The Bandai WonderSwan is a Hidden Gem! Reviewing the Hardware and Games of the Handheld

[@gaminglakitu]

I would love just to see a general overview of this system and see what its library has to offer. It really does have that same feel to the Neo Geo Pocket Color where it may seem super niche and probably wouldn't have many games at all for it, it just has a lot of super interesting looking titles that people just don't know about. I would love to watch a video like that just to find out what games would be the best to but onto an SD card and play on my Wii or PSP

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

I’ll see how this video does over the next week and plan from there

[@mbe102]

RIP Gunpei Yokoi 🦢

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

He was def a forward thinker

[@jonniefast]

it reminds me of the Nintendo switch how it can switch from horizontal to vertical depending on the game 🥹

[@Idelacio]

Always up for for game compilations. I haven't found that much of interest for the WS myself so other perspectives are always appreciated.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

I’ll decide in about a week if I do it :)

[@matthewwachter9070]

The Analogue Pocket plays these game (color and monochrome) flawlessly....but I'm sure you already know that :) Really love your channel btw.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Analogue Pocket is in the video lol. Did you not get to that point yet?

[@matthewwachter9070]

Whoops! Was typing faster than I could watch :

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

I had a feeling :)

[@LukeOranje]

Not quite! Pocket can't emulate the actual refresh rate, as mentioned in the video. Also, a number of games have little quirks that work best on the WonderSwan, such as Beatmania...and Rhyme Rider Kerorican, you actually hold the WonderSwan at an angle. But, most technically should be more or less playable, of course!

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Yes it’s 60hrz vs 75

[@schlittytube]

Discovering WonderSwan through emulation was great fun for me. Klonoa Moonlight Museum is easily my favorite Klonoa.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Klonoa is def my fav on the system

[@brokenproteus]

Fun video! I think Yanik Magnan's Swan Song series deserves a mention. It uses a format similar to Jeremy Parish's videos or Famidaily, and it's almost done with the monochrome library (and I assume soon to start the WonderSwan Color). It's a VERY underrecognized series that deserves more attention.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

I’ll have to take a peek!

[@sunderark]

That's cool and all but don't let this man distract you from the fact that in 1998, The Undertaker threw Mankind off Hell In A Cell, and plummeted 16 ft through an announcer's table.

[@jamesstrength21]

He damn sure did bruh!! He won't use that Wonderswan to keep me from remembering those broken ribs and teeth Mankind had.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

I’ll never forget watching that

[@sunderark]

@@jamesstrength21 GOD AS MY WITNESS HES BEEN BROKEN IN HALF

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Good ol JR

[@METR0lD]

I always found it interesting that the WonderSwan actually runs at like 75fps. Very unusual! I love that I can replicate that on my MiSTer with VRR on my TV so there is no stuttering.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Right? I have a 20” VRR 144hrz monitor in for review and WonderSwan has been my fav part of using it

[@WhatAboutZoidberg]

Always loved the Wonderswan. Its such a unique system and the Tate mode is so cool. Gunpei Yokoi was a genius.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

He did a lot with gaming hardware that’s for sure

[@pixxellie]

Love the wonderswan coverage!

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Glad you enjoyed it :)

[@seabassapologist]

Been desperately waiting for Flash Mastas to come back in stock! I've got a Color in great shape, and an IPS screen to eventually install, but I've noticed that a lot of the games that aren't Final Fantasy can get quite expensive! I've got FF1 at least, but I'd love to be able to play mine more, it's such a fun little system.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Yeah stock seems thin on those eh?

[@markkilborn512]

I’d love more WS coverage. I own one of the FF Color limited models, FFII I think. But I haven’t spent much time with the library.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

That’s a fun colorway

[@lknox1123]

If you create the larger video be sure to include Judgement Silversword, and Dicing Knight! Also check out the modern incomplete homebrew game FireLancer, though I think I've read the IPS screens have issues with that game.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

I gotta check stats. See if I’ll do part 2 :)

[@darkkoji]

I have the white Final Fantasy 1 WSC. The Wonderswan family was a grail handheld for me for years. I will have to mod mine one of these days.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

The mod is def worth it

[@dkdevil3490]

Fun co-incidence, seeing this pop so soon after I put in an order for a wonderswan color! I can’t wait to get my hands on it.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Haha good timing

[@MadsterV]

Gunpei Yokoi?? 75hz? I really want to know about that library now.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

If this video picks up steam I’ll do it the 30+ minute videos are a ton of work

[@RedToad64]

Not familiar with the WonderSwan’s library, so I would like to see a more in-depth look at those.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

I’ll probably decide next week if I do it :)

[@fpgazumspass2137]

Would like to hear more recommendations. I only really played Engacho, Klonoa and DicingKnight, probably because I never touched translations and most games are hard to understand.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Yes without translations most of the library is totally outside the understanding of us non-Japanese reading gamers

[@RainUnderscore1]

Yes, do a more in depth video about the wonderswan. I know very little about it.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Maybe :)

[@LukeOranje]

Rule #1 of modding a WonderSwan: Only screen mod WonderSwan Color and broken Crystals. The original Crystal screen is a work of art - the LCD grid really makes the sprite work look incredible! The WS Color screen? Absolutely horrendous, mod it immediately. Great video - I love this console and it's a blast to collect for! Well, was fun before prices skyrocketed.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

What hasn’t the price skyrocketed on sadly

[@Nancy-hy5so]

The Miyoo Mini plus I have had wonder swan color and has final fantasy final fantasy 2, and 4 I thought only one final fantasy game was on wonder swan until I looked in the emulator. There's 89 games listed under the wander swan and it amazes me they would even have that many games for that. I think if that was imported over here in America and translated in English around the time of it being released in 1999, it would have been a huge hit in my opinion. If it was that popular over there in Japan, then I'm sure it would have been popular over here as well. They could have at least tested it over here in some gaming convention or something similar and see if kids and young adults would like it or not. The Inuyasha game would have had me sold on it with just that game I was a big fan of that anime manga story. But that switching from landscape to portrait would probably be the very gimmick that made a huge hit over here.

