time to dig through the cupboard here at Nintendo Life HQ and fire up the ol' Boy again...

22. Waterworld (VB)

And you thought the film was bad. Waterworld is an ugly, depressingly dull excuse for a game. The film might have been a box office bomb, but it really isn't as awful as its reputation suggests.

The VB game is irredeemably poor, though, and you have our permission to label your mint-boxed Virtual Boy library 'complete' with this one missing.

21. Virtual Lab (VB)

A soupily slow game that made our ears bleed, falling block puzzler Virtual Lab threatens to become passably fun at times. They're empty threats, though, and it never escapes its crushingly dull, repetitive loop.

It's not insultingly offensive, but if you're after an excuse to splurge on a Virtual Boy on eBay, this ain't it.

20. Virtual League Baseball (VB)

Oh dear. Maybe we should have started at the top? Nestling at #20 we've got the first of several sports games available for the system.

Some decent 3D effects can't disguise a game only its mother could love, and unfortunately Virtual League Baseball can't make up for its lacklustre looks with decent gameplay, either.

19. Space Invaders: Virtual Collection (VB)

3D Space Invaders might seem like the draw, but actually it's the 2D version included in this collection that captures the arcade original best. Still, there's no shortage of ways to play Space Invaders these days, so while this isn't terrible, it's hardly worth giving yourself a headache for.

18. SD Gundam Dimension War (VB)

Well-designed characters and decent 3D can't save this poorly presented and repetitive Gundam game from the dusty depths of your wardrobe following its debut in your Virtual Boy's cart slot.

SD Gundam Dimension War could have been worse. But not much.

17. Virtual Fishing (VB)

A Japanese exclusive, Virtual Fishing is far from the worst game on the system, although you know you're in trouble when that's the highest compliment you can pay.

It struggles to find the right balance between presenting a challenge and becoming boringly easy when it comes to landing a lunker. Again, not awful but also not worth flaring up your glaucoma to play.

16. Insmouse No Yakata (VB)

A first-person horror game that suffers from similar issues of repetition as many of the console's other titles, but at least it tried something different.

It all feels a little old-hat by modern standards, but as a curio in the Virtual Boy catalogue, Insmouse no Yakata may be worth a look if you're into old-school 3D dungeon exploration games.

15. Teleroboxer (VB)

Teleroboxer is the first of the Virtual Boy catalogue that could be legitimately, consistently labelled as 'fun'. Unfortunately, the experience is extremely short-lived, but while it lasts this first-person fighter isn't half-bad.

Hardly a sterling recommendation, we know, but at this stage we'll take what we can get.

14. Mario Clash (VB)

Okay, a Mario title - surely a harbinger of quality, no? Well, not quite. Playing much like an updated version of the original Mario Bros., Mario Clash is not exactly the all-time platformer we want from the plumber, but it's in a whole other league to some of the dross we've waded through to get here.

To reiterate, this is by no means essential, but it's not bad. Our quest for the killer app continues.

13. Golf (VB)

Perhaps it's our affection for sports games with plain, unadorned titles, or perhaps it's tough to make a bad golf game, but we quite like Golf.

Its lack of multiplayer and ability to save your progress hurts, not to mention its single course and inevitably repetitive nature, but the base gameplay here is solid and, as we've seen, you could do a lot worse. We give this three headaches out of five.

12. V-Tetris (VB)

The first of Virtual Boy's duo of Tetris titles, V-Tetris is Tetris and therefore hits a minimum level of quality almost by default.

It's not particularly special in any way, and not being able to save your high scores is a significant omission, but we can comfortably say without fear of contradiction that this is in the top two Tetris titles on the system.

11. Virtual Bowling (VB)

The first of the system's two bowling games, Virtual Bowling looks and sounds relatively impressive and despite lacking the ability to save your scores (lack of saves, as you can tell, is a recurring issue with VB titles), this offers a decent simulation of bowling for a single player.

