WonderSwan
Encyclopedia
was a line of handheld game console
s produced in Japan
by Bandai
between 1999 and 2003. It was developed by the late Gunpei Yokoi's company Koto and Bandai
. The WonderSwan was made to compete with the Neo Geo Pocket Color
and the market leader Nintendo
's Game Boy Color
(even though the developer for the WonderSwan, Gunpei Yokoi, developed the original Nintendo
Game Boy
).
The original WonderSwan was later replaced by the WonderSwan Color; although some WonderSwan Color games are compatible with the original WonderSwan, many are designed exclusively for the WonderSwan Color and show a message such as "This cartridge is for WonderSwan Color only" when run on the original WonderSwan.
The WonderSwan are playable both vertically and horizontally, and feature a fairly large library of games, including numerous first-party titles based on licensed anime
properties, with significant third-party support from Square
and Capcom
. As it was a console designed essentially for the Japanese market, most of the games are in Japanese
, with only a few featuring English
text.
The original WonderSwan had only a black and white screen. Although the WonderSwan Color was slightly larger and heavier (7 mm and 2 g) compared to the original WonderSwan, the color version featured 512KB
of RAM and a larger color LCD
screen. In addition, the WonderSwan Color is compatible with the original WonderSwan library of games.
Prior to WonderSwan's release, Nintendo
had a virtual monopoly in the Japanese video game handheld market. After the release of the WonderSwan Color, Bandai took approximately 8% of the market share in Japan partly due to its low price of ¥6800 Japanese yen
(approximately $59 USD
).
Another reason for the WonderSwan's success in Japan was the fact that Bandai managed to get a deal with Square
to port over the original Famicom
Final Fantasy
games with improved graphics and controls. However, with the popularity of the Game Boy Advance
and the reconciliation between Square and Nintendo, the WonderSwan Color and its successor, the SwanCrystal, quickly lost its competitive advantage. They were discontinued in 2003.
bundles. These bundles came with either Final Fantasy I or Final Fantasy II
along with a Final Fantasy-themed Wonderswan Color.
's WonderSwan handheld game console
series, succeeding the WonderSwan and WonderSwan Color. It was released in Japan on July 12, 2002 One of the largest improvements to the SwanCrystal was the use of a TFT LCD
monitor, which was superior in response time to the FSTN monitor used previously by the WonderSwan Color. This gave the screen a much crisper look during gameplay, due to sharper contrast and significantly reduced ghosting
.
Several of these accessories utilise the expansion port on the side of the WonderSwan, but with no accommodation for sharing that port with other accessories. For example, neither player connected via a link cable during a two-player game may use headphones. Neither headphones nor link cable may be used with the screen light.
Handheld game console
A handheld game console is a lightweight, portable electronic device with a built-in screen, game controls and speakers. Handheld game consoles are run on machines of small size allowing people to carry them and play them at any time or place...
s produced in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
by Bandai
Bandai
is a Japanese toy making and video game company, as well as the producer of a large number of plastic model kits. It is the world's third-largest producer of toys . Some ex-Bandai group companies produce anime and tokusatsu programs...
between 1999 and 2003. It was developed by the late Gunpei Yokoi's company Koto and Bandai
Bandai
is a Japanese toy making and video game company, as well as the producer of a large number of plastic model kits. It is the world's third-largest producer of toys . Some ex-Bandai group companies produce anime and tokusatsu programs...
. The WonderSwan was made to compete with the Neo Geo Pocket Color
Neo Geo Pocket Color
The Neo Geo Pocket Color , is a 16-bit colour handheld game console by SNK. It was the last console they produced in the Neo Geo family...
and the market leader Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
's Game Boy Color
Game Boy Color
The is Nintendo's successor to the 8-bit Game Boy handheld game console, and was released on October 21, 1998 in Japan, November 19, 1998 in North America, November 23, 1998 in Europe and November 27, 1998 in the United Kingdom. It features a color screen and is slightly thicker and taller than...
(even though the developer for the WonderSwan, Gunpei Yokoi, developed the original Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
Game Boy
Game Boy
The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
).
The original WonderSwan was later replaced by the WonderSwan Color; although some WonderSwan Color games are compatible with the original WonderSwan, many are designed exclusively for the WonderSwan Color and show a message such as "This cartridge is for WonderSwan Color only" when run on the original WonderSwan.
