WonderSwan

Bandai WonderSwan · 1999–2003

The last creation of Gunpei Yokoi — the inventor of the Game Boy — released by Bandai in 1999 as a Japan-only challenger that briefly took real handheld market share before Nintendo's advance buried it. The WonderSwan and its colour successors carved out a devoted following on the strength of exclusive software: Square's WonderSwan-only Final Fantasy remakes, original RPGs, and a strong run of licensed and original titles that never left Japan. As an import platform with a coherent, well-regarded library and the pedigree of Yokoi's final design, the WonderSwan is one of the more rewarding deep-cut handheld-collecting fields, led by its Square exclusives and scarce late releases.