Nintendo just released two more games on their Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack’s Virtual Boy app. Let’s have a look!
Virtual Boy App
| Game | Genre | # of Players | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dragon Hopper | Top-Down 3D Platformer / Action-RPG | 1 | B |
tl;drThis never-before-released game mixes Top-Down 3D Platformer gameplay vaguely reminiscent of cult classic Jumping Flash! with some light Action-RPG elements, and its biggest flaws are due to its platform – the small screen size, the relatively small areas, and the limited color palette. Despite these flaws, it’s a shockingly unique game on Virtual Boy, and it’s a shame it never saw release prior to now. Though… well, it wouldn’t have really gotten the audience it deserved back then, would it? | |||
| Zero Racers | Futuristic Racing / Flight Simulator | 1 | C+ |
tl;drZero Racers, previously never released, is for all intents and purposes what you would get if you took an F-Zero game and had players flying through narrow corridors rather than being stuck on a track. It has its charms, but a lack of music during races, wireframe geometry that makes it difficult to see that something is a wall and not a window, and clunky physics, plus a lack of multiplayer, all keep this one from truly living up to its potential. | |||
These are the last two games announced to be coming to the Virtual Boy app, and if this truly is the final sendoff, it’s an excellent one. Both of these never-before-released games are worth playing, though one of the pair is definitely the better of the two. Dragon Hopper is genuinely a solid game that I think many would rank among the best games on the Virtual Boy if it had ever been sold in stores, and while Zero Racers has its issues, it’s still an enjoyable Racing game.
I should also note that these games release alongside a new update that allows you to change the color palette games are displayed in. You can go to the menu to the left of the game selection screen to change menu text from red and black to white and black, and you can go to the in-game screen edit menu (press in the right analog stick) and press X to change the color palette, with a decent variety of choices. It’s a bit disappointing that this only comes at what is likely the end of the app’s updates, but better late than never, I suppose.
At this point, we’ve gotten though all of the announced Virtual Boy games due to be released on this app. Will Nintendo decide to bring any other games to the Virtual Boy app? Hey, it’s possible we still might get Nester’s Funky Bowling, Panic Bomber, or Virtual League Baseball, all unlicensed games released in English. Well, I suppose only time will tell when it comes to those questions. But at this point I think I would suggest not to hold your breath waiting for any new content for this app. There’s an outside chance it could see something more, but in all likelihood this is it. As I said, as sendoffs go, this is a good one.
tl;dr – The Virtual Boy App gets new color settings and two new games, both previously unreleased: Dragon Hopper and Zero Racers. Zero Racers is an interesting but flawed spin on the F-Zero formula, while Dragon Hopper is a Top-Down 3D Platformer that’s genuinely one of the best games on the Virtual Boy app. As far as we know, this is the end of updates for the Virtual Boy, but if that’s the case, it’s a lovely sendoff to a quirky, highly-flawed game console, but one that still got a few worthwhile games.
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