The WonderSwan are playable both vertically and horizontally, and feature a fairly large library of games, including numerous first-party titles based on licensed anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
properties, with significant third-party support from Square
Square (company)
was a Japanese video game company founded in September 1983 by Masafumi Miyamoto. It merged with Enix in 2003 and became part of Square Enix...
and Capcom
Capcom
is a Japanese developer and publisher of video games, known for creating multi-million-selling franchises such as Devil May Cry, Chaos Legion, Street Fighter, Mega Man and Resident Evil. Capcom developed and published Bionic Commando, Lost Planet and Dark Void too, but they are less known. Its...
. As it was a console designed essentially for the Japanese market, most of the games are in Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
, with only a few featuring English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
text.
Personal data
Before a WonderSwan can play games, the player must enter some personal information. The personal data screen can be reached by pressing the start and power buttons simultaneously. It requests a name, birthday (year, month, day), sex and blood type. The name will appear under the Bandai logo when the system is turned on. Option settings for default volume and contrast may also be set here.WonderSwan Color
The was released on December 9, 2000 in Japan, and was a moderate success.The original WonderSwan had only a black and white screen. Although the WonderSwan Color was slightly larger and heavier (7 mm and 2 g) compared to the original WonderSwan, the color version featured 512KB
Kilobyte
The kilobyte is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information. Although the prefix kilo- means 1000, the term kilobyte and symbol KB have historically been used to refer to either 1024 bytes or 1000 bytes, dependent upon context, in the fields of computer science and information...
of RAM and a larger color LCD
Liquid crystal display
A liquid crystal display is a flat panel display, electronic visual display, or video display that uses the light modulating properties of liquid crystals . LCs do not emit light directly....
screen. In addition, the WonderSwan Color is compatible with the original WonderSwan library of games.
Prior to WonderSwan's release, Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
had a virtual monopoly in the Japanese video game handheld market. After the release of the WonderSwan Color, Bandai took approximately 8% of the market share in Japan partly due to its low price of ¥6800 Japanese yen
Japanese yen
The is the official currency of Japan. It is the third most traded currency in the foreign exchange market after the United States dollar and the euro. It is also widely used as a reserve currency after the U.S. dollar, the euro and the pound sterling...
(approximately $59 USD
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
).
Another reason for the WonderSwan's success in Japan was the fact that Bandai managed to get a deal with Square
Square (company)
was a Japanese video game company founded in September 1983 by Masafumi Miyamoto. It merged with Enix in 2003 and became part of Square Enix...
to port over the original Famicom
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
Final Fantasy
Final Fantasy
is a media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi, and is developed and owned by Square Enix . The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and science-fantasy role-playing video games , but includes motion pictures, anime, printed media, and other merchandise...
games with improved graphics and controls. However, with the popularity of the Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
and the reconciliation between Square and Nintendo, the WonderSwan Color and its successor, the SwanCrystal, quickly lost its competitive advantage. They were discontinued in 2003.
Final Fantasy bundles
The Wonderswan Color was also available in limited edition Final FantasyFinal Fantasy
is a media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi, and is developed and owned by Square Enix . The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and science-fantasy role-playing video games , but includes motion pictures, anime, printed media, and other merchandise...
bundles. These bundles came with either Final Fantasy I or Final Fantasy II
Final Fantasy II
is a fantasy role-playing video game developed and published by Square in 1988 for the Family Computer as the second installment of the Final Fantasy series. The game has received numerous enhanced remakes for the WonderSwan Color, the Sony PlayStation, Japanese mobile phones, the Game Boy...
along with a Final Fantasy-themed Wonderswan Color.
SwanCrystal
The is the third and final release in BandaiBandai
is a Japanese toy making and video game company, as well as the producer of a large number of plastic model kits. It is the world's third-largest producer of toys . Some ex-Bandai group companies produce anime and tokusatsu programs...
's WonderSwan handheld game console
Handheld game console
A handheld game console is a lightweight, portable electronic device with a built-in screen, game controls and speakers. Handheld game consoles are run on machines of small size allowing people to carry them and play them at any time or place...
series, succeeding the WonderSwan and WonderSwan Color. It was released in Japan on July 12, 2002 One of the largest improvements to the SwanCrystal was the use of a TFT LCD
TFT LCD
Thin film transistor liquid crystal display is a variant of liquid crystal display which uses thin-film transistor technology to improve image quality . TFT LCD is one type of Active matrix LCD, though all LCD-screens are based on TFT active matrix addressing...
monitor, which was superior in response time to the FSTN monitor used previously by the WonderSwan Color. This gave the screen a much crisper look during gameplay, due to sharper contrast and significantly reduced ghosting
Motion blur
Motion blur is the apparent streaking of rapidly moving objects in a still image or a sequence of images such as a movie or animation. It results when the image being recorded changes during the recording of a single frame, either due to rapid movement or long exposure.- Photography :When a camera...
