The
WonderSwan is a
handheld game console released exclusively in
Japan by
Bandai in 1999. Developed by
Gunpei Yokoi's company Koto Laboratory and Bandai, the WonderSwan was powered by a 16-bit
central processing unit and took advantage of a low price point and long battery life in comparison to its competition. The system featured numerous first-party titles based on licensed
anime properties, as well as significant third-party support from
Square,
Namco, and
Taito. The WonderSwan and its two later models, the WonderSwan Color and SwanCrystal, were officially supported until being discontinued in 2003, after being marginalized by Nintendo's
Game Boy Advance. In all its variations, the system sold an estimated 3.5 million units.
Pictured here is the WonderSwan Color, released in 2000. It had a color screen and was available in five casing colors.Photograph: Evan Amos