Mario Clash		Grade: A
	Publisher: Nintendo (1995) Reviewed: 2003/7/17

This game is a true showcase of Virtual Boy's 3D technology. Not only is Mario Clash loads of fun, but its unique gameplay really couldn't be duplicated on any other system. This addictive platform title plays like a 3D version of Mario Brothers. We're talking about the original Mario Bros. here - the 1983 arcade game where Mario and Luigi kick turtles and crabs off platforms. In Clash, there's a set of platforms in the foreground and background. The goal of each stage is to eliminate all the creatures on the platforms using turtle shells. Mario not only can move between both sets of platforms via pipes, but can even throw shells between the two to knock off targets in the distance. Once you get a feel for it, Mario Clash is a satisfying mix of strategy and arcade action. The early levels are fairly straightforward, but the advanced levels require some thought. The controls are responsive, and the crisp graphics make it easy to tell on what plane objects are located. With 99 levels in all, this is a must-have for Virtual Boy owners. © Copyright 2003 The Video Game Critic.

Check for Mario Clash on Ebay

1 player

Mario Tennis		Grade: B+
	Publisher: Nintendo (1995) Reviewed: 2003/7/17

Mario Tennis served as the "pack-in game" for the Virtual Boy system, and it's good one. With its close-up perspective and simple mechanics, Mario Tennis nicely shows off the Virtual Boy's 3D technology. When this was released in 1995, it was easily the best tennis game on the market. The gameplay is similar to the excellent Nintendo 64 version that was released years later. Viewing the action from behind your player, the court conveys amazing depth. The black background makes it look like you're playing at night, although you can see some scenery in the background. The ball is large and easy to follow, and you simply press A for normal shots and B for lobs. Overhead smashes are executed automatically when the ball is returned soft and high near the net. Many of your favorite Nintendo characters are playable, including Mario, Luigi, Koopa, Toad, Donkey Kong Jr., Yoshi, and Princess Toadstool. You can play single matches, tournaments, and even doubles! The only drawback to doubles is how you can't always see what your partner is doing due to the close camera angle, but it's still a nice option to have. To excel at Mario Tennis, you really need to learn how to play the net, since overhead smashes and drop shots are key to beating the game on the hard level. Mario Tennis is a quality title that set the standard quite high for Virtual Boy games. © Copyright 2003 The Video Game Critic.

Check for Mario Tennis on Ebay

1 player

Nester's Funky Bowling		Grade: A
	Publisher: Nintendo (1996) Reviewed: 2004/3/23

I wouldn't necessarily call it "funky" per se, but Nester's Funky Bowling is a heck of a lot of fun. Unlike other Virtual Boy games that emphasize elaborate 3D effects, Nester's Bowling is so basic that you'll barely even notice the graphics. That's okay, because its fast pace, simple control scheme, and addictive gameplay will have you hooked from the start. After lining up your bowler, you engage simple spin and power meters to initiate your roll, and together they provide a remarkable degree of control. Like most bowling games, your initial point of view is from behind your player, but after the ball is thrown you get a close-up of the pins. The pins look decidedly flat but at least they ricochet around realistically - making it possible to pick up some tough splits. Nester's soundtrack is very good, and there are some amusing animations when you throw a split, spare, or strike. In addition to normal bowling, there's also an addictive "challenge" mode that presents you with various pin combinations to knock down. Nester's Funky Bowling is a pleasant surprise, and quite possibly the most entertaining bowling game I've ever played. © Copyright 2004 The Video Game Critic.

Check for Nester's Funky Bowling on Ebay

1 or 2 players

Red Alarm		Grade: F
	Publisher: T&E Soft (1995) Reviewed: 2003/8/3

Ugh - I don't like this one at all. I kind of expected the Virtual Boy to have a 3D shooter like this, but never expected it to be this bad. In Red Alarm you guide a spaceship through 3D underground caverns while blasting wire-frame enemies. The A and B buttons let you speed up or slow down, and R is used to fire. In addition to your main cannon, there's a confusing lock-on system that lets you fire homing missiles. The L button initiates sharp turns needed to navigate some of the more tricky corridors. Red Alarm makes you fly under barriers and between posts a lot, bringing to mind the original Star Wars arcade game. Thank goodness you don't incur damage for scraping against walls! You'll encounter some cool enemies, like a wall that transforms into a face, but Red Alarm may have been too ambitious for its own good. There are so many enemies and explosions on the screen that you often can't tell what's going on. Changing to a third-person view helps, but there are other problems. The screen is cluttered with far too many gauges and indicators, and it's hard to maintain control while using the L button due to the choppy frame rate. The boss stages are almost unbearable because they take place in enclosed arenas, forcing you to constantly turn around. Upon losing your ship, you're sent all the way back to the beginning of the stage - talk about demoralizing! Red Alarm could have been a decent game, but it tries to do too much and collapses under its own weight. © Copyright 2003 The Video Game Critic.

