The Bandai WonderSwan had a lot going for it that other handhelds attempting to dethrone the Game Boy didn’t. Rather than focusing on a backlit screen or pushing console-like graphics they stuck to what worked. The WonderSwan boasted an incredible battery life and portable friendly design. This is most likely because it was designed by Gunpey Yokoi who also was behind the original Game Boy. It’s tragic then that the WonderSwan was never released outside of Japan, and was still kicked to the curb by Nintendo’s latest color iteration of their gangbusters hardware. It never set the sales charts on fire, but it managed to compete far better than any other portable at that point. It’s tragic that it was never localized for North American audiences. Many of it’s best games are still exclusive. That’s why I’ve decided to sit down and highlight the best WonderSwan games today. Let’s begin.
#20. – Bakuso Dekotora Densetsu for WonderSwan
Bakuso Dekotora Densetsu is a racing game where you play as a truck driver trying to reach the end of stage before the timer runs out. I loved it and consider it to be one of the best WonderSwan games. The language barrier is pretty strong, but using a few tricks I was able to figure out what to do and what was going on. Story is a focus here, but you can ignore that and get right to the racing after navigating some menus. There are a few unique aspects to this game that make it stand out. For one thing it was uncommon to have racing (or even driving games for that matter) where you drive a big rig. The controls take a bit of getting used to and it’s mechanically different from most racers. Secondly you can upgrade various aspects of your vehicle in between races.
#19. – Lode Runner for WonderSwan
This franchise is a guilty pleasure of mine. It’s a side scrolling action puzzle title where you guide your character through a series of stages with the goal being to collect all the treasure. To defeat (or avoid) enemies you can dig a hole on either side of the protagonist to either trap or otherwise dissuade foes. What sets this version apart is that in some stages you play outside of the traditional suit. Here you’re more agile and can climb on areas of the wall and ceilings. This element really adds to the level design and I loved the additions it brings with it. Otherwise it’s pretty much the same old Lode Runner, but even that’s not a bad thing because gameplay is frantic and addicting. It’s definitely one of the best WonderSwan games by any measure. It’s focused around being able to play in short bursts.
#18. – Beatmania for WonderSwan
I’m automatically drawn to WonderSwan games that you play in the vertical orientation. This is one of the features that sets the system apart from other handheld titles of the time. Beatmania is one of these such games. This is a long running series in Japan that we never saw in the West. It’s a rhythm game where you press buttons at the correct prompts when they reach the bottom of the screen. Things start off simple enough but later on can be challenging and rewards practice. I’m surprised at how well the sound engineers were able to translate the music to 8-bit bleeps and blips. Beatmania has one of the best soundtracks on the platform, but it’s the gameplay that makes this one of the best WonderSwan games. It’s also very easy to play even if you don’t speak Japanese.
#17. – Neon Genesis Evangelion: Shito Ikusei
I’ll be the first to admit that this release is pretty much just for fans of the anime series. This game takes place near the end of the show and you play as the main character Shinji who must raise an angel. It’s not a traditional religious figure, rather, the giant robots that the characters battle inside in the show. You have to do things such as changing the filters, feeding it, etc. It’s best to consider Neon Genesis Evangelion: Shito Ikusei as a virtual pet sim, and an incredibly detailed one at that. You can also wander around headquarters gathering items and interacting with your favorite characters. This one would be nay unplayable were it not for the excellent fan translation available. It’s weird, and niche, but it’s one of the best WonderSwan games in my opinion.
#16. – Side Pocket for WonderSwan
If there’s one genre the Bandai WonderSwan is lacking in then it’s sports titles. As far as I can tell Side Pocket is about it has to offer. That’s not a big deal because I generally don’t care about the genre. This is a traditional pool game. You select a character and then you’re off to compete. The player that goes first is determined by who manages to strike their ball farther in a mini-game. From here it’s pretty traditional to the sport. The table is viewed from a top down perspective and you’re shown a dotted line indicating the trajectory of the cue ball. There’s also a power meter that fills automatically and you can determine the force of your hit with a timed button press. It’s basic pool, and my only complaint is that there’s no trajectories to show which direction the other balls will move in.
#15. – Puyo Puyo 2
Nearly every system (handheld or portable alike) released in the 90s had some iteration of Puyo Puyo released for it. Typically these were reskinned to fit the most popular franchises at the time, but the Wonderswan version is just plain old Puyo Puyo. Not that this is a bad thing! Puyo Puyo is a side view puzzle game like Tetris in that you have falling items of different colors that you must line up to eliminate. In this case it’s cute blobs, and the developers compensated for the black and white display by using striking shades of gray as well as patterns. It works surprisingly well on the screen at up to this point I’d go so far as to say this is the best handheld iteration of the franchise. Puyo Puyo 2 is great fun, and is easily one of the best WonderSwan games ever released.
