With the 3DS around the corner, we take a look back at Nintendo's other attempt to crack the world of three dimensions
Everybody has an awkward secret that they’d rather not share with the world. Be it an old school photo that showcases your crimes against fashion or an acutely embarrassing vinyl LP in your record collection that you simply can’t bear to part with, we keep these things hidden from the world in the hope that if we ignore them they might cease to exist.
In the case of Japanese video game giant Nintendo, the Virtual Boy is unquestionably its ‘dirty little secret’. More than a decade after this unusual console sank almost without trace after enduring a period of consumer indifference the likes of which its parent company had never previously experienced it remains a by-word for dubious video game hardware.
The genesis of the Virtual Boy came about when Nintendo was approached by US firm Reflection Technologies in the early ‘90s. Reflection was attempting to find a buyer for its independently-produced display technology and Game Boy creator Gunpei Yokoi was quick to spot potential in the system; he hit upon the notion of using two displays to create a three dimensional image. In 1992 Nintendo acquired exclusive worldwide video game licensing rights to Reflection Technologies’ innovative system and Yokoi’s Research & Development 1 team set about creating the console that would be the first fruit of this union.
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Feature: The Making of the Nintendo Virtual Boy - Nintendo Life: Retro
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