Cube Posted Monday at 08:39 AM Author Posted Monday at 08:39 AM Nester’s Funky Bowling NA release: 26th February 1996 JP release: N/A Developer: Saffire Publisher: Nintendo The North American bowling game uses a mascot that was only known in North America: Nester from the Nintendo Power magazine. While the game could really have used any cartoon character, it does add a lot of charm to the game. After you bowl, you get presented with a split screen with the pins on the bottom and Nester’s (or his sister’s) reaction on the top, giving the game a bit of personality. On top of this, it also has plenty of the fun animations you get from bowling alleys for splits, misses and strikes. As a bowling game, it functions quite well. It’s slightly simpler than Virtual Bowling, with no accuracy setting, but the pins react in a much more realistic way. This, combined with the presentation, makes it quite enjoyable. Fun Remake or remaster? There’s plenty of bowling games. 1 3
Helmsly Posted Monday at 09:58 PM Posted Monday at 09:58 PM 13 hours ago, Cube said: The North American bowling game uses a mascot that was only known in North America: Nester from the Nintendo Power magazine. Hypothetically, had the Virtual Boy come out in the UK and they had thought about bringing this game here as well, I wonder if they would have changed Nestor to Seal from Nintendo Magazine, being as we never got Nintendo Power here. 1 1
Jonnas Posted Monday at 11:17 PM Posted Monday at 11:17 PM On 3/27/2025 at 9:39 AM, Cube said: I know I'm a bit late to this, but... what the actual hell is this boxart!? The girl in the middle looks like an off-model animation frame. Did someone send an early draft in the mail by mistake? And then forced a colourist to make the best out of it? Good grief! 1 2
Cube Posted Tuesday at 08:22 AM Author Posted Tuesday at 08:22 AM 3D Tetris NA release: 22nd March 1996 JP release: N/A Developer: T&E Soft Publisher: Nintendo The final published game for the Virtual Boy is a version of Tetris specifically designed for the Virtual Boy. Yet, despite being Tetris in an extra dimension, the Virtual Boy actually hinders this one as the depth does not help in any way. Luckily, the game has various ways of making the puzzle look clear, but it highlights how the depth is not integral to the game play – this kind of concept was done in the non-Tetris-affiliated Blockout. The problem with 3D Tetris is that it’s either too slow or too difficult. There’s very little middle ground between it being slow with simple shapes to going fast with really difficult to use shapes, some of which aren’t even individual blocks (one, for example, is four individual squares with one empty space between each other). In that very brief middle period, the game is enjoyable, which shows the concept can work, but it just takes too long to get there and then it is over very quickly. Poor Remake or remaster? The idea should be revisited. 2
Dcubed Posted Tuesday at 08:56 AM Posted Tuesday at 08:56 AM I've never really liked Blockout, but I don't think that the idea has no merit. I think a top-down Tetris game could be really cool if they nailed the speed and controls (Both of which have always been bad in historical versions of Blockout). Shame that TTC has never really revisited the concept since. 1
Jonnas Posted Tuesday at 08:39 PM Posted Tuesday at 08:39 PM This 3D Tetris game kinda looks like Tetrisphere in parts. Speaking of, I would imagine Tetrisphere would actually look pretty cool in 3D. 12 hours ago, Cube said: Also, I'm sorry, is that a block with hair and tits? 1 2
Cube Posted yesterday at 09:05 AM Author Posted yesterday at 09:05 AM Faceball NA release: N/A JP release: N/A Developer: Locomotive Co., Ltd. Publisher: Bullet-Proof Software The first of the two prototype games I’ll be looking at is a first person shooter, one which is actually quite old. It started off as MIDI Maze on the Atari ST and was a very early shooting game that let you daisy chain consoles together for 16 player multiplayer in the first FPS deathmatch game. It then gained a bit of infamy as Faceball 2000 on the GameBoy, where developers Xanth wanted to also have 16 players, but Nintendo rejected the cables that would have come with the game so it only officially supported four, although the code for 16 player is still in the game and someone managed to get 15 players working using GBA link cables spliced into Game Boy link cables. The Virtual Boy sequel seems like it would have been a decent version of the game. I was disappointed that it does not make use of the two d-pads for increased movement (they just do the same thing), and you can’t even move and turn at the same time. The levels take place in small arenas consisting of regular walls, destructible walls and glass walls. It’s not a particularly smooth game, but it’s decent enough. There were only ever plans for two player deathmatches in this version. This prototype only has a small number of levels, but fans of the Virtual Boy have created a version with a lot more levels. Fine Remake or remaster? A collection of the different versions of MIDI Maze/Faceball (including multiple cancelled versions) would be interesting as a kind of “documentary” game, like the sort of thing Digital Eclipse make. 1
Dcubed Posted 21 hours ago Posted 21 hours ago A natural fit for the platform. Especially seeing as how you have to stick your face into the thing. 1
Cube Posted 1 hour ago Author Posted 1 hour ago Bound High! NA release: N/A JP release: N/A Developer: Japan System Supply Publisher: Nintendo Ending the Virtual Boy retrospective on a high note, Bound High is a cancelled Virtual Boy game that was fully complete, and is actually a ton of fun. You played as a small see-through ball as it bounces up and down, with the camera looking on from above. This means you’re constantly moving backwards and forwards as the level zooms in and out. On a 3DS screen, this looks great and isn’t disorienting in any way. The objective in each level is simple: take out all enemies. Throughout the game, you’ll encounter enemies with require different tactics to defeat, and you’ll have to use various types of blocks to achieve this, such as timing your jumps on one-use blocks so that there’s an enemy on it when it vanishes, or using bounce pads to jump high up into the air to break the shells of tougher enemies. Each concept is introduced slowly before being used in more difficult situations, so Bound High constantly keeps you on your toes. There’s even boss stages for every world. The developers manage to do a lot with a simple concept. There’s also an additional mode called “Pocket and Cushion” which is like a cross between pool and crazy golf, where you have to pocket the balls in a limited time using the mechanics of the game. There’s a good amount of levels and it helps extend the game by using the satisfying core gameplay in a different way. After Bound High! was cancelled, Japan System Supply used the main character for the game and used him in a 2D platformer on the Game Boy called Chalvo 55. Fun Remake or remaster? It would have been great to see this on the 3DS, but as Japan System Supply went out of business in 2000 and parts were acquired by different countries, it might be difficult to find out who actually owns it. -- This was a really fun little side project that I was able to do on my lunch breaks. Trying these games out on a 3DS is great.
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