Top 15 WonderSwan Games
This is my "top 15" favorite WonderSwan games as such all of the following games are playable by gamers who do not understand japanese.
Being a personal list it relies on my own tastes but I think all of these games are some of the best for the system.
My wish is for you to discover new gems for your WonderSwan collection through this page.
Top 15
Being a personal list it relies on my own tastes but I think all of these games are some of the best for the system.
My wish is for you to discover new gems for your WonderSwan collection through this page.
Top 15
1) Flash Koibito-kun
A hidden gem for WonderSwan in one of the strongest genre for the console.
This is a action puzzle game developed by Koto (Gunpei Yokoi's company) which can be easily mistaken for a top tier Nintendo Game & Watch game thanks to the excellent core idea and execution.
You control a little cupid-like ninja whose skill is to channel the protagonist hearts (his love) toward other girls thus making them falling in love with you (don't worry you can impersonate a female protagonist if you want).
You can accumulate hearts and chain them so to increase the final score however let them fall too much on the ground and it's game over.
The premise is unique and the game mechanics are easier to understand by playing the game than to explain by words.
In short it's a very interesting action puzzle game which require quick reflex.
It's a very good game and vert charming.
The prices are on the rise due to its rarity so get it when you still can!
This is a action puzzle game developed by Koto (Gunpei Yokoi's company) which can be easily mistaken for a top tier Nintendo Game & Watch game thanks to the excellent core idea and execution.
You control a little cupid-like ninja whose skill is to channel the protagonist hearts (his love) toward other girls thus making them falling in love with you (don't worry you can impersonate a female protagonist if you want).
You can accumulate hearts and chain them so to increase the final score however let them fall too much on the ground and it's game over.
The premise is unique and the game mechanics are easier to understand by playing the game than to explain by words.
In short it's a very interesting action puzzle game which require quick reflex.
It's a very good game and vert charming.
The prices are on the rise due to its rarity so get it when you still can!
2) Engacho!
The puzzle genre is one of the strongest on WonderSwan and Engacho! is one of the reason why.
Engacho! is a turn based puzzle game where you control the little Sunzuki, you must guide him toward the end of a stage within a set number of maximum steps.
The quirk is that for every step Sunzuki takes, the bizarre creatures that fill the level move in a certain direction too (every creatures has a different behavior).
If Sunzuki has the misfortune to ram into a creature, a gross scene follow it and that's game over.
As you can already see from the cover (yes, that's a winged butt) Engacho! has a very strong personality with peculiar art and catchy music.
Like all the great puzzle game it is easy to understand but it makes you feel smart the more you play and there is a lot to play in Engacho! because after beating the first 100 levels, you unlock additional 200 stages that must be completed with the minimum number of steps possible.
A few weeks after Engacho! was released the PlayStation version was made available however nothing beat playing a puzzle game on the go.
Engacho! is a turn based puzzle game where you control the little Sunzuki, you must guide him toward the end of a stage within a set number of maximum steps.
The quirk is that for every step Sunzuki takes, the bizarre creatures that fill the level move in a certain direction too (every creatures has a different behavior).
If Sunzuki has the misfortune to ram into a creature, a gross scene follow it and that's game over.
As you can already see from the cover (yes, that's a winged butt) Engacho! has a very strong personality with peculiar art and catchy music.
Like all the great puzzle game it is easy to understand but it makes you feel smart the more you play and there is a lot to play in Engacho! because after beating the first 100 levels, you unlock additional 200 stages that must be completed with the minimum number of steps possible.
A few weeks after Engacho! was released the PlayStation version was made available however nothing beat playing a puzzle game on the go.
3) Judgement Silversword
The vertical orientation design of the WonderSwan was always ideal for vertical shooter yet until the very end no such game was published for the platform.
Thanks god the little editor Qute decided to publish the two winners of the past WonderWitch contests (they were indie competition centered around the WonderSwan) in 2004.
