Unreleased Virtual Boy Games ZERO RACERS and Dragon Hopper Arrive August 4
These titles were developed for the Virtual Boy in the 1990s but never released, making this the first official way to play them in about 30 years.
Key Facts
- Nintendo announced on July 31, 2026 that ZERO RACERS and Dragon Hopper will be added to Virtual Boy Nintendo Classics on August 4.
- ZERO RACERS and Dragon Hopper were developed for the Virtual Boy in the 1990s but were not released at the time, making this their first official playable release in about 30 years.
- The update adds a color change feature that lets players switch the game screen from red to green, Game Boy-style, or Super Game Boy-style.
- The Virtual Boy (Paper Model) hardware is on sale from July 31 to August 17 at 1,980 yen, a 1,000 yen discount from the regular 2,980 yen.
Reporting from 3 sources: 4Gamer.net, GAME Watch (Impress), Automaton.
Nintendo announced on July 31, 2026 that two previously unreleased Virtual Boy titles, ZERO RACERS and Dragon Hopper, will be added to the Virtual Boy Nintendo Classics service for Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscribers on August 4. ZERO RACERS is a racing game where players pilot a floating machine through courses made of connected square ducts, aiming for high rankings with acceleration, deceleration, and directional movement. Dragon Hopper is a top-down action game starring Prince Dorin, who is ousted by the rebellious minister Lexer and must find four vanished spirits to return to the fairy kingdom. Dorin can transform into a dragon with special abilities. The update also adds a color change feature, letting players switch the game screen from the traditional red to green, Game Boy-style, or Super Game Boy-style schemes. The dedicated Virtual Boy (Paper Model) hardware is on sale from July 31 to August 17 at a discounted price of 1,980 yen, down from 2,980 yen.
The two games were developed for the Virtual Boy in the 1990s but never shipped, and this addition marks their first official release. ZERO RACERS is a racing game where players control a floating machine on a course made of connected square ducts, completing five laps per course and advancing if they finish third or higher. The machine has a power gauge that decreases on contact with walls or other machines, and players must recover power in the pit area to avoid crashing. Dragon Hopper is an action game where Prince Dorin, ousted by the rebellious minister Lexer, aims for the fairy kingdom from deep underground, jumping and flapping across floating platforms to find four vanished spirits. Fairies join Dorin with magic support, and he can transform into multiple types of dragons with special abilities. The color change feature lets players open a menu during gameplay and select from the traditional red display, green, Game Boy-style, or Super Game Boy-style schemes by holding the R Stick and pressing the X button. The Virtual Boy (Paper Model) hardware, required for play, is on sale from July 31 at 10:00 to August 17 at 23:59, with a 1,000 yen discount making it 1,980 yen, while stock lasts. The service supports Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2, but not Nintendo Switch Lite.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 3 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.