I spent $100 on the Nintendo Switch Virtual Boy accessory and have zero regrets

The Virtual boy is one of Nintendo's biggest failures. Originally released in 1995, the Virtual Boy was Nintendo's first major foray into stereoscopic 3D. Criticized for its high price and being completely uncomfortable to play, Virtual Boy failed to even reach 1 million units sold and was abandoned in less than a year, its last game being 3D Tetris in March 1996.

Nintendo eventually took another crack at 3D with the Nintendo 3DS and found much more success with its glasses-free 3D gimmick. When the 3DS started receiving games from older Nintendo platforms, it seemed like an obvious choice to bring Virtual Boy titles to the handheld, even if the device's library wasn't very well received. When that never happened, many assumed that Nintendo was fine with letting Virtual Boy and its games rot in the 90s, which made the reveal of Virtual Boy games coming to the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack that much more shocking.

Nintendo Switch Online adds Balloon Kid and Yoshi to the Game Boy: Nintendo Classics app.

Family

Nintendo Switch Online users now have two more Game Boy classics to play

Nintendo is surprising Switch Online subscribers with a new shadow drop of two classic Game Boy titles from the early 90s.

Unlike the 3DS, the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 don't support glasses-free 3D, so playing Virtual Boy games on the console requires a $100 accessory. The Virtual Boy Switch accessory mimics the original device and acts as a shell that gamers can slide their Switch consoles into to play Virtual Boy games close to how they were played in the mid-90s. Despite Virtual Boy's incredibly bad reputation, I took the plunge and bought the $100 accessory to give Virtual Boy games on the Switch a shot, and I've been surprised by how much fun I've had with it.

Most virtual boy games are bad, but there is a big diamond in the rough

3D Tetris
Galactic Pinball
Golf (1995)
The Mansion of Innsmouth
Red alarm
Teleroboxes
Virtual Boy Wario Land

Seven Virtual Boy games are available to play on Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack as of this writing. There is 3D Tetris, Galactic Pinball, Golf (1995), The Mansion of Innsmouth, Red alarm, Teleroboxesand Virtual Boy Wario Land. They all look interesting thanks to the 3D gimmick, but in terms of being fun to play, they're mostly pretty lackluster experiences.

The one game that stands out though is Virtual Boy Wario Land. Often hailed as the best Virtual Boy game ever made, Virtual Boy Wario Land is a classic 2D Wario Land adventure where players hunt for treasure and fight unique bosses that cleverly utilize the unique capabilities of the device. A really fun platform game, Virtual Boy Wario Land is a whisper, and now it should be much more readily available.

Virtual Boy Wario Land being part of the Switch Online + Expansion Pack's Nintendo Classics lineup is even more appreciated due to the general lack of Wario Land on the service. There is Wario Land 3 and 4but the first two Wario Land games still not added. If nothing else, Virtual Boy Wario Land is a great way to take care of yourself while you wait for the rest of the classic Wario Land game to finally make its debut.

More virtual boy games are on the way

D-Hopper
Jack Bros.
Mario Clash
Mario's tennis
Space Invaders Virtual Collection
Virtual bowling
V-Tetris
Zero Racers

In addition Virtual Boy Wario LandI've had some fun with the on-rails arcade game Red alarm and that Punch Out-style Teleroboxes. The Mansion of Innsmouth is also an interesting horror game for the Virtual Boy, although its execution leaves a lot to be desired.

Either way, there are more Virtual Boy games coming to the Nintendo Classics line-up. Jack Bros., Mario Clash, Mario's tennis, Space Invaders Virtual Collection, V-Tetrisand Virtual bowling are all expected to make their debuts in late 2026. There will even be two previously unreleased Virtual Boy games added to the service in the form of action-adventure games D-Hopper and racing games Zero Racers. I've heard good things about Mario's tennis and I'll be sure to give any upcoming Virtual Boy game a shot.

Virtual Boy on the Switch is much cheaper than the alternative

Look, there isn't exactly a huge market for Virtual Boy hardware and games, but if you're someone like me who's curious about the platform, the Switch is the way to go to save money. Virtual Boy headsets list for around $200 a pop on sites like eBay, and the games can cost $30 or more. Virtual Boy Wario LandThe price is closer to the $100 mark, so you can save a ton of money by just buying the $100 Virtual Boy accessory for the Switch.

It's not perfect, but I still don't regret buying it

Back in the day, some of the main complaints about the Virtual Boy were that it gave people headaches and was uncomfortable to use. I personally haven't had any headaches while playing the Virtual Boy, but I have experienced some neck pain during longer gaming sessions. Still, I knew what to expect going in, and while the Virtual Boy portion of Nintendo Classics won't get as much attention from me as the other consoles on the service, I look forward to revisiting Virtual Boy Wario Land and check out the other games as they are added to the Nintendo Classics library.