Virtual Boy Prices

[vince220]

Does anybody know what Nintnedo's Virtual Boy was priced at when it was discontinued?

[Jack]

I bought a brand new one for about $30 at Toys R Us shortly after it was discontinued.

[bvharris]

Were you looking for the price before or after the extensive optometrist visits?

[EarthBoundX5]

I remember when they dropped to like $5 - $10 (could be wrong but I swear it went down to that), but I never got one, probably should have

[depascal22]

Nintendo should pay you $5-10 just for the glasses you'll need afterwards.

[Richard Kain]

The humor you're getting in this thread boils down to this...

It freaking HURTS to play the Virtual Boy.

As a proud Virtual Boy owner, I can confirm that this is indeed the case. Any attempt to play the Virtual Boy for longer than half an hour results in a burning, searing pain in your eyes/forehead area. It doesn't matter which game you attempt to play, this system will give you a headache.

The Virtual Boy is one of those oddities of the video game industry that is a good idea to collect, and a bad idea to actually use. (much like the Atari Jaguar) You should be able to find one on EBay or Craigslist for a reasonable price. I would imagine that you should be able to acquire the unit itself for $50 or less. (something in the $30 area sounds right)

[vince220]

I'm not actually interested in buying one. I was just asking out of curiousity.

$5 to $10 would have been a great deal for a console that had been $180 just a year before- even if it was as awful as you guys say it was.

[flameofdoom666]

I want one really badly, just for Wario.

[Richard Kain]

Strange but true. The Virtual Boy was designed by Gunpei Yokoi, who was a legend in the video game hardware industry. He was involved in the development of the Famicom, and was credited for the design of the wildly successful Game Boy. His original idea for the Virtual Boy was to have full-color screens and graphics, but Nintendo corporate nixed that due to the production cost it would have added to the system.

It is believed that the super-bright and super-contrast graphics created by the red and black Virtual Boy are what causes the pain in the user. With a full-color display, the Virtual Boy could have probably been played comfortably for hours on end. Not to mention that the games would have looked even better. Nintendo's attempt to cut back on the production costs of the Virtual Boy were the most direct cause of the system's failure. Poor Gunpei Yokoi was used as a scapegoat for the Virtual Boy's descent, and his career never really recovered. He died in a car accident a few years later. A bit of a tragic tale, for both the hardware, and its creator.

[Chairman_LMAO]

Yokoi's story is pretty tragic. Unfortunate end to a man who gave the industry so much. :(

I have a Virtual Boy. I got it at a yard sale, and the battery pack was corroded. A little baking powder and water paste lifted most of it off, though, and I'm able to play it just fine. I don't though, because it sucks batteries like crazy, so I just keep it in my room as a display. Looks pretty sweet, if I do say so myself.

[Jhuntley]

I want one really badly, just for Wario.
Oh no you don't.

[Fire_Thief]

I have one! But it got lost, along with Mario Tennis and Wario Land... >___< UGH!

I played it a good bit and never got sick. Wario Land was awesome. I still had Mario Clash, but sold it on eBay for like 11 bucks.

Maybe its in the attic... Gosh I want that thing back so badly...