WonderSwan Color

WonderSwan Color Specifications

The WonderSwan Color was released on December 9, 2000 in Japan, and was a moderate success.

The original WonderSwan had only a black and white screen. Although the WonderSwan Color was slightly larger and heavier (7 mm and 2 g) compared to the original WonderSwan, the color version featured 512KB of RAM and a larger color LCD screen. In addition, the WonderSwan Color is compatible with the original WonderSwan library of games.

Prior to WonderSwan's release, Nintendo had a virtual 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 Square to port over the original Famicom Final Fantasy games with improved graphics and controls. However, with the popularity of the Game Boy Advance and the reconciliation between Square and Nintendo, the WonderSwan Color and its successor, the SwanCrystal, quickly lost its competitive advantage.

The first WonderSwan console was released in March 1999 as a grayscale device that was developed by Koto Laboratory, the company founded by former Nintendo engineer Gunpei Yokoi (横井 軍平).

The WonderSwan Color was followed by the active matrix SwanCrystal (スワンクリスタル), which was unveiled by Bandai at the 2002 Tokyo Toy Show. Though well-received, the WonderSwan line was unable to fend off competition from Nintendo's Game Boy Advance and was eventually discontinued in 2003.