When Nintendo first revealed the 3DS handheld, many people pointed out it wasn't the company's first foray into 3D. But while the Virtual Boy did indeed precede the 3DS, it wasn't Nintendo's first piece of 3D technology either.
That honour goes to the Famicom 3D, an accessory released only for the Famicom system in Japan, that used a complex (for the time) pair of LCD "shutter glasses" to give the impression that a game was in full 3D.
The glasses were clunky and the accessory never really took off - which is why it was never released in the West - but a few games supported it, like Highway Star (Rad Racer), Famicom Grand Prix: 3D Hot Rally and Falsion. Those keen enough to chase this up should still be able to find them, if not on eBay, then on their next trip to Akihabara.
And everyone else? Enjoy this amazing poster.
3D System [Famicom World, via Fuck Yeah Famicom]