One of these games released commercially was Judgement Silversword, a frantic vertical shmups developed by solo man M-KAI.
Judgement Silversword is a very good game that homage another classic , Radiant Silvergun for Sega Saturn, and focus more on boss encounters.
Technically the game is very impressive considering how slow the CPU in the Wonderswan is.
Judgement Silversword is a must have for the system the only inconvenient is that it had a low print (despite a later reprint) and is very sought after so it's very expensive, by far the the most expensive game in this list.
Thanks god the little editor Qute decided to publish the two winners of the past WonderWitch contests (they were indie competition centered around the WonderSwan) in 2004.
One of these games released commercially was Judgement Silversword, a frantic vertical shmups developed by solo man M-KAI.
Judgement Silversword is a very good game that homage another classic , Radiant Silvergun for Sega Saturn, and focus more on boss encounters.
Technically the game is very impressive considering how slow the CPU in the Wonderswan is.
Judgement Silversword is a must have for the system the only inconvenient is that it had a low print (despite a later reprint) and is very sought after so it's very expensive, by far the the most expensive game in this list.
4) One Piece Grand Battle Swan Colosseum
WonderSwan has some good fighting games like Capcom's Pocket Fighter or the two Guilty Gear Petit games by Sammy but they are inevitably tarnished by the system "not so well designed for the genre" d-pad.
Dimps, the developer behind this game, was smart enough to takes a few notes from Smash Bros instead of Street Fighter 2 and that proved a good move since One Piece plays fine with WonderSwan controls:
basically you perform special moves just by pressing a button and a specific direction in the d-pad.
Swan Colosseum is a very fun fighting game starring One Piece characters, with a good number of additional content which can be unlocked to improve the longevity (a minigame, character cards, new arenas and 7 new fighters that bring the total to 13).
It's easy to understand why Bandai scheduled Swan Colosseum along side with Swan Crystal system launch, the game is simply stunning.
Graphics are very colorful with animated backgrounds and the characters animations are amazing almost like a cartoon.
Also sound is competent and the music is well done.
One Piece Swan Colosseum is a must for the system and because its simple nature can be enjoyed by everybody, even by those who do not know the original license.
Dimps, the developer behind this game, was smart enough to takes a few notes from Smash Bros instead of Street Fighter 2 and that proved a good move since One Piece plays fine with WonderSwan controls:
basically you perform special moves just by pressing a button and a specific direction in the d-pad.
Swan Colosseum is a very fun fighting game starring One Piece characters, with a good number of additional content which can be unlocked to improve the longevity (a minigame, character cards, new arenas and 7 new fighters that bring the total to 13).
It's easy to understand why Bandai scheduled Swan Colosseum along side with Swan Crystal system launch, the game is simply stunning.
Graphics are very colorful with animated backgrounds and the characters animations are amazing almost like a cartoon.
Also sound is competent and the music is well done.
One Piece Swan Colosseum is a must for the system and because its simple nature can be enjoyed by everybody, even by those who do not know the original license.
5) Front Mission
Squaresoft was, with Namco, the major third-party supporter of the WonderSwan so a ranking without them isn't credible however what Square was known for were RPGs and since it's a genre which is text heavy it isn't generally well approachable by westerners.
Fortunately Front Mission, a port from the Super Famicom masterpiece, is a strategy RPG whose menu and items are all in english and being a strategy game the objectives can be guessed easily for the most part.
The dialogues are still in japanese though, so you can't follow the story if you don't understand the language.
Front Mission is a quite faithful port from the SNES version and that by itself is quite a big feat since FM is one of the prettiest SNES games.
The major downgrade is the music that went from sounding "16 bit"-ish to "8 bit"-ish.
To sum up Front Mission is one of many quality effort by Square for WonderSwan which in this case is playable even if you can't read japanese.
Many years later the game came out on DS in the form of an enhanced port (Front Mission First Mission) which is available completely in english and render the WonderSwan port obsolete.