.
Technical specifications
| Technical specifications of WonderSwan consoles | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Model | WonderSwan |
 WonderSwan Color |
SwanCrystal |
| Release date | |||
| CPU | 16-bit 16-bit -16-bit architecture:The HP BPC, introduced in 1975, was the world's first 16-bit microprocessor. Prominent 16-bit processors include the PDP-11, Intel 8086, Intel 80286 and the WDC 65C816. The Intel 8088 was program-compatible with the Intel 8086, and was 16-bit in that its registers were 16... NEC V30 NEC V20 The NEC V20 was a processor made by NEC that was a reverse-engineered, pin-compatible version of the Intel 8088 with an instruction set compatible with the Intel 80186... MZ processor at 3.072 MHz |
SPGY-1002, a 3.072 MHz 16-bit Bit A bit is the basic unit of information in computing and telecommunications; it is the amount of information stored by a digital device or other physical system that exists in one of two possible distinct states... NEC V30MZ Clone |
SPGY-1003, at 3.072 MHz 16-bit NEC V30MZ Clone |
| Internal memory | Built-in EEPROM and 1Kbit RAM for backing up game data. | 512 kB Kilobyte The kilobyte is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information. Although the prefix kilo- means 1000, the term kilobyte and symbol KB have historically been used to refer to either 1024 bytes or 1000 bytes, dependent upon context, in the fields of computer science and information... VRAM/WRAM (shared) |
|
| Screen type | FSTN reflective LCD | TFT reflective Liquid crystal display Liquid crystal display A liquid crystal display is a flat panel display, electronic visual display, or video display that uses the light modulating properties of liquid crystals . LCs do not emit light directly.... |
|
| Screen resolution (in pixel Pixel In digital imaging, a pixel, or pel, is a single point in a raster image, or the smallest addressable screen element in a display device; it is the smallest unit of picture that can be represented or controlled.... s) |
224 x 144 | ||
| Screen size (diagonal) | 63 mm (2.49 inch) | 71 mm (2.8 inch) | |
| Color | 8-shade monochrome | 241 (at once) out of 4096 possible colors | |
| Power | 1x AA battery / More options through accessories | ||
| Battery life | ~30–40 hours playtime | ~20 hours of game play | ~15 hours of game play |
| Audio capabilities | Four digital audio channels, each of which can play sequences of up to 32 4-bit samples, at different volumes and frequencies. Channels 2 to 4 include selectable "voice", "sweep" and "noise" functions respectively. Mixed channels are output via an 8 bit DAC Digital-to-analog converter In electronics, a digital-to-analog converter is a device that converts a digital code to an analog signal . An analog-to-digital converter performs the reverse operation... . |
||
| Sound output | Mono built-in speaker / Stereo through optional 3.5mm TRS connector TRS connector A TRS connector is a common family of connector typically used for analog signals including audio. It is cylindrical in shape, typically with three contacts, although sometimes with two or four . It is also called an audio jack, phone jack, phone plug, and jack plug... (headphone jack) accessory |
||
| Sound levels | Loud / medium / mute | Loud / soft / mute | Loud / medium / soft / mute |
| Weight (with battery) | 110 g (3.88 oz) | 95 g (3.35 oz) | |
| Cartridge capacity | ROM Read-only memory Read-only memory is a class of storage medium used in computers and other electronic devices. Data stored in ROM cannot be modified, or can be modified only slowly or with difficulty, so it is mainly used to distribute firmware .In its strictest sense, ROM refers only... and/or RAM Ram -Animals:*Ram, an uncastrated male sheep*Ram cichlid, a species of freshwater fish endemic to Colombia and Venezuela-Military:*Battering ram*Ramming, a military tactic in which one vehicle runs into another... - maximum 128 Mbit |
Maximum 1024 Mbit ROM Read-only memory Read-only memory is a class of storage medium used in computers and other electronic devices. Data stored in ROM cannot be modified, or can be modified only slowly or with difficulty, so it is mainly used to distribute firmware .In its strictest sense, ROM refers only... and 256 Mbit RAM Ram -Animals:*Ram, an uncastrated male sheep*Ram cichlid, a species of freshwater fish endemic to Colombia and Venezuela-Military:*Battering ram*Ramming, a military tactic in which one vehicle runs into another... |
