WELCOME TO THE VIRTUAL BOY FAQ!
BY Al BACKIEL & KEITA IIDA
Everything you wanted to know about the Virtual Boy,
but were afraid to ask.
Latest Revision : 09/20/2000
Table of Contents :
I. Nintendo Virtual Boy Game Paks (releases)
II. The Rumor Mill (planned)
III. Frequent Asked Questions (& Answers)
IV. Bibliography (VB literature)
V. Easter Eggs (hidden stuff)
VI. Levels & Objects (3-D Tetris)
VII. Passwords (cheats)
VIII. How to play Japan Only Titles (translations)
IX. Peripherals (& accessories)
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I. NINTENDO VIRTUAL BOY GAME PAKS
title version mfgr comments
3-D TETRIS USA Nintendo 3-Dimensional Tetris
GALACTIC PINBALL JAPAN Nintendo Pinball collection
GALACTIC PINBALL USA Nintendo Pinball collection
GOLF USA Nintendo same as T&E Virtual Golf
INSMOUSE JAPAN I’Max Doom-style game aka Insmouse
…House/Hotel/…No Yakata
JACK BROS. JAPAN Atlus Platformer aka Devil Busters
3rd char. is Jack Ripper
JACK BROS. USA Atlus Platformer aka Devil Busters
3rd char. is Jack Skelton
MARIO CLASH JAPAN Nintendo Based on orig. Mario Bros.
MARIO CLASH USA Nintendo Based on orig. Mario Bros.
MARIO’S TENNIS JAPAN Nintendo aka Mario’s Dream Tennis
MARIO’S TENNIS USA Nintendo aka Mario’s Dream Tennis
NESTER’S FUNKY BOWLING USA Nintendo diff. from Virtual Bowling
PANIC BOMBER JAPAN Hudson Soft Bomberman puzzle game
aka Jump Panibomber
PANIC BOMBER USA Nintendo Bomberman puzzle game
RED ALARM JAPAN T&E Soft Vector-like graphics
RED ALARM USA Nintendo Vector-like graphics
SD GUNDAM DIMENSION WAR JAPAN Bandai Space game aka SD Gundam
SPACE INVADERS JAPAN Taito by original mfgr. of game
VIRTUAL COLLECTION
SPACE SQUASH JAPAN Coconuts Squash
T&E VIRTUAL GOLF JAPAN T&E Soft same as Golf
TELEROBOXER JAPAN Nintendo Robot boxing game
TELEROBOXER USA Nintendo Robot boxing game
V TETRIS JAPAN Bullet Proof Straight version of Tetris
VERTICAL FORCE JAPAN Hudson Soft Space game w/power-ups(hard)
VERTICAL FORCE USA Nintendo Space game w/power-ups(easy)
VIRTUAL BOWLING JAPAN Athena diff. from NF Bowling
VIRTUAL BOY WARIO LAND JAPAN Nintendo aka Wario Land
VIRTUAL BOY WARIO LAND USA Nintendo aka Wario land
VIRTUAL FISHING JAPAN Pack In Video Fishing game
VIRTUAL LAB JAPAN J-Wing Puzzler
VIRTUAL LEAGUE Different characters but
BASEBALL USA Kemco same as VP Baseball ’95
VIRTUAL PROFESSIONAL Different characters but
BASEBALL ’95 JAPAN Nintendo same as VL Baseball
WATERWORLD USA Ocean Based on the movie
totals: 33 labels released….as….22 different games.
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II. THE RUMOR MILL –
GAMES THAT WERE IN DEVELOPMENT & MAY EXIST IN SOME FORM
title version mfgr comments
BOUND HIGH JAPAN/ Japan System Puzzler. Like Bubble Bobble?
USA Supply Was due Summer’96, Fall’96
ref:NP #81-86 (screen shots)
Demo at Shoshinkai & E3
DRAGON HOPPER JAPAN/ Nintendo Platformer. Like Kangaroo?
