Sandwiched somewhere in between Nintendo’s triumphant releases of its Super Nintendo Entertainment System (1993) and its Nintendo 64 (1996), a long-forgotten gaming console has been marooned on an island of obscurity. It’s name: The Virtual Boy.

At a time when video-game graphics were still in puberty, developers were racing for the next big graphics breakthrough, and virtual reality was an uncharted wilderness. In 1994, Nintendo engineer Gunpei Yokoi created a system that displayed real three-dimensional images rather than rendering the illusion of a third dimension, which was the case in all systems up to that point.

The Virtual Boy was a 32-bit monochromatic system. When looking into the display goggles, the popping picture was a simple red-on-black background. The company had determined that adding more colors would have been too pricey, causing it to retail for over $500 as opposed to the $179.95 it actually sold for initially.

It was also portable, requiring six AA batteries. To set it all up, you’d need to be sitting at a table, where you’d prop up the two-legged stand. Then, you'd attach the goggles, plug in the controller, and insert the game cartridge. See it for yourself.

Being the first of its kind, Virtual Boy was met with a media frenzy. The dedicated website, www.virtual-boy.org, chronicles all of the press links you’ll ever need to read. Electronics and gadget magazines worldwide featured product previews, inventor profiles, and more. One reviewer from Gamefan magazine said:

"I was lucky enough to spend some time with a unit here at GF and I walked away totally convinced. The day that the Virtual Boy is released I will be the first in line. To my surprise everyone in our office, right down to the toughest critics, loved this lil’ red ultimate toy. In fact, once they sat down and stuck their face in, it was hard to pry them away!"

They say any press is good press, but for every positive review came an equally defiant hater. The one-color display was a problem for many, along with the static forward-looking view. Virtual reality had promised to offer images whichever way the player turned their head.

Regardless of the media’s take, Nintendo set out to market the hell out of this one, opting to take it directly to the consumer, first-hand. Allgame.com explains that the company agreed to a deal with Blockbuster (BBI) to offer a system rental of $9.99 for two nights, along with two game cartridges. Upon return, the customer would receive a $10 coupon on a console purchase.

But sales were slow. Nintendo promised the development of a cable link-up, which would allow two players to connect and play each other at the same time. The site reports this cable was never actually released. Initial sales of the system came in 40% below Nintendo’s estimates. After only 14 games were released in the US, the line was discontinued.

It seems the world just wasn’t ready for a gaming system that was “so advanced it can’t be viewed on conventional TV or LCD screens.”