If you long for another strategy RPG that is still exclusive to the platform you may check Namco Super Wars.
Fortunately Front Mission, a port from the Super Famicom masterpiece, is a strategy RPG whose menu and items are all in english and being a strategy game the objectives can be guessed easily for the most part.
The dialogues are still in japanese though, so you can't follow the story if you don't understand the language.
Front Mission is a quite faithful port from the SNES version and that by itself is quite a big feat since FM is one of the prettiest SNES games.
The major downgrade is the music that went from sounding "16 bit"-ish to "8 bit"-ish.
To sum up Front Mission is one of many quality effort by Square for WonderSwan which in this case is playable even if you can't read japanese.
Many years later the game came out on DS in the form of an enhanced port (Front Mission First Mission) which is available completely in english and render the WonderSwan port obsolete.
If you long for another strategy RPG that is still exclusive to the platform you may check Namco Super Wars.
6) Makaimura for WonderSwan
A brand new episode in the Makaimura series, known as Ghosts 'N Goblins in the west.
For those who don't know Ghosts N' Goblins is a popular side scrolling action series by Capcom which is especially (in)famous for the high difficulty level.
Don't worry though Makaimura for WS is one of the more approachable entry in the series, in part thanks to the saving feature.
Makaimura suffers from a few technical flaws partly due to it being an early release in the WonderSwan lifespan:
there are noticeable slowdown with more than 2 enemy sprites on screen, the music quality is poor (even for WS low standard) and the graphics in general is too dark (but it could be played fine with good light conditions).
Yet despite all of these problems the game is very enjoyable, with detailed 2D graphics and a few well done twists (for example the vertical stage and the branching paths in the mid of the game).
This particular episode was never ported to other systems and because how much it is in demand it is often found for a higher price compared to the rest of the games in this list (Judgement Silversword aside) but it is a worthy purchase if you can find a good deal.
For those who don't know Ghosts N' Goblins is a popular side scrolling action series by Capcom which is especially (in)famous for the high difficulty level.
Don't worry though Makaimura for WS is one of the more approachable entry in the series, in part thanks to the saving feature.
Makaimura suffers from a few technical flaws partly due to it being an early release in the WonderSwan lifespan:
there are noticeable slowdown with more than 2 enemy sprites on screen, the music quality is poor (even for WS low standard) and the graphics in general is too dark (but it could be played fine with good light conditions).
Yet despite all of these problems the game is very enjoyable, with detailed 2D graphics and a few well done twists (for example the vertical stage and the branching paths in the mid of the game).
This particular episode was never ported to other systems and because how much it is in demand it is often found for a higher price compared to the rest of the games in this list (Judgement Silversword aside) but it is a worthy purchase if you can find a good deal.
7) Klonoa: Moonlight Museum
This is the first portable spinoff in the Klonoa series and it is more oriented on puzzle platforming elements compared to the original PlayStation game.
To beat a level you need to collect 3 crystals each time and Klonoa (the main protagonist) can achieve higher places or hit switches by grabbing and throwing the enemies.
The learning progression stage after stage is excellent and while the game is a bit too easy you can still unlock a very challenging secret world by collecting every gems in the first 5 worlds.
There isn't much else to say about Klonoa aside from it being a fun platform game with nice graphics and music.
The only problem with Moonlight Museum is that the game is a bit lacking compared to the following GBA games which are based on it (for instance there are no boss and being released in 1999 it is a black and white game).
The GBA games are more widely available but Moonlight Museum is well worth to be played.
To beat a level you need to collect 3 crystals each time and Klonoa (the main protagonist) can achieve higher places or hit switches by grabbing and throwing the enemies.
The learning progression stage after stage is excellent and while the game is a bit too easy you can still unlock a very challenging secret world by collecting every gems in the first 5 worlds.
There isn't much else to say about Klonoa aside from it being a fun platform game with nice graphics and music.
