Nintendo Is Bringing Back Its Worst Console

In 1995, Nintendo released what is inarguably its worst console. The Virtual Boy sold a little over 700,000 units, which may sound like a respectable number, but Nintendo’s second-worst-selling console, the Wii U, sold about 21 million units as a point of comparison. Despite price drops, it couldn’t pick up steam; a European launch was cancelled, and the platform disappeared into oblivion just a few months later. Only 14 games were released for it, and all its follow-up games, even ones advertised on the back of the console’s box, were cancelled.

My wife bought one for me a few years ago after noticing I kept looking at them on our shared eBay account. I have always been fascinated by the system and wanted to play what many reported to be its best game, Virtual Boy Wario Land. So, I did. And it’s a good game! But it’s a terrible system.

The only acceptable way to play is by sitting on a table and stacking any manner of object below its flimsy stand so it can meet your eye level. It displays its games as two images, one in each eye, with glaring red lines against a black background. The effect was impressive for the time, but you truly cannot play long without inducing a headache, and every one of its games builds suggested breaks into their design.