USA aka Jump Dragon. Was due
Summer’96, Fall’96
ref:NP #83-86 (screen shots)
Demo shown at E3
G-ZERO JAPAN/ Nintendo Similar to F-Zero. aka Zero
USA Racers. Was due Fall ’96
ref: NP #86 (screen shots)
GOLDENEYE JAPAN/ Nintendo Based on a James Bond movie.
USA ref:Nintendo store brochure
#NESM128 (screen shot)
MIGHTY MORPHIN JAPAN/ Nintendo Based on kid show. Dropped?
POWER RANGERS USA Was due Fall’95, Winter’96
ref:NP #78/79
POLYGO BLOCK JAPAN/ T&E Soft ????
USA Shown at Shoshinkai
VIRTUAL BOMBERMAN JAPAN/ Hudson Soft May have become
USA Panic Bomberman
VIRTUAL MAHJONG JAPAN/ VAP aka MAH JONG-classic game
USA Shown at Shoshinkai
WARIO CRUISE JAPAN/ Nintendo May be VB Wario Land. Hard
USA to tell, screen shot looks
different. Ref: Nintendo
store brochure #NESM128
Totals: 9 more games rumored to exist….all should exist as prototypes.
Bound High and Dragon Hopper were close to release.
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III. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q. What exactly is Virtual Boy?
A. Virtual Boy is a 3-dimensional, cartridge-based, stand-alone, immersive,
video game system. It has a 32-bit RISC chip that uses (2) high-res LED
displays, (2) oscillating mirrors and (2) focusing lenses which when
picked up by both eyes simultaneously produces a 3-D effect. A parallax
effect is achieved by moving the two images closer or farther apart. To
put it simply, it’s like magic, it’s done with mirrors.
Q. But, is it really Virtual Reality?
A. No, not in the strictest sense. Virtual Reality is a total interactive
experience. If you move your head left or right, you should see a
continuous view of another direction. In fact your virtual world
should stretch in any direction. You should be able to see your hands
or feet on-screen if you look at them. Virtual Boy only provides an
impersonal, dead ahead view.
Q. What’s with the red screen?
A. Nintendo has never really explained their rationale behind this. The best
educated guess is that a color monitor was too cost prohibitive. A
so-called “monochrome” display was the answer. But, black and green was
done before on the Game Boy. Been there, done that. Besides the display
wasn’t that crisp and clear and was prone to blurriness at high speed. Red
and black has a lot sharper contrast. Actually there are 4 shades of red
used. It’s as close to color as you get while being essentually “black and
white”.
Here are some more reasons why – courtesy of Steve Behling:
1) A red/black screen uses a (L)ight (E)mitting (D)isplay and shows up
in darkness. It also has a sharper contrast. A green/black screen uses
a (L)iquid (C)rystal (D)isplay and would have required backlighting.
2) Red LED’s are cheaper and easier to manufacture.
3) It is easier on the eyes, because it is a low-frequency and low-energy
wavelength.
4) A full-color, mirror-scanning LED was cost prohibitive in ’95 and
would have required three displays and caused timing and/or intensity
issues.
Q. Why is it on a stand?
A. I’m sure the original concept was for a head band to form a helmet
apparatus. Then the so-called “portability” aspect killed that. Crazy
kids are apt to walk in traffic with a helmet blocking their view. It’s
bad enough with a Walkman, you become oblivious to the outside world.
It looks like those two rubber ornaments on the side of the goggles are
the vestigial remains of where the straps would have been attached.
Q. When was the Virtual Boy born?
A. It was unveiled on Nov.15,1994 at the Shoshinkai Exhibition in Tokyo,
Japan. This is Nintendo’s own trade show to line up retailers, wholesalers
and interested third parties. It was released in Japan several months
later. It was released in the USA in August of 1995. Its original code
designation was the VR-32.
