This is not VR, this 3DSen Emulator (Steam) allows playing dozens of 2D NES games in 3D. Check out this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPMsc70c0oQ
What I like about this, at least conceptually, is it doesn’t require any goggles, glasses, special monitor or TV and it transforms the existing games, so you can get a different experience from games you already know. Cool.
The downside is you need to use the NES roms, of which the emulator for legal reasons includes none of them. This means it’s on the end user to burn the roms they already own or arrrr, you know what that means.
Once you have the program and the roms, how does this actually work? Turns out these conversions are carefully curated and converted by the 3DSen creator Tran Vu Truc (@tructv on X/Twitter):
Since it takes so much work to convert just one game, Tran has to pick and choose where to focus his efforts. Once he weeds out the technically difficult games, Tran uses several criteria to help decide which games to do next. These include how popular a game is on the internet, how often 3dSen fans request it, and how nostalgic Tran himself is for it. Tran plans to convert as many games as he can. Unsurprising, considering that the 3D visuals are 3dSen’s main attraction.
Amazing Emulator Turns 2D NES Games Into Fully 3D Worlds (kotaku.com)
Dig the personal touch and passion. Tran notes that the hardest NES games to convert are ones that already have 3D or 3D-like graphics. I don’t remember playing many of those type games on the NES, but there were some.
As of the most recent update August 15, 2023, there are 86 games that have been converted to work with 3DSen. Looking through the list, it has Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros 3, Excitebike and Chip and Dale’s Rescue Rangers (a game I played a ton on the NES).
Is this something you’re interested in checking out? Already have? Let us know in the comments.