[@OutrunCitizen]

Of course you should make that follow up video, but don't forget Langrisser Millennium WS: The Last Century when you do make it!

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

We shall see what kinda mood I’m in later lol

[@thefallenfaith1986]

I wanted a Wonderswan so badly when I had first learned of its existence, back sometime in the late 2000s. Then I discovered that many of the games wsre in b&w, and kind of lost interest XD Thank you for making this video. I read your replies below saying that you won't make a 30 minute video based off of the unfortunate lack of views - I understand, but I hope that you will change your mind.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

You never know when I’ll change my mind. I don’t either lol

[@PopeTheRevXXVIII]

I don't know why I never got one a lot of good arcade ports,a Cho Aniki, 2 exclusive Guilty gears, Judgement Silversword two exclusive Mega Man games. I don't know why I never got one. Also always wanted a GP32 for Little wizard and the GP32 is the granddaddy of all the Emulator handhelds

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

That would have been fun to see for sure

[@WMARUoriginal]

I'd also like to eventually own a modded wonderswan, but it's just hard to justify the cost.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

It’s not cheap. Unless you buy it off a friend like I did

[@Charlestouchdown]

YO WHAT THE FUCK. The sprite work on that One Piece game is insane.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

It is def impressive

[@MagmaMKII]

Still waiting for a translation of the Cho Aniki game.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Maybe one day

[@bryandavidasuncion9515]

Yes I want that 30 minute video

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

I think this may be the end of the WonderSwan line. Not a popular video sadly

[@bryandavidasuncion9515]

@@VideoGameEsoterica Ah that's sad to hear.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

We shall see if it picks up

[@Joshewah777]

You got 10 hours (with more to go) of battery life on a single AA battery even with the backlit screen mod? That's pretty sweet.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

It is a nice Eneloop rechargeable AA so it’s not like it’s a cheap bodega AA but yep

[@Nateanderthal]

I remember somebody in high school had a wonder swan and thought it was sweet.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Not something you’d expect to see

[@colleenlove2114]

Thanks for showing us 🌼😄

[@keithlowe5512]

That battery life is insane

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

It seriously is. Good stuff

[@gunsmithx]

Wonderswan!!

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

SonderWwan

[@AndikaThe2000]

I'm a huge fan of Sony (For PlayStation's Gran Turismo), Bandai Namco (For Aikatsu), Nickelodeon (For SpongeBob SquarePants) and Capcom (For Street Fighter). Well the Bandai's handheld like Wonderswan, i was know that one around 2010s. The PC is the first one to try Wonderswan as a emulator, later on PSP, then a year like this after 3 years like run on PS Vita via RetroArch, as i'm playing it and i'm enjoy in it especially i try Wonderswan Color game like Gunpey EX which was my favorite Wonderswan/Wonderswan Color game. So overall for Japanese only handheld pair with the Sony's PSP or PS Vita i love, i love Wonderswan and Wonderswan Color. 😁 👍

[@jessiewonka]

A power button harder to press than the 3DS?

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Definitely

[@nathanielcook9424]

Replacing the SwanCrystal’s screen with an IPS should be a crime - the original SwanCrystal’s screen is easily the best of all handheld screens without backlight, except maybe for the new Playdate’s screen

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Came to me that way

[@sunderark]

Oh wait this is the Tate handheld I keep hearing about.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Yep. A weird and fun design

[@AlemannoDigitale]

And this is another one that I never saw in person 😢

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

It’s a fun one

[@Nancy-hy5so]

I was so glad when I bought my Miyoo Mini plus and seen a wonder swan emulator. When I went into it then I was kinda disappointed because they are almost all in Japanese I wished the people that came up with these consoles with built in games to make the exclusive Japanese ones in the language you speak and read. Maybe there is a way but I haven't found it yet and I would love to play the Inuyasha game since I loved that story back when it was new. I anyone knows how please let me know I would appreciate it a lot? Thanks and have a wonderful and blessed day and stay safe out there 😊

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

I just don’t think it’s been translated yet

[@PJ-sv4iw]

You should do Gamepark32 next!

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Haha even more obscure

[@dorfus]

Oh I am most assuredly not all right

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

We know this now but I was trying to smooth out your tougher edges

[@dorfus]

@vge hold up did you just take a swipe at the villagers at 10:37

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

They know what they did

[@bartvb5059]

You know just as well as we do that you will be making that 30 minute video 😂

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Lol based on the first 45 minute views on this video…I will not be making that video

[@madison4698]

@@VideoGameEsoterica Nahh don’t be so easily dissuaded, I want that video!!

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Haha we shall see

[@jonniefast]

haha i have that odd headphone dongle it wasnt boxed and the headphones were such hot garbage i thought the seller just included them from the 99¢ store 😂

[@jonniefast]

i guess im relieved 😅 but im in the same boat- i will never use those disgustin headphones lmao

[@jonniefast]

i only have a handful of carts but was on the fence for the flashmasta maybe for my birthday ^_^

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Haha nope. Official

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

It’s worth it

[@ObiKKa]

First view. Yah!

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

You win 10 VGE points

[@SNKev411]

I tried to like the games on the system, but it wasn’t for me in my opinion, the virtual boy is better than this lol

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

That’s fair. Not everything is for everyone :)