Q. What are the specs on the VB?
A. Processor: 32-bit RISC CPU
Speed: 20 MHZ
Display: RTI dual mirror-scan, high-res LED displays
Resolution: 384 x 224 pixels for each eye
Software: 8 or 16 megabit Rom game paks
Sound: Digital stereo sound
Controller: Double-grip with two directional control buttons
Power: Six AA batteries or AC adapter or rechargeable battery
2-Player: Playlink cable (connects 2 virtual boys) (not released)
Measurements: 14″H (with stand) x 10″W (head unit) x 7″D (with eyepiece)
Weight: 5 lbs (all: unit, stand, controller, AC adapter)
Orig.Price: $207 (Japan), $179 (US)
Q. Who’s created the VB? Whose idea was it?
A. The technology behind the VB was developed at Reflection Technology INC.
of Waltham, Mass. They own the patents on the LED display. There was an
unofficial race to come up with a VR system for the home. There were
several prior attempts. Most involved putting a small game screen monitor
directly in front of the viewer. Atari planned to release a VR helmet
for the Jaguar, but it never made it past the prototype stage. The
“father” of the Virtual Boy was Gumpei Yokoi, the chief engineer of one
of Nintendo’s R & D teams. Mr. Yokoi was the genius who came up with the
Game Boy, one of Nintendo’s biggest successes. He also worked with
Shigeru Miyamoto on the Donkey Kong coin-op.
Q. When did the VB die?
A. It sort of died a quiet death. Blockbuster Video eventually sold off their
rental units for $30 and their games for $10 each. Toys ‘r’ Us discounted
new systems down to $25 and games to $10-15 in early 1996. The store stock
lasted about another 6 months. Nintendo Power dropped listing upcoming
titles in the Nov ’95 issue.
Q. Why did it die?
A. It started off as an expensive system.
A. It wasn’t in color.
A. Third party support was minimal.
A. People were either mystified or turned off by the red screen.
A. It was a one-player game system only. Even 2-player swapping wasn’t
feasible. A linking cable to hook up 2 VB’s may or may not exist.
A. The press hated it and predicted a quick demise.
A. No audience was possible. The player could not share the experience.
A. Any of the above or combinations of the above.
Q. What was Nintendo’s arrangement with Blockbuster Video?
A. Nintendo needed some way to promote the VB. Since it was in 3-D, it had
to be seen to be appreciated. The regular advertising outlets were not
able to convey the experience. Nintendo was hoping that renting out the
system and the games would help to sell the whole system. The deal was
that for $9.99 you got the use of the VB and 2 games for 2 nights plus
a $10 coupon towards the purchase of a VB unit. You also got a chance
in the NBC sweepstakes promo.
Q. How do the two adjustments work?
A. The knob adjusts the Inter Pupil Distance(how far the eyes are set apart).
Turn until you can see a square in each corner. The sliding adjustment is
for the focus. Turn until picture is perfectly clear.
Q. What peripherals were available?
A. There was the all-important AC adapter. It’s the same one as for the SNES.
A plastic carrying case with molded foam compartments was available
from Blockbuster Video when they sold out their stock. A game link to link
up 2 VB’s was announced, but so far its existence is unknown. A stereo
headset was available in Japan. A soft carrying case was sold at Wal-mart.
See: Peripherals & Accessories
Q. Can I screw up my eyesight by playing VB?
It’s like with anything else. If done in moderation, there shouldn’t be a
problem. Nintendo does not recommend it at all for children under the age
of 7. They also do not recommend playing for than 30 min. at a clip
without taking a break. Hey! if you stare directly at the sun you’ll burn
out your corneas.
Q. What happened to Gumpei Yokoi as a result of the failure of VB?
A. He left Nintendo or more likely was forced after after the VB did not sell
as well as anticipated. He started his own development company. All this
ended abruptly when he was killed in a car accident. It seems that he was
with another companion in a car that rear-ended another vehicle. They got
out of the car to inspect the damage when they were struck by a third
vehicle.
