8 Failed Video Game Consoles That Had One Incredible Game
7. Virtual Boy: Wario Land
When your games console is reported to cause dizziness, nausea and headaches, there's a good chance it's going to flop. That kind of bad PR can derail any product, but there was one Virtual Boy game that made those unpleasant side effects tolerable.
Wario Land was one of the few titles that put the console's monochromatic 3D effects to innovative use, allowing players to leap into the background of each level and explore new areas. Boss battles also benefited from heightened immersion as enemy attacks leapt from the screen, stopping inches from the player's eyes.
Most titles in the Virtual Boy's spare library used 3D as a migraine-inducing gimmick, but Wario Land harnessed these features to create new gameplay possibilities and set itself apart from other side-scrolling platformers.
Criminally few people played it because the Virtual Boy bombed hard, but many of its key features went on to influence games development many years later. For instance, Retro Studios studied the game's use of 3D while putting together Donkey Kong Country Returns, as did indie developer Jools Watsham while making Mutant Mudds.
Even when a Nintendo project flops, there's usually evidence of forward-thinking and innovation on display, and that was the case with Virtual Boy Wario Land.