WonderSwan Color
Bandai's color handheld with Final Fantasy bundles and 8% market share.
The WonderSwan Color is a handheld game console from Bandai, launching in Japan on December 9, 2000, where it saw moderate success. While the original WonderSwan had a black-and-white screen, this model is slightly larger and heavier (by 7 mm and 2 g) and includes 64 kB of shared VRAM/WRAM along with a larger color LCD. It plays all original WonderSwan games.
Before the WonderSwan line, Nintendo dominated Japan’s handheld market. After the Color’s release, Bandai captured about 8% of that market, helped by a low price of ¥6,800 (roughly $59 USD). Another factor was a deal with Squaresoft to port the original Famicom Final Fantasy titles with enhanced graphics and controls. However, the Game Boy Advance’s popularity and Squaresoft’s reconciliation with Nintendo eroded the WonderSwan Color’s advantage, and both it and its successor, the SwanCrystal, were discontinued in 2003.
The console runs on a 3.072 MHz 16-bit NEC V30MZ clone CPU. Its 2.8-inch reflective FSTN LCD (no backlight) displays 224×144 pixels in 241 colors from a palette of 4,096. Sound comes from a built-in mono speaker or stereo via an optional headphone adapter, with mute, soft, and loud settings. Two-player link requires an adapter. A single AA battery provides about 20 hours of play. Dimensions are 128 by 74.3 by 24.3 mm, and it weighs 95 g (3.35 oz) including battery.
Before playing, the user must enter personal data (name, birthday, sex, and blood type) via a screen reached by pressing start and power together. The name appears under the Bandai logo at startup. Default volume and contrast can also be set there.
The WonderSwan Color shipped in five basic colors: Pearl Blue, Pearl Pink, Crystal Black, Crystal Blue, and Crystal Orange, plus many limited editions. Final Fantasy bundles were also released, each including a themed console and either Final Fantasy I or II.
Quick Facts
- Manufacturer
- Bandai
- Family
- WonderSwan
- Generation
- Sixth generation era
- Release Date
- JP · December 9, 2000
- Discontinued
- JP · 2003
- Media
- Cartridge
- Successor
- SwanCrystal
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The WonderSwan Color was slightly larger and heavier (7 mm and 2 g) compared to the original WonderSwan. It came in five basic colors: Pearl Blue, Pearl Pink, Crystal Black, Crystal Blue, and Crystal Orange, with many limited edition colors also released. Before a WonderSwan can play games, the player must enter personal information including name, birthday, sex, and blood type, which appears under the Bandai logo when the system is turned on. The WonderSwan Color was also available in limited edition Final Fantasy bundles that came with either Final Fantasy I or Final Fantasy II along with a Final Fantasy-themed console. Prior to WonderSwan's release, Nintendo had virtually a 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 Squaresoft to port over the original Famicom Final Fantasy games with improved graphics and controls.
Reader's Guide
The WonderSwan Color's significance lies in its brief but notable challenge to Nintendo's dominance in the Japanese handheld market. By offering a color screen, backward compatibility with the original WonderSwan library, and a low price of ¥6800, Bandai captured approximately 8% of the market share. A key factor in this success was the exclusive deal with Squaresoft to port the original Famicom Final Fantasy games with enhanced graphics and controls, appealing to RPG fans. However, the competitive advantage was short-lived. With the rising popularity of the Game Boy Advance and the reconciliation between Squaresoft and Nintendo, the WonderSwan Color and its successor, the SwanCrystal, quickly lost ground. Production was discontinued in 2003. The console's legacy includes its unique personal data entry system requiring name, birthday, sex, and blood type, and its limited edition Final Fantasy bundles. Despite its moderate success, the WonderSwan Color remains a distinctive entry in handheld gaming history as Bandai's only major foray into the market, remembered for its color screen, compact design, and Final Fantasy tie-ins.
Did You Know?
- It featured 64k of RAM and a larger color LCD screen displaying 241 out of 4096 colors.
- Bandai took approximately 8% of the Japanese handheld market share after its release, partly due to its low price of ¥6800 (about $59 USD).
- Limited edition Final Fantasy bundles were released, including either Final Fantasy I or Final Fantasy II with a themed console.
More in Video Game Consoles by Generation, Part 5 1-24
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