Q. How does it compare to previous 3-D game systems?
A. It beats Vectrex in total games and quality. Vectrex used goggles with a
a rotating, color wheel which showed ghost images a lot of times. It
beats TOMY 3-D. Tomy closely looked somewhat like a kids 3D pop-up book.
Very litle background detail. Sega had what looked like a pair of
hip-looking sun glasses which were connected via card port. A shutter
mechanism in each lens was in sync with the on screen action. Similar to
the Vectrex. From what I’ve seen so far, it looked pretty good. I cant’t
comment on Nintendo’s Japanese 3-D system since they’re rarer than hen’s
teeth. It defintely beats the NES 3-D games. Rad Racer was too dark with
the 2 color glasses even when it was daylight. Orb 3-D was dizzying. 3-D
World Runner came out the best, but wasn’t too spectacular.
Q. Are the US and Japanese versions of the same game alike?
A. Most are alike except for the obvious language differences in text.
The packaging is similar in most of the cases. Jack Bros. (Japan) has
Jack Ripper as the third character. The manual is done in portrait format.
Jack Bros. (US) has Jack Skelton as the third character. The manual is
done in the usual landscape format. Virtual Force (Japan) is supposedly
more difficult than the (US) version. Nester’s Funky Bowling & Virtual
Bowling are different. Virtual Bowling is a more serious game than Nester.
Besides the name change the baseball games have different looking players
and password systems. The box for T&E Golf (Japan) has a 3-D stereogram.
One of those computer generated pictures where you have to let your eyes
go slightly out of focus to see. No hidden picture, just layers of trees.
Q. What do you think of the VB as an investment?
A. It looks like a blue chip investment. It should achieve cult status if it
hasn’t already. It should become the next “VECTREX”. A stand-alone system
with a small diverse quality library that had a very short life span.
Already some of the rarer Japan only games are selling for many times over
their original cost.
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IV. VB BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. VIRTUAL BOY TSUSHIN (magazine)(1995- 96 pgs.-Japanese text).Special issue
-contains Gumpei Yokoi interview. Released prior to Japan launch.
2. VIRTUAL BOY GUIDE BOOK (booklet) (1997- 24 pgs. – Japanese text). One-shot
release.
3. NINTENDO POWER # 75 (magazine) (Aug’95 – 116 pgs. – English text). Special
3-D issue of NP with 3-D glasses & trading cards enclosed. Emphasis on VB
introduction.
4. VIRTUAL BOY (owner’s manual) (1995- 24 pgs. English text). Pack-in with
system. VUE-USA) (Japanese and other language editions are available).
5. VIRTUAL BOY CONSUMER INFORMATION & PRECAUTIONS BOOKLET (brochure) (1995
fold-out – English/Spanish/French) or (the all-Japanese version).
Pack-in idiot warnings! e.g. Do not spill liquids on the console. Do not
expose to direct sunlight, etc. (VUE-USA/CAN) or (D-VUE-JPN-1)
6. VIRTUAL BOY (brochure) (1995 – 5 pages – English text). Store giveaway to
promote the system. Contains screen shots of current games and some that
were never released like Goldeneye. (Part #322787 Item #NESM128)
7. VIRTUAL BOY (brochure) (1995 – fold-out – English text) Mall Tour 1995
promo item. Dated with mall and schedule. Various. No catalog #.
8. GAME INFORMER (magazine) (Aug’95 – 4 pgs. on VB ) Re: VB intro.
9. VIRTUAL BOY TRADING CARDS (an insert to #3 above) 12 pre-punched cards
each depicting a different game or the system itself. Game tips on back.
10.VIRTUAL BOY ACCESSORIES (one-page pack-in with Japanese Vb system.
