Bandai WonderSwan Games Collection

The WonderSwan, developed by Bandai and designed by Game Boy creator Gunpei Yokoi, was a monochrome handheld released in 1999 exclusively in Japan. Its landscape-oriented design with both vertical and horizontal control options was innovative, as was its low power consumption (running on a single AA battery). The system found moderate success in Japan (selling about 3.5 million units) due to strong support from Square, which released Final Fantasy and other RPGs for the platform. The WonderSwan Color (2000) added a color screen while maintaining backward compatibility. While the hardware was technically superior to the Game Boy Color in some respects, it couldn't compete with Nintendo's market dominance or the upcoming Game Boy Advance. The system's library was Japan-focused, featuring many anime licenses and RPGs never localized for Western markets. The WonderSwan's legacy lies in its unique hardware design and its role as the last project by Yokoi, who died in 1997 before seeing its release. Today it remains a collector's item representing an alternative vision for handheld gaming during the transitional period between the Game Boy and modern handhelds.