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After seeing an announcement a while back, Nintendo has finally unleashed the launch details for its Virtual Boy offerings.
Virtual Boy is back
Okay, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Virtual Boy is indeed back, but not quite yet. As most Nintendo fans likely know, the gaming giant had announced that console’s library would be making the leap to both the Switch and Switch 2 platforms.
The renaissance would take place as a part of the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription service. And while it’d include the games, it’d be paired with the release of some optional hardware. Both a higher-end, replica Virtual Boy peripheral and a cardboard facsimile (both for use only with a Switch/Switch 2 console) saw pre-orders via Nintendo’s online shop.
As for the games though, those didn’t really get a full delving into. That’s to say, until today. This morning, Nintendo finally revealed what the launch lineup would be, and it’s pretty packed. Not only will fans get the big names, including Wario Land, but smaller titles as well. And yes, that includes some games that didn’t see western releases. The Mansion of Innsmouth anyone?
What you remember, and more
For those who remember playing the original Virtual Boy back in the day, you likely also recall just how limited the library was. This platform wasn’t exactly one of Nintendo’s bigger hits after all (and that’s putting it mildly). As such, it was canned pretty quickly, and the choice of games isn’t all that deep.
Again though, there are some true bright spots, like Wario Land, Red Alarm, and Teleroboxer. As you can see from the trailer above, all of those will be making the leap to Switch platforms for this launch. Here’s the full rundown on what’ll be out and ready to play on day one:
As you can also see, this isn’t going to be a one and done launch. Nintendo has multiple titles on track for this year, including games like Mario Clash, Jack Bros, and Mario’s Tennis. Excitingly too, on top of those are games that never saw the light of day at all. Fans can look for Zero Racer and the neat looking D-Hopper on that end.
We’re hoping much more from the ‘previously unreleased’ category is coming too. Not that we have a line on anything, this is just wishful thinking, but it’d be great to see what the console might’ve been able to accomplish if it was given a little more time. We’ll see how it shakes out.
Modern niceties? Yep
This wouldn’t be a modern ‘retro’ release if it didn’t bring in a few upgrades, now would it? As with all of the Nintendo Switch Online titles, the Virtual Boy category will indeed have those, and they’re mostly what you might’ve expected to see. Stress “mostly”.
Players will be able to change the button layouts, as well as rewind their gameplay. It’s always nice to have those options in place, especially given the difficulty of some older titles. Though whether you actually use them or not is, of course, entirely up to you. There’s one more feature as well, set to arrive some time after launch, and it’s an intriguing one.
We assume it’s probably going to be a fan favorite option too, as it is the ability to change the screen color. This is only usable for those who have the plastic replica unit however, not the cardboard one, so keep that in mind. If you’re getting that model though, and you’re in the camp that the red/black color scheme is not all that conducive to extended play sessions, you’ll have some options.
Players who grab that peripheral will be able to alter the color of the graphics to green and black, white and black, and even something that very much resembles the iconic pea-green shades of the original Game Boy. Pretty slick. Will any of the options will make the Virtual Boy less headache-inducing? Fingers crossed.
As for when all of this will be hitting, the first games arrive on February 17th, so only a few weeks from now. Both of the add-on peripherals will be released on that same day as well, according to Nintendo’s online shop. The rest of the 2026 offerings, including that update with the ability to change screen-colors, will be along some time later this year. No dates have been served up just yet, but you can read more on Nintendo’s official Virtual Boy page here.