1&2 can be viewed at http://www2.gol.com/users/geopal/vb000.htm
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V. VB Easter Eggs
1. RED ALARM – Lots of hidden stuff here! STAGE 1:
A) Hidden doll house – When in the room with the small figures, destroy
all aggressive enemies. Stop then turn around towards the entrance of the
room. Fly slowly along the wall to your right and shoot the lower right
corner of the wall near the door, a little house will appear, complete
with stick people and furniture! (NP#82)
B) Virtual Boy System/controller – Fly through the stage until you enter
the first room with large pillars in it, Shoot at the base of the walls
just before the exit to find a wire-frame VB. A VB controller can be found
on the opposite side. (NP#81)
C) Ultra Hand – This is a simulation of Nintendo’s first toy. An accordian
type extension arm that picks up objects. Found by shooting one of the
“wall pictures” in the pillar room.
D) Bowwow Bonus – Looks like a medal of a dog’s head. Found in the top
right corner of the pillar room entrance. Probably triggered by C) above.
STAGE 2:
E) Mother kangaroo and babies – Fly forward then turn around and see the
kangaroos. If You kill the mother, the babies will fire back at you.
(Thanks to Jason Mazure)
f) Girl in a bikini – Before you fly through the chomping mouth, slow down
and shoot at the wall (next to the waterfall) to the right of it, towards
the ground. (Thanks to Jason Mazure) (hinted at in NP#81)
2. TELEROBOXER – Practice Punches (Can be thrown during intro sequence using
left and right triggers). (NP#83)
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
CAUTION – LOOK NO FURTHER UNLESS YOU WANT TO SEE PASSWORDS FOR HIGHER LEVELS.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
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VI. Levels/Objects
1. 3-D TETRIS (Puzzle Mode) You must solve in order, There is no skip level.
1) Formula-1 Racer 6) Horse 11) Dinosaur 16) Bulldozer
2) Snake 7) Penguin 12) Ostrich 17) Rocket
3) Sun Glasses 8) Dog 13) Swan 18) Gorilla
4) Airplane 9) Train 14) Helicopter 19) Elephant
5) Sea Lion 10) Toadie 15) Truck 20) Chair
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VII. Passwords
1. GOLF: Enter “Hacker” as your player and the ball will travel farther.
2. INSMOUSE: Completing a maze quickly results in a higher or a lateral move
to the next column/level. A slower completion time results in a lower move
to the next column/level. The exceptions are: the first, and next-to-last
column (top & bottom) each having a single exit. Ending A is probably the
correct one.
ending
GOAL-ROCK
WING-CAKE \ \
BODY-BOOK \ FISH-FOOL A
AQUA-WILD \ HAND-EROS \ HYDE
LOVE-ARCH \ JAZZ-GAME \ BONE-ALPS\ B
ROPE-ROAD \ DOOR-HIGH \ ADAM-WOOD \ EDEN
IRON-CAFE \ WINE-BALL \ WEAR-BABY/ C
RUBY-URAN \ TANK-WALK \ DARK
MEAT-GUTS \ RAIN-INCA D
MASK-WAVE \ /
SNOW-FAKE
The following mazes are depicted in the physical shape suggested by their
passwords: BODY, BALL (sort of ), HAND, MASK, EROS (face?), WOOD (tree),
FISH, BONE (skull).
3. JACK BROS: Stages (NP#89) Jack Frost Jack O’Lantern Jack Skelton
Grim Reaper’s Cavern 3267 4965 0248
Temple Of Nightmare 8453 5923 2745
Dragon’s Belly 1309 0919 9537
Mecha Fortress 7285 2817 3598
Crystal Palace 6313 0531
4. PANIC BOMBER: Regular stages (NP#85/89)
Sinister Forest= 2695 / 6835 / 4390
Desert of Desolation= 1038 / 9081 / 3281
Doom Castle= 6934 / 2473 / 5607
Bosses Only Stages= 1298
5. VIRTUAL LAB: This game gives out passwords after each level. The only
problem is that there doesn’t seem to be any way to input them??? This
function looks like it was never completed, rendering the passwords
useless. Will accept any comments on this..
