Bandai WonderSwan

🏭 Bandai📅 1999

Conceived by Gunpei Yokoi after leaving Nintendo, the WonderSwan embodied his 'lateral thinking with withered technology' philosophy. Its landscape/portrait flexibility enabled unique game designs like vertical shooters and novel reading software. The system thrived on anime licenses (Doraemon, Gundam) and Square support (Final Fantasy ports). The 2000 Color model introduced a reflective TFT display with dramatically improved battery life, while the 2002 SwanCrystal added a frontlight. Though never exported, it achieved 15% Japanese market share at peak. The system's most enduring legacy was Judgement Silversword - a tech demo turned full game showcasing its 2D capabilities. Modern collectors prize rare variants like the Final Fantasy Limited Edition with metallic casing.

Bandai WonderSwan

📊 Market Data

Units Sold
3.5 million (including 1.1M SwanCrystal)
Best Selling Game
Digimon Adventure: Anode Tamer (420K)
Lifespan
1999-2003 (final game released 2007)

⚙️ Technical Specs

cpu
NEC V30MZ (x86-compatible, 3.072MHz) with 16-bit bus
memory
64KB RAM + 128KB VRAM (Color)
graphics
224x144 resolution, 241 colors (4096 palette), hardware sprite rotation
sound
4-channel PSG with 8-bit PCM support
media
Cartridge (1-128Mbit) with save memory

🎮 Usage Characteristics

🔤 Local Terms

Horizontal holdVertical holdWansuwan (WonderSwan)

Unique Practices

  • Custom screen magnifiers for text-heavy games
  • Battery saving techniques like removing back cover
  • Trading rare Digimon via infrared

🏆 Popular Games

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