A while back I tested out 3D mode in 3D Worldrunner, and I couldn't make it work. Getting the glasses was pretty easy, but I just couldn't match the colors, the red/blue separation seemed like it was off, and it was an unsatisfying experience. In digging around for details about 3D video game technology, though, I found that there are a couple of games that use another kind of 3D technology called the Pulfrich Effect. You can view the details at the link if you want, but the gist is that by using special glasses where one lens is darkened you can trick your brain into seeing depth where there isn't any, and one of the games that uses this effect is something called Orb3D, which I did have in my collection, I just needed a set of glasses to test the effect.
Unfortunately, glasses for content that utilizes the Pulfrich effect aren't as readily available as anaglyph glasses are. Sure, I could get them, but they cost more than I really wanted to spend, or they came in quantities far beyond what I actually needed, or both. I wasn't sure how I was going to test this until I went to my local Dollar Tree and found a set of sunglasses for $1. I realized that I could just buy those and pop out one of the lenses, and even if I broke them or screwed up horribly, I could easily replace them for another $1. So, I bought them, popped out a lens, and had a pair of Pulfrich Effect glasses ready to go.
Once I had my lenses, I grabbed my copy of Orb3D and started playing.
I should note that I hadn't really ever played Orb3D much, other than to see if it worked. It turns out that I'm not very good at this game.
So, other than me being really bad at this game (seriously, I should go practice or something), I can now safely say that the 3D effect doesn't really work very well in this game, either.
Except for the starfield screens.
When there are stars flying by in different 'layers' (like when I'm going to the next level) then the effect looks pretty good. The 3D is subtle and just kind of gives a depth to things, rather than be straight-on 3D that's going to jump out into your living room and smack you in the face.
It also turns out that there are more games that utilized the Pulfrich Effect, like Jim Power: The Lost Dimension in 3D which I had initially dismissed when it was new because the label art was pretty awful, and the title seemed to be too gimmicky for me.
But since I'm investigating this whole 3D thing (and I already have the appropriate glasses) I figured I'd pick up a copy and see if the 3D technology had changed much in the time since Orb3D was released. Now all I have to do is dig my Super NES out of mothballs.