#14. – Chocobo no Fushigi na Dungeon for WonderSwan
Chocobo’s Mysterious Dungeon has served as a nice spin-off to the Final Fantasy series. It’s a rogue-like affair where you control just the titular character as he treks through dungeons, explores towns, purchases items, etc. The combat system is simplistic but unforgiving in nature which is why so many people have become fans of this type of game. Chocobo’s Dungeon originated on the PS1 but Squaresoft threw their support behind the WonderSwan and released a port of it for the handheld. It’s easily one of the best WonderSwan games available, especially for the original hardware iteration. Everything has been scaled back for the less powerful system, but it’s still very playable and quite enjoyable. Be warned that you’ll need to find a translation in order to enjoy this one to its fullest.
#13. – Rainbow Islands: Putty’s Party
The Bubble Bobble series has a surprising number of spinoffs. Included in the bunch is Rainbow Islands which plays similarly, but it’s not identical by any means. It’s a side view action platformer with a focus on vertical movement. Instead of shooting bubbles your character can create rainbow which are used to dispatch foes. They also function as platforms, and you’ll need to use them to make your way upwards. The screen only scrolls upwards, so if you fall you lose a life. It’s a pretty ingenious system and this Wonderswan version has one major advantage. The game is played holding the hardware in the vertical orientation. This gives you more screen estate upwards. A vertical display puts it at a great advantage compared to other ports of the title. It’s easily one of the best WonderSwan games.
#12. – Final Lap 2000
Every system needs a good racer, and Final Lap 2000 on the Bandai WonderSwan has you covered. This is a behind the back racer where you compete against other drivers to come in first place. Final Lap 2000 has all of the best mechanics of racers from this era. You have road signs to warn you of upcoming turns as well as a map at the top of the screen so you always know where you are. The most striking aspect of this game is the graphics engine. 2D titles using the third dimensional perspective often suffer from bad chopping but that’s not the case here. Objects scroll in fairly nicely and better than in most 8-bit titles. The fantastic road animations are wild to see on such a small screen. Final Lap 2000 is a decent racer, and easily one of the best WonderSwan games ever released.
#11. – Buffers Evolution
If there’s one genre this list hasn’t touched upon enough (at least so far) it’s platformers. Thankfully we’ve now reached Buffers Evolution, and it’s a very good one and even one of the best WonderSwan games overall. This title has you playing as one of three cyborg creatures each with their own abilities as you fight your way through a variety of different stages. One thing I really like about this title is how fast paced it is. Your character moves fast through the stages but you’re given plenty of time to plan your jumps and attacks. There are even several abilities used to get past obstacles and these never feel gimmicky or like they slow down gameplay too much. I also really like the upgrade system and the new mechanics it introduces. Buffers Evolution is stuck on the Wonderswan, and it’s one of the games well worth getting.
#10. – Puzzle Bobble
And here’s another Bubble Bobble spin-off. This time we have a puzzle game, and this one has been released on a multitude of different platforms. Chances are if you have any interest in the genre you’ve played this one by now on another platform. The goal is simple. You play as Bub and Bob (the cutesy dinosaurs from Bubble Bobble) who are located at the bottom of the screen with a ball launcher. At the top you have bubbles of different colors and your goal is to line up three of the same type to eliminate them from play. How do you do this? By launching balls from a cannon, of course. There’s one major element that sets this version of Puzzle Bobble apart from all the others. This game is another that makes use of the vertical alignment of the screen! It’s one of the best WonderSwan games.
#9. – Ganso Jajamaru Kun
Here’s a game you probably played elsewhere, but this is the version you haven’t! This was originally released on the Famicom/NES and this port is easily one of the best WonderSwan games. Here you play as the ninja of the same name in a side scrolling action game. He can run, jump, and throw shuriken. Most stages (excluding boss fights) are divided into multiple tiers. This is the game’s main gimmick, but it works well. Enemies on the same level as you will give chase and attack. You gain access to the higher floor by jumping into sections of the floor that are colored differently which indicates they can be eliminated. Ganso Jajamaru Kun is far from innovative, and it lacks some polish (the animations are a bit bad). Regardless it’s still a fun romp and perfectly suited for handheld play.
#8. – Tane o Maku Tori
Puzzle games were all the rage on portables, and as you can probably guess the Bandai WonderSwan had more than its fair share. Most were ports, but others like Tane o Maku Tori were original titles. Original is the key word here because I’ve never played anything quite like this one. Your goal is simply to water plants to make them grow. It’s a side view game where you move branches of three trees up and down. You’ll need to do so because water droplets are constantly moving along the branches and falling, and you need to aim them so that they fall right on to the plants. I’ll be the first to admit that it sounds boring, but it’s relaxing and gameplay is surprisingly addictive. I’d even go so far as to say it’s one of the best WonderSwan games. This one is still an exclusive title.