Check for Red Alarm on Ebay

1 player

Teleroboxer		Grade: B+
	Publisher: T&E Soft (1995) Reviewed: 2003/8/3

This innovative boxing game is the most intense title I've played on my Virtual Boy, and without a doubt the most visually compelling. Sporting a first-person point-of-view, Teleroboxer challenges you to box a series of fearsome robot warriors. Most of the fighters seem inspired by animals like an ape or kangaroo, and each has some kind of special ability that will alter your strategy. Telero's graphics are stunning - I'd give them an A+. Your opponents bob and weave fluidly, and their fists move toward you in 3D. Your punches are effectively rendered by floating fists, and you can throw jabs, hooks, and uppercuts. The clever control scheme takes advantage of the symmetrical design of the Virtual Boy controller, letting you easily dodge, guard, and duck. Teleroboxer is a perfect fit for the Virtual Boy, but it's very challenging. After the first opponent, the difficulty ramp is steep, which kind of turned me off. Advanced opponents require more of a defensive approach, so you'll need to block their punches before getting a chance to connect. The cartridge saves up to three records, so you don't have to go back and fight old opponents. Hards as nails but visually stunning, Teleroboxer is a game any Virtual Boy fan should own. © Copyright 2003 The Video Game Critic.

Check for Teleroboxer on Ebay

1 player

Vertical Force		Grade: D
	Publisher: Nintendo (1995) Reviewed: 2003/7/17

Every system needs a good shooter, and Vertical Force tries to fill that niche for the Virtual Boy. The Video Game Critic loves shooters more than anything else in the whole wide world, but I just couldn't get into this one, no matter how hard I tried. Despite some cool ideas, Vertical Force's gameplay is woefully uneven. This vertically-scrolling shooter is played on two planes (the foreground and background) and in some ways, it's like playing two shooters at the same time! The game makes fine use of the Virtual Boy's 3D capabilities, but it's simply not that much fun. You can move between planes using the A button, which is not only necessary to reach all enemies, and also to dodge enemy fire and avoid crashing into structures. Instead of lives, you have one damage meter that decreases whenever you run into something, which makes the game a lot easier. Another unique element is the "drones" you can collect. These well-armed remote devices can attack independently, and often do most of your work for you! They zip around the screen and between the two planes, destroying enemies like heat-seeking missiles. Three types of drones can be swapped in and out on the fly, which sounds cool but gets confusing in the heat of battle. Vertical Force's layered graphics do the job but aren't particularly impressive. The game isn't very easy on the eyes, with many large, overlapping, red platforms in the later stages. Some bosses are innovative (like the elevator boss in the screenshot), but they tend to repeat. A few sound effects, like the laser fire, are so high pitched that I wanted to turn the volume down. Another annoyance is how the game doesn't bother displaying your score when it's over. What's the point of even keeping score if you can't see it?? Shooter fans might enjoy the novelty value of Vertical Force, but once that wears off, you're stuck with a very mediocre game. © Copyright 2003 The Video Game Critic.