10. Nester's Funky Bowling (VB)

Nester’s Funky Bowling beats out Virtual Bowling simply through the inclusion of a two-player mode, offering solid 10-pin pleasure with good animation. It's not a world-beater, but we abide.

9. Mario's Tennis (VB)

Mario has a decent history with this sport and his Virtual Boy outing (for it is patently his tennis, according to the title) doesn't sully the plumber's on-court record. Solid visuals and one of the best examples of 3D on the system make Mario's Tennis one of the console's first easily recommended games.

8. Galactic Pinball (VB)

Galactic Pinball isn't a game you'll be going back to again and again, but that counts for the majority of games on this list.

As pinball titles go, though, this is a decent one, with controls and physics which work well, and if you fancy yourself as a wizard of the pinball variety, this is your first, last, and only port of call on Virtual Boy. Fortunately, it's a pretty good one.

7. Vertical Force (VB)

Vertical Force is a fun, challenging little shooter that will keep you coming back to the game's four levels long after you've beaten them. It won't surprise you in any way, but it makes good use of the system's 3D effect and it's easy enough to find for sensible prices.

Therefore, Vertical Force is recommended for any Virtual Boy collection.

6. Panic Bomber (VB)

Panic Bomber is a good-looking falling block puzzler featuring Bomberman. Cue disappointment that it's not a proper Bomberman title, but Virtual Boy didn't have a link cable, so simultaneous local multiplayer was beyond its abilities.

Once you get over that fact, you're left with a rather fine, if simple, little puzzle game that's definitely worth a look. Worth buying the system for? Certainly not, but if you own the console already, Panic Bomber should be on your shelf.

5. Space Squash (VB)

Playing like a cross between air hockey and Pong, Space Squash makes great use of the system's 3D and controls well with its dual D-pads to provide a satisfying slice of virtual (boy) gaming. The visuals are basic yet effective and while far from a killer app, Space Squash is a very solid entry in the VB software library.

4. Red Alarm (VB)

A wireframe, on-rails shooter, Red Alarm's visuals may be crude, but the 3D effect works very well and there's plenty of variety in enemies you'll encounter throughout the game. Throw in some tight controls and you've got an impressive little game that's a must-own for the system.

3. Jack Bros. (VB)

The fact that most Virtual Boy games are short experiences is probably for the best; the system's repuation for inducing headaches means smaller games and regular breaks are preferable to some 80-hour JRPG epic.

Atlus' Jack Bros. — a spin-off of the Megami Tensei series — is a short-but-sweet top-down action game with great audio which should be near the very top of your Virtual Boy games-to-play list. It's not perfect and has plenty of untapped potential, but it's an essential purchase for any VB owner.

2. 3D Tetris (VB)

A North American exclusive, 3D Tetris shook up the standard formula by having you look down into the well as the blocks fall away from you. Having to fill in layers rather than make lines feels different to standard Tetris, and the game features 30 different block types, but the spirit of the game you know and love survives very well.

And let's face it, the proliferation of Tetris titles makes buying a Virtual Boy to play regular old Tetris a bit silly, no? 3D Tetris, though, is definitely worth investigating.

1. Virtual Boy Wario Land (VB)

Arguably the only truly indispensable title on the system, this platformer featuring Mario's greedy counterpart boasts fabulous visuals and audio to match, and plays much like Wario Land on the Game Boy. It's easily the best game on the console and one you have almost certainly played already if you are a proud Virtual Boy owner.

While it's tough to recommend buying a system just for one game--especially at current prices--this is a fine, fine outing for the anti-Mario and, although we don't endorse stealing, Virtual Boy Wario Land is worth begging or borrowing a Virtual Boy to experience.

Have you got a Virtual Boy in the cupboard somewhere? Does it still work okay? Let us know your favourite games on the ol' Boy below and feel free to invite us round for a game or two; you bring the Virtual Boy, we'll bring the water and migraine pills.