Level 1 – no password Level 2 – 0032224
6. VIRTUAL LEAGUE BASEBALL: National Team vs. Miracle Team. (select/pennant)
USA: 0 club club43 (7-0) or: 0! Club 43 (5-0)
Cuba: 2 club 414 (7-0) or: 28414 (4-0)
Singapore: ! club 403 (7-0)
Australia: ? club 083 (7-0) or: ?8083 (4-0)
France: spade club 882 (7-0)
Germany: club club 281 (7-0)
UK: diamond club ! spade 1 (7-0) or: diamond !! spade 1 (5-0)
JAPAN: 6 club 804 (7-0) (NP#78/79)
National Team vs. Galaxy Team. (select/pennant)
Canada: 10 diamond 03 Japan: 60904 Taiwan: 70?43
Germany; club 0302 Italy: 01102 ** WANTED JAPANESE VPB’95 PASSWORDS
—————————————————————————–
VIII. HOW TO PLAY JAPANESE ONLY TITLES
** Note These are not direct translations, but interpretations based on game
play experience.
1. INSMOUSE: The object is to find the key, and get to the exit in less than
2 minutes. If you do, you move to the next level. Each level is a more
intricate maze of hallways. At each level, you must avoid or kill the
monsters. You can turn down any hallway (using LEFT +button to go forward,
backward, left or right). You can also go through any door, simply by
walking through it; however, you can not go through the exit door without
the key. Monsters can not follow can you through a door, so you can run for
cover, if need be, by going through a door.
SCREEN:
Upper left: the number of bullets you have left, starting with 6. To fire,
use the RIGHT REAR button.
Middle left: the number of “stocks”. Each stock is a reload of 6 bullets.
When you have used all 6 of your bullets, press the LEFT REAR button to
reload. You start the game with 1 stock (i.e. one reload), and can pick up
extra stocks in the maze.
Bottom left: If you’ve picked up the key, it will appear here.
Top right: Life-meter (designated by the number of hearts). You start with
three hearts, and can pick up others in the maze. Each time a monster hits
you, one heart is taken away. When all are gone, the game is over.
Bottom right: Orbs. During the gam, you can check your location on the map at
any time, and see where you’ve been. Simply push SELECT to pause the game
and see the map. There are 2 orbs in the maze. If you pick ck up one, the
map will show you where the “goodies” (bullets, key, hearts) are located
(they flash). If you pick up the other, the full maze will appear, and the
exit will flash.
When you have the key, walk through the exit door to move to the next level.
(courtesy of Neil Schuldenfrei)
2. VIRTUAL FISHING: The objective is to catch the most fish in a set amount
of time (determined by total length).
SCREENS:
Title Screen: Hit start.
Player/Name: There can be up to 3 players which can be scored separately.
To enter a new player(in an empty box), highlight an empty box, then press
“A” twice. Enter name, then highlight the word in the lower right corner,
and press “A”. You are presented with a box with a box with 2 choices; the
upper choice is “Male”, and the lower choice is “Female”. Choose one, then
press “A”.
To start a game, highlight a player name, and press “A”. You will be
presented with the next menu.
Player/Trophies/Option: Toggle up and down with L+, then press “A” to select.
Each choice is explained below:
OPTION 1: This will start the game. (See instructions below).
OPTION 2: Press “A”, This will show your 8 high scores. (Toggle left and
right with with L+ to see all 8).
OPTION 3: This will show you the types of fish you have caught, the range
of sizes for each, and the largest of each you’ve caught.
NOTE: This screen will be blank until you have completed at least
one full game.
OPTION 4: This will allow you to clear the player’s name and records, Press
“A”. You will be presented with 2 options: 1=Clear 2=Cancel
PLAYING THE GAME: To play hit START. Choose your fishing location by toggling
left or right with the L+ control. The fish will move to the location of
your choice. Note that the “swimming pool” on the left is for casual
(non-competitive); all others are competitive. After selecting a site, press
“A”. You are presented with a window which MAY give you 2 options:
OPTION 1: You compete against 6 computer players for an 8 minute game.
OPTION 2: Your goal is to reel in 5 hooked fish in the quickest time. No
competition. Game ends when you reel in 5 or break the line.
