Virtual Boy arcade cabinet induces blissful nostalgia, headaches

Nintendo's Virtual Boy may largely be remembered as a gaming disaster of epic, eye-straining proportions, but there are some (yours truly) who believe the early 3D console was simply a few design tweaks away from being one of the most totally rad systems of its time. True, this is a stretch, but if this homemade Virtual Boy arcade cabinet constructed by US modder Tighe Lory is any indication, maybe all it ever needed to succeedwas a bigger home.

Lory was inspired to build the cabinet after snagging a Virtual Boy from a local flea market and developing a newfound appreciation for the oft-maligned system.On hisblog, he reflects on his vision for the cabinet, explaining, “The Virtual Boy is considered to be a failure on the part of its designer Yokoi Gunpei. At Nintendo he had designed and produced some of my favorite game and systems. It seemed not right that the Virtual Boy be regarded poorly. So this cabinet was created to bring more attention to the Virtual Boy and how unique and fun it is and I have dedicated it in the memory of Yokoi Gunpei.”

He added he is willing to donate the Virtual Boy cabinet to GR news writer Matt Bradford's personal video game collection, and will even drive it up to Ontario himself free of charge. True, this is another stretch (read: complete fabrication), but it was worth a shot.

You can read Lory's full rundown of the cabinet's creation in the video above or on his sitehere.

June 14, 2011

[Source:Tighe Lory's BlogviaHot Blooded Gaming]

Matt Bradford wrote news and features here at GamesRadar+ until 2016. Since then he's gone on to work with the Guinness World Records, acting as writer and researcher for the annual Gamer's Edition series of books, and has worked as an editor, technical writer, and voice actor. Matt is now a freelance journalist and editor, generating copy across a multitude of industries. 

Latest in Gaming
GDC The Game Developers logo
When is the Game Developers Conference 2025 and why is it so interesting?
Pokemon Legends: Z-A screenshot
Everything announced at Pokemon Presents 2025
Saros screenshot featuring the main character and am imposing monster in the background with a swirling void in its chest and multiple arms with balls of fire
Everything announced at the PlayStation State of Play February 2025
Close up shot of an anime schoolgirl with a superhero mask over her eyes in a screenshot from Mightreya.
My Steam wishlist is bigger than ever thanks to the indie devs flooding social media with 15-second clips explaining their games
FGS Spring 2025
The Future Games Show Spring Showcase is back and will have a new live segment from the GDC event floor
A close-up of the Doom Slayer in the upcoming PC game, Doom: The Dark Ages.
Xbox Developer Direct 2025: date, time, and where to stream the showcase
Latest in News
Monster Hunter Wilds Nu Udra Palico
Monster Hunter Wilds players are so obsessed with Palico armor that turns your cute cat into a freaky little octopus that even Capcom is sharing fan art of it
A screenshot shows the cat protagonist of Monster Hunter Puzzles waving a wand while wearing a Cinnamoroll costume.
Monster Hunter gets the collab of the century: Hello Kitty Island Adventure’s resident stalker Cinnamoroll joins Capcom’s puzzle game to stare at you without blinking
Daredevil: Born Again
Daredevil: Born Again episode 1 has a heartbreaking and deep-cut Easter egg from the comics
The Sinking City 2
After a years-long battle with its publisher, Ukraine-based studio reveals first gameplay footage of survival horror sequel The Sinking City 2, launches Kickstarter, and hits $100,000 goal in hours
The cast of Thunderbolts
Thunderbolts director says the new Marvel movie is inspired by Toy Story 3: "Can they get out of the trash can together?"
Starfield
Bethesda breaks silence as Starfield fans hope for an update: "We have a lot of exciting things planned for the game this year"