3D gaming is on the cusp of being cool again after some of the remarkable damage done to its reputation by Nintendo's less-than stellar Virtual Boy machine.
The onset of eyestrain and headaches did the machine no favours, but if you've picked one up and fancy playing it on a more comfortable surface, such as your prize gaming TV, your time has come. That'll be $50,000 please.
Yes, one eBay entrepreneur is auctioning off a conversion kit to allow Virtual Boy games to be displayed on a TV, negating the need for that clunky headset. Apparently the kit is one of only a few known to exist, having been used internally by Nintendo during the console's lifespan, so it's certainly a nice addition to the collection, even if it comes at such a high cost.
We covered the Virtual Boy's development in a recent Making Of article, and although most of its gaming legacy is hardly world-class, it still piques the curiosity of Nintendo collectors all over the world, many of whom will now be checking down the back of the sofa for every available scrap of spare change.
[source item.ebay.com]
Comments 17
I've been eyeing this one for a couple days. Too bad it only plays on PAL for some reason. ...and the fact that the person running the auction is only allowing BIN and offers doesn't make me interested. I just can't justify spending a huge amount for it regardless of its rarity. Only a few people in the world would have that much interest in VB, it'd probably be easier and cheaper to create an emulator that does the same thing.
Damn, 50k? I want one for my Virtual Boy, but not that much!
Really? 50,000 dollars? I understand $500 or even $5,000, but $50,000? No.
Wow. And I'm already not even willing to spend 200 just to get a Virtual Boy in the first place.
But really, since the TV set does not have rotating mirrors most of the 3D-effect would go to waste. Sure, it´ll allow you to play longer, but I feel like it would miss the point. Purely a collectors item.
Well, at least Wario Land will be a little more playable...
Nice tag: "It's nice to want things."
Looks like those who have a burning desire to play VB games without 3D headaches are still left at the mercy of the bowels of the internet.
I agree with you Gren. I also don't see the point in shelling out $200 on a VB, this will probably be something I skip entirely with the exception of my brief flirtation with in store playable displays as a child.
Maybe the person who buys it could look at the guts and make reproductions...............................
What? A guy can dream.
@SilverBlacktail: I'd like to know why nobody's done that already. Doesn't seem like it would be all that hard for a technologically knowledgable person. But seeing as I'm not one of them, I could be wrong.
There ARE emulators out there for Virtual Boy, but I have no idea if they're actually any good and I can't check on the PS3. I really want to play the VB Wario Land...and I'm still annoyed that the Virtual Boy is the only system America ever got Panic Bomber on. Seriously? Why didn't we get the SNES, TurboGrafixCD, or PSP versions? Or at least an import VC game, which has apparantely (according to GameFAQs) been available in Japan for TWO YEARS. Grumble grumble...
Feed me more cool news.
I'd want that, but 50,000 bucks!?
No console costs that much.
Panic Bomber and Galactic Pinball are my favorites.
Why would it only display on PAL TVs when the PAL region never got the system in the first place Still going by the description its probably like the N64 in that it works best with S-video (for PAL regions S-video doesn't work for the SNES, Gamecube or Wii which makes the N64 lacking RGB but using it all the more odd)
Still this makes me wonder where the Prototype Virtual Boy has got to (which has a black and white display).
Anyone who can afford $50,000 USD for a display device can afford to import an old clunky PAL TV set
BTW, does this thing at least display dual colors for 3D glasses, like maybe red/green, perhaps?
Seriously, no game accessory is worth that amount of money.
@StarDust: I really only speak for me, but its not a matter of affording to import a PAL TV. If I were crazy enough to spend that type of money, it won't sell for $50K, no one is that nuts, so that I could play it on a TV, I'd want to be able to hook it up to whatever expensive HD 3DTV I want, I wouldn't want to be limited to a clunky old PAL. No offense to any clunky old PALs. =)
WTF, I feel sorry for the fool who wasted money by buying this.
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