#7. – Space Invaders
My interest in Space Invaders is kind of a new development. I largely ignored the title outside of occasionally playing it in arcades. Now whenever I see it was released for an obscure platform I have to have it. This version is no different, and it’s fair to say it’s one of the best WonderSwan games ever released. Space Invaders isn’t going to win any awards for graphics here. Honestly this version is about on par with the Game Boy iteration, if not a little worse in terms of visual design. The ship, shots, and aliens are all super pixelated and lack any real detail. It’s Space Invaders though, and on a handheld so it gets extra points from me. If there’s only one complaint it’s that I wish this version played in vertical mode. I’m not quite sure why the developers slept on that.
#6. – Magical Drop
Magical Drop is one of my big guilty pleasure puzzle games. I want to hate the cutesy graphics and visual design. It’s so true. I can’t help but find it charming, if not a little distracting though. In this side view puzzle game you play as a several different characters whose goal is to eliminate blocks (or circles in this case). You can run left or right at the bottom of the screen, and grab on to the blocks immediately above you. You’ll grab multiple if they’re of the same kind, but only one if it’s solo. From here you can move again and throw it back at the top of the screen. These objects are eliminated if you line up the three or more of the same kind. It’s addictive, and one of my favorite puzzle titles. This version gets extra points for using the vertical orientation.
#5. – Gunpey
There’s a lot to live up to for a game named after Gunpey Yokoi. The developers succeeded, and created one of the strangest puzzle titles of all time. Seriously, when I first jumped in I had no idea what I was doing. This is a top down view tile moving puzzle game. The tiles are simple lines, and you trade two tile places at a time. Your goal is to make a line in the tiles which goes all the way across the screen. It sounds easy, but it’s certainly not. Gunpey takes some real practice to be any good at. It’s not a pick up and play title like Tetris because experimentation will get you almost nowhere here. Once it clicks though you’re in for a real treat. Gunpey Yokoi was a real legend, and this release named after him is easily one of the best Wonderswan games.
#4. – Makaimura for Wonderswan
For the uninitiated, Makaimura is the Japanese name for the Ghouls and Ghosts series. Capcom threw a lot of support behind the WonderSwan (and color iteration) and they chose wisely to release a new installment for the platform. The only problem is that this version hasn’t come out on any other platform. This is a horror themed action platformer where you play as Arthur who must rescue his princess from the clutches of an army of monsters. You have armor, and a weapon, and that’s pretty much it. Any hit from an enemy will strip the character of his armor, and another hit results in death. You better get good fast because this game is downright challenging. It’s also interesting to note that this is the only installment in the series with underwater swimming stages. The graphics are the highlight and look absolutely amazing on the small screen.
#3. – Clock Tower
In one of the most unlikely ports on the platform Human Entertainment ported their Super Famicom point and click horror adventure title to the WonderSwan. I’m actually not quite sure how they did it because the graphical fidelity is off the charts. The environments are chock full of details, and most of the game is intact. Horror was somewhat of a new frontier for handheld gaming and I love the fact that it’s represented here on the WonderSwan. The only issue is that while the original game was slow paced this port is almost a crawl. Your character moves far too slowly. Most of the scares are intact, and it’s still a frightening experience here. Clock Tower is easily one of the best WonderSwan games. It’s also the most impressive one. There’s no translation but you can follow along if you know the Super Famicom game fairly well.
#2. – Kaze no Klonoa: Moonlight Museum
Klonoa was a real sleeper hit for the original Sony PlayStation. This game was a 2.5D platformer that used the graphics engine for some really neat gameplay cues. Unfortunately it didn’t seem to perform well (probably because 3D gaming was all the rage at the time) but it has it’s fans. It’s not surprising then that Namco released an original title in the franchise for the WonderSwan. This time the action is strictly 2D. You play as the titular tanooki/fox/skunk character who moves left/right and jumps. Your main method of attack is by picking up enemies and throwing them. You can also use this ability to gain a double jump mid-air. The major difference between Moonlight Museum and the original release is its emphasis on puzzles. This makes sense given the slower pacing and portable hardware. It’s safe to say that this is clearly one of the best WonderSwan games.
#1. – Rockman & Forte: Mirai Kara no Chousencha
Remember Mega Man & Bass? It’s the Super Famicom release in the franchise that was a Japanese exclusive until it was remade for the Game Boy Advance. Well Capcom actually released a sequel to this spin-off, but again, in Japan only. That’s par for the course with WonderSwan games. I had read some bad things about this title and wasn’t expecting much. As a huge fan of the franchise I was blown away. It really feels like Mega Man on the go, moreso than the Game Boy titles at least. As with the prior release you can play as Rockman or Bass with the biggest difference between the two being that Bass has rapid fire shots. It uses the same ‘defeat boss and gain their power’ format the series is known for and this works just as well as it ever did. I absolutely love the level designs here.
