Critics stated that although "Virtual Chess 64" may not be for those who aren't into chess, it was so thorough in features and gameplay that it was worthwhile to any kind of chess player, including newcomers wanting to get into the game. The game's opponent AI was praised, with critics claiming it to be hard to beat even on lower difficulty levels; writers such as "Hyper" staff Ross Clarksmith and "N64 Magazine" journalist Tim Weaver opined that it made "Virtual Chess" a worthy alternative to playing chess in real life with another human. The tutorial feature was another common spotlight, with reviews rejoicing that its interactive-ness made learning the rules easy for beginner players and offered several strategies and tactics for intermediate to advanced players. Mark Skorupa of "Gamezilla", a gamer who never played chess before, admitting he understood the rules successfully thanks to the tutorial, although a minor complaint of the content being over-detailed.