Virtual Lab

Gameplay screenshot

Virtual Lab is a falling-tile puzzle game reminiscent of Pipe Dream and the Game Boy title Chiki Chiki Tengoku.[1][2][3][4] During gameplay, the player must clear worm pieces of different shapes that descend onto the playing field by linking or shutting their open orifices together to make them disappear and gain points in order to progress to the next level.[1][3][4] There are 100 levels in total, with the last one being an endless loop, while the player can also adjust the game's speed at the title screen, ranging from "Low" to "Mid" to "Hi", but "Mid" is the fastest.[1][3][5]

The main objective across every level is to make a determined number of linked worm pieces.[3] The player can also use the bottom and side edges of the playfield to make linked worm pieces disappear. If the worm's pieces are linked in a certain way, a fairy will spawn to clear the bottom pieces in the playfield.[1][3][4] The game is over once any stack of worm pieces reaches the top of the playfield. The game gives a password after completing each level, but there is no dedicated screen to input them, rendering the passwords completely useless.[1][3][4][5]

Virtual Lab was created by game designer Megumi, who operated under the label "Nacoty" when working on the project.[6] She was approached by publisher J-Wing about developing a Virtual Boy game, and was given Virtual Boy specifications and development language to do so. She was given no instructions on the game's design, so she had the freedom to design it how she liked it. Because she was unfamiliar with C, she had to study it. She only received the development equipment one week before the deadline, which prompted her to call her boss stupid to his face. Her first day was spent checking the equipment, and then days 2-8 were spent creating the game. The only feature Megumi had to cut was the password save function. She found the Virtual Boy development kit easy to use, and was surprised by the Virtual Boy's discontinuation. When designing the character in the game's HUD, Megumi gave her large breasts, as she wanted this character to reflect her, particularly due to only being able to afford female hormones and not "very expensive surgical procedures." Megumi stated that the character was not envisioned as a teenager when she was designed, and that she was shocked to see the game's manual describe her as such.[6] Upon completion of the ROM, it was delivered to J-Wing. They received no feedback on the game, which Megumi speculated was because J-Wing submitted the ROM to Nintendo right after receiving it.[6]

Virtual Lab was announced at E3 1995 under the working title Chiki Chiki Labo.[7] The game was first showcased to the video game press and attendees at the 1995 Consumer Soft Group (CSG) trade show and later at Shoshinkai 1995.[8][9] The title was originally slated for a December 22, 1995 release by J-Wing in Japan,[9][10] but was published on December 8 instead and was housed in an eight-megabit cartridge.[11][12] J-Wing originally planned to give a gift to anyone who sent their password in, but this was ultimately scrapped.[6] Due to being one of the last releases for Virtual Boy in Japan, coupled with rumors of J-Wing publishing it in an unfinished state to recoup investment after discovering Nintendo was planning to discontinue the platform under a very limited run of copies, makes the game harder to find and more expensive than earlier releases, becoming a rare collector's item that commands high prices on the secondary game collecting market.[1][5][13] Virtual Lab was Megumi's final game due to leaving the industry after a sexual assault.[6]

Virtual Lab garnered mostly negative reception from critics since its release. Famitsu's four reviewers criticized the game for its "cheap" presentation, poor stereoscopic 3D effects, high difficulty, and lack of replay value. They also felt that its gameplay was more fitting for other platforms.[14] The Japanese book Virtual Boy Memorial Commemorative Guidebook gave it the lowest rating in the publication, regarding it as a very strange title due to its gameplay premise, and found the 3D effect of the girl's breasts "unnatural".[16] In contrast to the other publications, a writer for British magazine Retrogames was more positive towards the game, finding its gameplay addictive and soundtrack "catchy". However, this writer still criticized its poor use of the hardware's capabilities.[17]

Retrospective commentary for Virtual Lab has been similarly negative, with some considering it one of the worst Virtual Boy games. Nintendo Life's Dave Frear felt that it had potential with some polish and refinement, but criticized it for being unfinished as well as its lack of depth, "buggy" controls, dull and frustrating gameplay, and repetitiveness.[15] Retro Gamer also criticized the title for being unfinished and having "very little" content, commenting that it was good as a collector's item for enthusiasts of the Virtual Boy.[5] Concurring with Frear, Retronauts writer Jeremy Parish found its gameplay frustrating and the controls occasionally unresponsive as well. Parish agreed that the game could have been a good puzzle title for the system with more effort placed into correcting its flaws and improving it. He ultimately deemed it one of the worst Virtual Boy titles.[1] When asked about the negative reception, designer Megumi expressed awareness that it was incomplete, and that she was not given enough of an opportunity to playtest the game. She expressed hope that it could be made complete someday.[6] Hardcore Gaming 101 writer John Szczepaniak criticized various aspects of the game, ranging from technical issues to mechanical issues. Szczepaniak also found the gameplay "poorly designed and illogical."[18]

• Virtual Lab at MobyGames