GAME 1: Press “A” to cast your line, and HOLD IT DOWN. When you see the
fishing pole flex a fair amount, quickly press release and the BACK RIGHT
button (behind controller). If you’ve hooked a fish, the picture will change
to show the fish. If not the pole disappears(cast again) else reel him in
using the “A” button, but be careful. If you fight him too hard, the line
will snap! When he fights you, give him some line, then reel him in again.
If you get him to the surface, he’ll be measured for length, and totaled.
If you’re not having any luck, try a new location (Option 3, below).
The gane is 8 min. long, You compete against 6 computer players. Their
scores wiil appear at the 3 and 6 min. marks.
SELECT OPTIONS DURING GAME: L+ = highlight, A = choice, B= exit
1 = current no. of fish, last length caught, total lengths
2 = change bait (2 types) and return.
3 = change fishing spot? right = cancel, left = select new location.
There are rumors of a “lunker” somewhere in this game. A huge record breaker.
HAPPY FISHING! (courtesy of Neil Schuldenfrei)
3. SD GUNDAM DIMENSION WAR: The objective is to advance on the enemy army,
and defeat them in battle. You control the warriors and ships facing away
from you. (It’s hard to tell which ones are facing away…there’s a trick —
see below.) You get to use each of your warriors/ships once per round — move
it, or use it for battle. Then, the computer takes a turn.
To select a warrior/ship to move, move the cursor left/right/back/forth with
the LEFT +. To move up or down (there are 3 levels of action), use the BACK
L and R buttons.
When you’ve selected your warrior/ship, press A. (NOTE: If you press A, and
nothing happens, you’ve either selected one of the enemy’s warriors/ships, or
one that you’ve already used this turn. You can tell which ones you’ve used
this turn –they’re marked with a small “E” to the left of the warrior/ship.)
Once you’ve selected your warrior/ship, use the RIGHT + to select what you
want to do with it. If you’re not close to an enemy, the game will only let
you select the option “move”. Press A, then use the LEFT + and BACK L and R
buttons to move up to 3 squares. (Some directions may be blocked.) Then
press A to complete the move.
If you’re close enough to an enemy, the game will let you select the option
of “indirect”. This lets you attack an enemy without them firing back at you.
(You can’t cause much damage to them, but at least you won’t suffer any
damage yourself.) Press A to select this. The cursor will then move to the
enemy that’s in range. Press A again to start the indirect attack. (NOTE: On
rare occasions, 2 enemies will be in range. In that case, use the LEFT + and
the BACK L and R buttons to put the cursor on the enemy you want to attack
before pressing A.)
If you’re really close to an enemy, you can select “attack”. In this case,
you do direct battle with the enemy. For some STUPID reason, the game does
all of the fighting by itself EXCEPT when a it’s warrior-on-warrior “attack”
(NOT “ambush” or “indirect”). (Once or twice, it did let me control a warrior
in a battle with a ship…have no idea why it was only those times,) For a
warrior-on-warrior attack, follow the on-screen instructions to start the
battle. The attack is a 2-part battle (why – who knows??). In the first part,
you fire on the enemy using the A button and he doesn’t fire back. In the
second part, use the following buttons:
– Move left, right, up, down with the LEFT +.
– Move in and out of the screen using the BACK L and R buttons.
– Fire with the RIGHT + button, pushing left or right for 2 diff. weapons.
– Attack at short range (with sword) with RIGHT + button, pushing down.
When you’ve used all of your ships/warriors once, press A. You should see
an option screen. Select “end turn”. “Finished” will appear. Press A. Now,
the computer will take a turn. Sometimes it doesn’t seem to move anything…
other times it does.
When all of the enemy is destroyed, the game plays some lame animation, then
moves on to the next (monotonous) battle.
4. SPACE SQUASH: A sports game similar to squash tennis, racquetball, and
handball.
