The enigma of Nintendo's Virtual Boy, 20 years later

Twenty years ago, on August 21, 1995, Nintendo released the Virtual Boy in North America. The stilt-legged tabletop gaming console, which offered a unique red stereoscopic 3D display, attempted to ride a wave of popular interest in virtual reality. It was a risky, innovative gamble for Nintendo that didn't pay off, leaving many to wonder why it existed in the first place.I vaguely recall the magazine talk of this thing (I was 9 at the time), but I never actually got to see one, let alone play one.