The Bandai WonderSwan is a handheld gaming console that was released by Bandai in Japan in 1999. It was designed to compete with Nintendo’s Game Boy and was created under the supervision of Gunpei Yokoi, the creator of the original Game Boy.
The WonderSwan featured a monochrome LCD screen and used a single AA battery for power, providing a long battery life compared to its competitors. It had a simple and compact design, making it comfortable to hold and play games on the go. The console had four buttons and a directional pad for control input.
One of the unique features of the WonderSwan was its vertical screen orientation, which made it suitable for displaying games with a portrait layout. This design choice allowed developers to create games with different gameplay mechanics and utilized the screen layout creatively.
The WonderSwan had a modest library of games, with titles ranging from various genres such as action, RPG, puzzle, and sports. Some notable games for the WonderSwan include the Final Fantasy series, Digimon Adventure, Guilty Gear Petit, and Gunpey.
While the WonderSwan had moderate success in Japan, it did not see an international release and faced tough competition from the Game Boy Color and later the Game Boy Advance. Bandai released several iterations of the WonderSwan, including the WonderSwan Color, which featured a color LCD screen.
In 2003, Bandai discontinued the WonderSwan series due to low sales and subsequently exited the handheld gaming console market. However, the WonderSwan remains a part of gaming history and holds nostalgia for some players who enjoyed its unique games and features.
