What Is the Virtual Boy Pro And Why Is It So Funny?
April Fool’s Day is a time when companies and publications like to have a little fun with their audience, and this year, IGN knocked it out of the park with their “Nintendo Virtual Boy Pro” prank.
The gaming website dropped an “exclusive” product trailer for this supposed augmented reality (AR) headset that connects to the Nintendo Switch, allowing players to blend virtual worlds with their real-life surroundings with detached Joy-Con controllers.
The trailer shows off some mind-bending gameplay scenarios, like A Girl doing:
- Playing “Super Mario: Home Run” where Mario runs around the actual house
- Cleaning her floor while playing “Luigi’s Mansion”
- Driving real cars while playing a new “Mario Kart: Open Road” mode (probably mocking the latest Vision Pro’s glassholes incident)
- Catching a Korok from “The Legend of Zelda” in her living room
- Setting house furniture with “Animal Crossing”
The wait is finally over: Nintendo has revealed the Virtual Boy Pro and showcased the classic Nintendo titles that you’ll be able to experience in virtual reality!
For more info: https://t.co/dzJ0iocI97 pic.twitter.com/4YNk39ZVRz
— IGN (@IGN) April 1, 2024
It’s a wild concept, but one that’s made even more hilarious by the fact that it’s a revival of the infamous Virtual Boy – Nintendo’s massive hardware failure from the 1990s.
Revisiting Nintendo’s Most Infamous Failure
For those unfamiliar, the original Virtual Boy was released in 1995 and boasted “crazy 3D red and black graphics” that were supposed to be cutting-edge at the time.
However, the system’s low visuals quickly led to complaints and headaches, and Nintendo pulled the plug on the console within a year due to dismal sales.
Despite its failure, Nintendo has never fully acknowledged the Virtual Boy’s shortcomings.
In fact, IGN’s prank trailer cheekily references a quote from legendary game designer Shigeru Miyamoto at Nintendo, who once called the Virtual Boy a “successful venture.”
The website’s accompanying blog post satirically suggests that the Virtual Boy Pro was Miyamoto’s idea to “bring the iconic Virtual Boy back to life.”
“What even was it? That was really weird of us, honestly. Still can’t believe we pulled that off, if you can even call a product that was almost immediately discontinued as ‘pulling that off.’ Anyway, I personally loved it, and I’ve been at Nintendo for a long time so when I wanted to bring it back they had to listen to me. It’s not like they can fire me and I’ll never quit.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Brilliant Concept Art
While the Virtual Boy Pro is obviously a joke, IGN’s execution of the prank is nothing short of brilliant.
Not only did they create intricate concept art and gameplay footage for this fictional AR headset, but they also managed to poke fun at Nintendo’s recent product ideas like Ring Fit Adventure and Nintendo Labo.
The video’s description is also comedy gold, with lines like “Use at your sole risk! Nintendo is not liable for real-world injury or accidental death” and “FCC approval pending. Rated E for Everyone.”
It’s clear that IGN put a lot of thought and effort into this April Fool’s gag, and the end result is a hilarious yet strangely plausible concept that had gamers questioning reality.
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