You can choose one special move before each stage begins. On the screen at
the beginning of each stage, you’ll see a pic of both players. Just beneath
your player(on the left) is some Japanese writing which indicates which
special move you want to use for that round. To select your special move,
scroll up and down with the L+ CONTROL PAD, then press START.
OPTIONS
“Shoot Ball”: enables double-speed smash ball
[Note: This is the default selection]
“Homing Ball”: enables homing smash ball
[Note: To select this special move, press L+ Control Pad UP ONCE]
“Shield”: spread a shield on your area for a short time
[Note: To select this special move, press L+ Control Pad UP TWICE]
“Speed”: make your movements speedier
[Note: To select this special move, press L+ Control Pad UP THREE TIMES]
You can use your special move only when your Power Gauge (bottom left corner)
is full. To use the special move, press the L or R REAR button. Your Power
Gauge will increase automatically during gameplay. To fill your Power Gauge
more quickly, hold the R+ controller in the DOWN position between shots.
(by Neil Schuldenfrei: nspinhead@aol.com)
5. VIRTUAL LAB: The object is to drop pipe pieces, Tetris-style, trying to
seal all pipes on the screen.
OPTIONS
1) Game Speed: At title screen, press START, then use L+ (up or down) to
select game speed. Press START. (Note: there appears to be no difference
between the speeds.)
2) Password: Although the game provides a password after each level,
there appears to be no way to enter a password at the start of the game;
the password appears to be useless.
CONTROLS
L+ or R+ Press LEFT or RIGHT to move pipe pieces Left or Right
Press DOWN to speed descent of pipe piece
A: Rotate the pipe pieces as they are dropping
B: Shift relative position of pipe pieces
(when 2 or more are falling side-by-side)
RULES
Drop pipe pieces to try to seal all pipes on the playfield. You must seal
all openings on each pipe. Pipes are sealed when they:
* Are topped by an end cap (pipe with only one opening)
* Touch a side wall
* Touch the bottom wall
Pipes are NOT sealed when they touch the side of another pipe! When a pipe is
sealed, it disappears, and you receive a score based on the size of the pipe.
Larger pipes yield higher scores. When a pipe disappears, the remaining pipe
pieces fall to the bottom of the playfield. If any of them become sealed in
their new positions, they also disappear, and give you points. When all pipes
on a playfield are sealed (disappear), the game moves to the next level.
DISPLAYS
“MAX” This is the size (in number of pipe pieces) of the largest pipe you
have sealed on the current level.
“GET” This is the number of pipe pieces of your last completed pipe.
BONUS: If you seal a pipe at least 10 pieces in size, the pipe will disappear
and a “bonus fairy” will move across the bottom of the screen, taking
the bottom layer of pipe pieces with her to help you out.
GOOD LUCK! (by Neil Schuldenfrei: nspinhead@aol.com)
—————————————————————————–
IX. Peripherals & Accessories:
1) AC Adapter (by Nintendo) This is the same adapter that is used for the
Super Nintendo.
2) AC Adapter (by STD Entertainment) Not Authorized. Made in China.
3) Ear Phones (by Nintendo) Hearing aid style head set. Japan only.
4) Hard Case (by Nintendo) Used for VB rentals when they were available
at Blockbuster Video stores. They were eventually sold off at discount
prices with the VB system when the VB ceased production. Orange hard
plastic, foam-lined attache case.
5) Hard Case (by STD Entertainment?) Black hard plastic, foam-lined
attache case with red label.
6) Soft Case (by STD Entertaiment Inc.) Not Authorized. Made in China.
Carrying case with shoulder strap.
7) Display Stand (by Nintendo) Free-standing display used to demostrate the
VB system in stores. Rare.
8) Display Stand (by Nintendo) Table mounted display used to demonstrate the
VB system in stores. Built for shelf space. Rare.
9) Eye Shade (by Nintendo) Replacement part for the original. Japan only.
The following items were advertised in Japan, but never released: a) Deluxe
Game Stand, b) Multi-Player Game Link