Maximum 1024 Mbit ROM Read-only memory Read-only memory is a class of storage medium used in computers and other electronic devices. Data stored in ROM cannot be modified, or can be modified only slowly or with difficulty, so it is mainly used to distribute firmware .In its strictest sense, ROM refers only... and 512 Mbit RAM Ram -Animals:*Ram, an uncastrated male sheep*Ram cichlid, a species of freshwater fish endemic to Colombia and Venezuela-Military:*Battering ram*Ramming, a military tactic in which one vehicle runs into another... |
| Ports | Link (accessory) port, cartridge port | ||
| Gameplay buttons | X1, X2, X3, X4, Y1, Y2, Y3, Y4, A, B, START & SOUND | ||
| Additional inputs | Side-mounted power switch, screen contrast dial | Front-mounted power button, screen contrast dial | Front-mounted power button |
| Physical dimensions | 121 mm x 74.3 mm x 24.3 mm | 128 mm x 74.3 mm x 24.3 mm | 127.7 mm x 77.5 mm x 24.3 mm |
| Available colors (physical) | Ten available | Pearl Blue, Pearl Pink, Crystal Black, Crystal Blue, and Crystal Orange | Skeleton Blue, Skeleton Black, Blue Violet and Red Wine |
Accessories
- Headphone adapter. Provides stereo output with volume dial, overriding the built-in mono speaker and volume button of the WonderSwan. Originally sold with WonderSwan-branded earbuds.
- Link cable. Connects two WonderSwans together for games that support two players.
- Rechargeable battery. A flat, form-fitting rechargeable battery that does not protrude from the WonderSwan body, unlike the standard AA battery case. Requires a special recharger.
- A/C adapter. Mains adapter that plugs into a special battery case fitted to the WonderSwan.
- WonderWave. Infrared communication adapter, used by some games to exchange data with a Sony PocketStationPocketStationThe is a peripheral by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation home video game console. Categorized by Sony as a miniature personal digital assistant, the device features a monochrome liquid crystal display , infrared communication capability, a real-time clock, built-in flash memory, and...
. - MobileWonderGate. NTT DoCoMoNTT DoCoMois the predominant mobile phone operator in Japan. The name is officially an abbreviation of the phrase, "do communications over the mobile network", and is also from a compound word dokomo, meaning "everywhere" in Japanese. Docomo provides phone, video phone , i-mode , and mail services...
cellular phone interface and game cartridge containing web browsing and email software. - WonderBorgWonderBorgThe is a programmable consumer robot kit first released for the Bandai WonderSwan and Microsoft Windows PCs in 2000. It is intended to match both the external appearance and mode of transport of a beetle, with functioning antennae and a six-legged design.-History:...
. Sold in two versions, WonderBorg is a robot kit that can be programmed and controlled from a WonderSwan with Robot Works game cartridge, or a Microsoft Windows PC with a serial port infrared adapter and application software. - WonderWitch. A game development kit including a reprogrammable WonderSwan game cartridge, Microsoft Windows application software for compiling CC (programming language)C is a general-purpose computer programming language developed between 1969 and 1973 by Dennis Ritchie at the Bell Telephone Laboratories for use with the Unix operating system....
code, and a serial cable to connect a WonderSwan to a PC. - WonderCoin. A coin-shaped disc that can be fitted over a 4-directional button cluster of the WonderSwan to create the feel of a single directional pad.
- Screen protector. Transparent sheets of film that can be applied to the face of the WonderSwan to reduce damage from scratching and fingerpints.
- Case. Hard plastic carrying case with compartments for holding a WonderSwan, manuals, and six game cartridges, as well as room for other small accessories such as headphone adapter, batteries, etc.
- Screen light. A small light powered by the WonderSwan itself that can be positioned over the screen to illuminate the display.
- Bandai Digimon D3 Digivice, D-Terminal, and D-Arc Digivice. Can be used to interface with certain Digimon Games using the expansion port (Wonderswan Color ONLY)
- Handy Sonar. A fish-finder device, much like the Bandai Game Boy Pocket SonarGame Boy Pocket SonarThe Game Boy Pocket Sonar is a peripheral for the Nintendo Game Boy made by Bandai that used sonar to locate fish underwater for the sport of fishing. The device retailed for 14,800 yen. It also had a fishing mini-game built in.-External links:*...
for the Nintendo portable console
Several of these accessories utilise the expansion port on the side of the WonderSwan, but with no accommodation for sharing that port with other accessories. For example, neither player connected via a link cable during a two-player game may use headphones. Neither headphones nor link cable may be used with the screen light.