Super Mario Bros., Contra, Metroid, the Zelda games… they all have one thing in common: they squeeze every last bit of power from Nintendo’s console. However, today we have advanced emulators running on abundant resources. So what can we do to improve these classics? If we leave aside hacks and filter applications… turn them into 3D! That’s the job of 3dSenVR, a NES emulator for virtual reality that generates a depth effect in dozens of supported games.
Remember the NES Classic madness? The ridiculous resale prices on the Internet? The Chinese clones? In the end, exactly what we predicted happened: people played for a couple of hours, and then the consoles were left there, gathering dust. The problem is that once the nostalgia dose was satisfied, the games remain the same. No surprises, no generational leap in graphics.
The good news is that we can change both. Anyone wanting a fundamentally different game can use a randomizer to alter certain aspects of their favorite title. And as for graphics, beyond special filters and interpolation, there’s 3dSenVR with a dual function: it converts NES games to 3D, and brings them to virtual reality.
A 3D NES Emulator for Virtual Reality
Logically, the 3D conversion doesn’t work on all games (something we highlighted when the project began in 2016), but the compatibility list for 3dSenVR reveals that there are more than 50 compatible titles. Super Mario Bros., Zelda, Metroid, Contra, the first two Mega Man games, Ice Climber, Duck Tales, Balloon Fight… our eight-year-old selves would have fought dinosaurs hand-to-hand for such an experience.
Another interesting aspect of 3dSenVR is that it lets us combine controllers. For example, you can use an Xbox gamepad for general games, and one of the HTC Vive controllers as a "Zapper", and before you ask, the answer is yes: Duck Hunt, Hogan’s Alley, and Wild Gunman appear on the list of supported games.
Are you ready for 3dSenVR? Well, you'll have to pay 17 euros for the emulator, unless you're in another region and can access Steam's special prices. And what if you don't have a VR headset? Wait a bit longer. The developers of 3dSenVR are working on a "non-VR" version, which should arrive within a couple of months.
Official site: Click here
