WonderSwan
Sign in to saveThe is a handheld game console released in Japan by Bandai. Developed in collaboration with Gunpei Yokoi's company Koto Laboratory, it was the final piece of hardware Yokoi worked on before his death in 1997. Launched in Japan in March 1999 during the sixth generation of video game consoles, the WonderSwan was followed by two upgraded models, the WonderSwan Color and SwanCrystal, before Bandai discontinued the line in 2003. Throughout its lifespan, no version of the WonderSwan was officially released outside Japan.
Key facts
- Information appliance.name
- WonderSwan
- Information appliance.logo
- WonderSwan logo.svgclass=skin-invert
- Information appliance.logo_size
- 150px
- Information appliance.caption
- Top: WonderSwanMiddle: WonderSwan ColorBottom: SwanCrystal
- Information appliance.manufacturer
- Bandai
- Information appliance.type
- Handheld game console
- Information appliance.generation
- Sixth
- Information appliance.release_date
- WonderSwan:WonderSwan Color:SwanCrystal:
- Information appliance.lifespan
- 1999–2003
- Information appliance.price
- (WonderSwan) (WonderSwan Color) (SwanCrystal)
- Information appliance.discontinued
- 2003
- Information appliance.units_sold
- 3.5 million (combined)1.55 million (WonderSwan)1.1 million (WonderSwan Color)+850 thousand units (SwanCrystal)
- Information appliance.media
- ROM cartridge
- Information appliance.power
- 1 × AA battery40 hours (WonderSwan)20 hours (WonderSwan Color)15 hours (SwanCrystal)
- Information appliance.cpu
- NEC V30 MZ
- Information appliance.cpu_speed
- 3.072 MHz
- Information appliance.memory
- 64 KB RAM
- Information appliance.display
- FSTN (WonderSwan, WonderSwan Color)TFT LCD (SwanCrystal)224 × 144
via Wikipedia infobox
Internet Archive
softwareDigital Monster Card Game Ver. WonderSwan Color (Japan) (Rev 2)
Open at Internet Archive →via archive.org
Article
7 sectionsContents
- History
- {{anchor|#Technical specifications}}Technical specifications
- Game library
- Reception
- Notes
- References
- External links
The is a handheld game console released in Japan by Bandai. Developed in collaboration with Gunpei Yokoi's company Koto Laboratory, it was the final piece of hardware Yokoi worked on before his death in 1997. Launched in Japan in March 1999 during the sixth generation of video game consoles, the WonderSwan was followed by two upgraded models, the WonderSwan Color and SwanCrystal, before Bandai discontinued the line in 2003. Throughout its lifespan, no version of the WonderSwan was officially released outside Japan.
Powered by a 16-bit processor, the WonderSwan was designed as both a more powerful and affordable alternative to its 8-bit competitors, Nintendo's Game Boy Color and SNK's Neo Geo Pocket Color, while offering notably long battery life from a single AA battery. Later iterations improved the handheld’s display, introducing color for enhanced visual quality. One of its distinguishing features was its dual-orientation design, allowing gameplay in both vertical and horizontal modes. The WonderSwan also cultivated a unique library, featuring numerous first-party titles based on licensed anime properties and strong third-party support from developers such as Squaresoft, Namco, Capcom and Banpresto.
Gallery (12)
Connections
Categories
1999 establishments in Japan2003 disestablishments in JapanBandai consolesComputer-related introductions in 1999Discontinued handheld game consolesHandheld game consolesJapan-exclusive video game hardwareMonochrome video game consolesNEC V20Sixth-generation video game consolesX86-based game consoles