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![[Bandai Wonderswan]](wonderswan.jpg)
As always, I try and write my comments based on the initual first impressions that I get when I actually fire up and play a new portable gaming system. This one is no different. I feel the first impression is more valuable for people thinking of purchasing, and even more so for those who want to venture into the portable gaming systems.
The picture above doesn't properly do the WonderSwan system any justice. I found an online game retailer who not only carried the WonderSwan, but also had it in stock. My color choice was "Skeleton Black". I have no regrets in regards to the color I chose, it just doesn't scan too well on my flatbed scanner. When viewed at 800X600 resolution on a 15" display, the image is near life-sized.
As of this writing, March 15, 2000, the WonderSwan is only available in Japan, or through retailers who do imports. This means games are going to have to be done via importers as well. For those in a rush or don't want to deal with stuff that can't be purchased readily in your local area, then this is currently not a system for you. The title I have is currently in Japanese(entirely) and English(mostly). It doens't take a lot of guesswork to figure things out.
As of this writing, I have only one title: Space Invaders. Hey, you can never go wrong with a classic! Again, you can tell what game I have by the picture above. This game doesn't do the system much justice in regards to the screen. The screen appears sharp and crisp, but the nature of Space Invaders is not going to tell me if there is going to be any blurring. Depending on future titles that I may purchase, we'll see how well the screen holds up under more demanding titles.
Small, pocket-sized and light on power. This is a very thin unit, and except for the bulge in the back for the SINGLE AA-battery, this until is pretty much flat. As the picture shows, there are two directional controllers. We haven't seen something like this since the Atari Lynx! Games are apparently designed for "portrait" mode with both direction controllers at the bottom, or the normal "landscape" mode with both direction controllers on the left. This system doesn't cater to lefties at all.
Controls have been simplified. Sound is controlled via a button, and there are three sound settings: high, low and off. There is NO headphone jack, so you folks who are constantly complaining about low volume, you won't like this system. Then again, you should probably develop some LISTENING skills, but that's just my personal opinion. There is a single contrast wheel for the screen. Power is via a simple slide controller that is well protected to prevent accidental power changes. As I said earlier, the system runs off a single AA battery. There is no place to plug in an AC adaptor, so this is a battery-only device. There is also a link port for head to head gaming. There is even talk of a device to make this exchange data with a Sony PocketStation.
The system seems to have potential and of what little information I've been able to dig up, there appears to be quite a bit of support for it. A large library of quality titles will assure the WonderSwan success in the portable gaming marketplace. Perhaps Bandai will release this system in North America in the near future.