The Virtual Boy emulation scene has hit a major milestone: skyfloogle has officially released the 1.0 version of Red Viper, a 3D-compatible Virtual Boy emulator for the 3DS family of handhelds. This is a major milestone for the emulator, and according to the dev, it means that all officially released Virtual Boy games can be played at full speed. This means that the entire retail library for Nintendo’s unique, stereoscopic 3D console, can now be played without the clunky headgear.
One of the significant additions is the the introduction of “Multicolor” mode that provides more flexible color remapping if you need a break from the traditional red color palette. The performance has also greatly improved with frame speeds that are less choppy, providing a much better game play experience.
Nintendo Virtual Boy Controller
There are also further technical improvements that fixed lingering visual issues in Golf, Red Alarm or Bound High. Finally, Red Viper v1.0 also adds support for the Circle Pad Pro and includes a feature that allows you to launch Virtual Boy games directly from the Nintendo 3DS Home Menu.
In this golden age of emulation we are spoiled with many ways to experience the Virtual Boy’s unique library. VR enthusiasts, for example, can experience something akin to the original’s headset experience. There’s a certain magic to playing these games on official, portable Nintendo hardware that perfectly captures the original’s experimental spirit, and the 3DS’s native, glasses-free 3D is an organic successor to what Nintendo was trying to create.
While the release of version 1.0 is a major milestone, it is by no means the end of the road for Red Viper. The developer has indicated that they will be focusing their updates on usability features and better support for the homebrew community, amongst other expansion features down the line. For now, however, Red Viper is an unparalleled way to enjoy this system’s underrated library without the headache, literally and metaphorically. Head over to the release page to download Red Viper.
Source: Red Viper Github