Check for Vertical Force on Ebay

1 player

Virtual League Baseball		Grade: B
	Publisher: Kemco (1995) Reviewed: 2003/7/17

I've read several negative reviews of this game, but Virtual League Baseball has an old-school vibe that I find appealing. The game's behind-the-batter perspective gives you a perfect view of incoming pitches, and you easily position your batter or pitcher. I much prefer this game's simple pitching meter over the tedious "pitching cursors" employed by most modern baseball games. Once the ball is hit, the screen shows the entire field with tiny fielders and one large, easy-to-follow ball. Despite the size of the players, the graphics aren't bad and the stadium looks terrific, with a bridge and mountains in the background that suggest San Francisco. That moon looks funny though - as if it's hanging directly over the center field fence! I also really dig the catchy music that loops over and over. The controls are quite intuitive, letting you dive for grounders, bunt, and steal bases with no problem. You can even juggle your roster, pinch-hit, and pick off runners trying to steal. So what's wrong with this game? Well, it's never easy to position those tiny fielders, and they all move in unison. You move your second baseman over to catch a grounder, and now your first basemen is near the dugout! Even lazy fly balls can be an adventure. Runners move too fast, and there are far too many homeruns. The teams aren't of the major league variety, but foreign countries. Typical of Japanese baseball games, when one team gets ahead by ten runs they automatically win "by domination". It's odd, but not necessarily a bad thing! The game offers a "versus computer" mode, an all-star game, and a "pennant race" mode that challenges you to beat all of the other teams (a password is provided). I enjoyed Virtual League Baseball, although a nine inning game can run pretty long for a Virtual Boy session. If the fielding were a little more forgiving, this would be a must-have game. © Copyright 2003 The Video Game Critic.

Check for Virtual League Baseball on Ebay

1 player

Wario Land		Grade: A
	Publisher: Nintendo (1995) Reviewed: 2004/3/23

Wario Land combines the timeless fun of Super Mario Bros. with amazing 3D visuals that only the Virtual Boy is capable of. You play the role of Wario, Mario's grumpy alter ego. Like a typical side-scroller, you hop on platforms, jump on creatures, and bump blocks to expose hidden items. Wario can also throw overturned adversaries and perform a "rush" attack. Power-ups allow him to double in size or bestow him with special powers. It all seems very familiar at first, but soon you discover nifty 3D elements that not only look impressive, but play an integral role in the game. Special springs allow you to vault to platforms in the distant background, and thanks to the Virtual Boy's sharp graphics, controlling you Wario from afar is no problem at all. Adversaries can move back and forth between the foreground and background, and you'll need good timing to elude them. These enemies are an imaginative bunch, including charging knights and fish with chainsaw noses. Wario Land is a quality game through and through. The sprites are huge, and the multi-layered backgrounds compensate for the lack of color. There are a few mini-games that let you bet coins, and an nice auto-save feature tells you exactly how far you've made it through the game. I know the Virtual Boy is only capable of stereo sound, but Wario Land's audio sounds like it's surrounding you - it's that good! Wario Land probably never got the attention it deserved, but it's an outstanding platform game that no Virtual Boy fan should miss out on. © Copyright 2004 The Video Game Critic.

Check for Wario Land on Ebay

1 player

Waterworld		Grade: C
	Publisher: Ocean (1995) Reviewed: 2006/9/27

To my knowledge, there are only two people on the entire planet who will openly admit to being a fan of the infamous "Waterworld" movie: Myself and my friend Ken. We suspect there are other "closet" Waterworld fans out there as well. Ken was once accused of having a "man crush" on Kevin Costner (by me), but he has vehemently denied the allegations. Anyway, the timing for this review is pretty good, as I just picked up the DVD for six bucks and watched it the other night. I'm telling you - it's awesome! But like the movie itself, most critics summarily dismissed this game without even giving it a chance. Personally, I think this is a perfectly respectable shooter. Each round begins with a group of people waving their arms in the ocean, surrounded by a few metal structures. Evil "Smokers" riding jet skis converge from the outer edges and begin to kidnap the people. By simply steering your boat and firing with the shoulder buttons, you can send those Smoker bastards to a watery grave. You view the action from behind your vessel, and the 3D effect is convincing. I love the rapid-fire shooting action, and the polygon explosions aren't bad either. The end-of-round score tally offers ample eye candy, including villain Dennis Hopper shaking his disembodied head at you in disapproval. While certainly shallow, Waterworld's gameplay somewhat reminded me of Defender. The graphics are sharp, although they do become choppy in later stages. The beautiful but desolate musical score perfectly matches the original soundtrack of the film. Perhaps the game's most glaring flaw is its single difficulty level. It's not as challenging as one would like, so the games tend to run a bit long. That's not good for a system that advises you to "rest" your eyes every fifteen minutes! Overall I had a pretty good time playing this. Like the movie, Waterworld is no classic but if you're in the mood for some action it delivers the goods. © Copyright 2006 The Video Game Critic.

Check for Waterworld on Ebay

1 player