The only problem with Moonlight Museum is that the game is a bit lacking compared to the following GBA games which are based on it (for instance there are no boss and being released in 1999 it is a black and white game).
The GBA games are more widely available but Moonlight Museum is well worth to be played.
8) Mr. Driller
Mr. Driller is a conversion of the popular puzzle action game Namco created for the arcades.
At the time it was ported to many system (GBC, GBA, PS1, DC, GC) but if you don't own a copy yet you may get it for WonderSwan cause Namco did a good job with this version (much better than the GBC port) and the game is cheap enough.
At the time it was ported to many system (GBC, GBA, PS1, DC, GC) but if you don't own a copy yet you may get it for WonderSwan cause Namco did a good job with this version (much better than the GBC port) and the game is cheap enough.
9) Tane wo Maku Tori
Roughly translated to "The seeding bird" in this game the crow you can see on the cover drops a seed in the soil and you need to direct drops of water upon it to sprout it up.
This is a good puzzle game where you need to manage the drops that comes down and at the same time take care of the little insects that can eat the sprout or drink the water.
Tane wo Maku Tori possesses a very charming presentation based on ink graphics that works very well with the black and white screen of the original WonderSwan.
Also it's a very cheap game which is always welcomed.
This is a good puzzle game where you need to manage the drops that comes down and at the same time take care of the little insects that can eat the sprout or drink the water.
Tane wo Maku Tori possesses a very charming presentation based on ink graphics that works very well with the black and white screen of the original WonderSwan.
Also it's a very cheap game which is always welcomed.
10) Wonder Classic
What an excellent golf simulation game this is!
If you like the genre then Wonder Classic is a must, even better than Neo Turf Masters on Neo Geo Pocket.
If you like the genre then Wonder Classic is a must, even better than Neo Turf Masters on Neo Geo Pocket.
11) Rainbow Islands: Putty's Party
Eventually WonderSwan got a version of Taito classic Rainbow Islands through publisher Mega House.
This version is peculiar, Bob and Bub are nowhere to be found during the gameplay because the main protagonist is the pink-color haired girl Putty.
WonderSwan vertical configuration is a good fit for Rainbow Islands vertical gameplay flow, the game also has a notable quantity of synthesized speech and an online feature (basically you could have uploaded your better scores online) which was quite uncommon for a handheld game from 2000.
It's a shame this game came out before the colored version of the system was released thus it's in "black and white" because Taito games are famous for their charming and colorful graphics, the game sometime also suffer from slowdown.
Overall I think Rainbow Islands Putty's Party is a fun game worthy to be played.
This version is peculiar, Bob and Bub are nowhere to be found during the gameplay because the main protagonist is the pink-color haired girl Putty.
WonderSwan vertical configuration is a good fit for Rainbow Islands vertical gameplay flow, the game also has a notable quantity of synthesized speech and an online feature (basically you could have uploaded your better scores online) which was quite uncommon for a handheld game from 2000.
It's a shame this game came out before the colored version of the system was released thus it's in "black and white" because Taito games are famous for their charming and colorful graphics, the game sometime also suffer from slowdown.
Overall I think Rainbow Islands Putty's Party is a fun game worthy to be played.
12) Rhyme Rider Kerorican
Rhyme Rider Kerorican (from now on RRK) is a score based arcade game by famed developer NanaOn-Sha (Parappa the Rapper, Vib Ribbon).
RRK is a very simple game, Kerorican (the girl in the frog suit) walks down a street and when she approaches an obstacle the player need to push a combo with the right timing to avoid it (the combination vary depending on the kind of obstacle).
However the timing is very tight and you need good reflex and memory to get higher scores especially on the latter stages.
Starting from the packaging (the box can be opened like a bag), continuing with the manual (not a booklet instead a set of cards) and finally through the game itself it's clear that the developer filled the product to the brim with creativity.
This is , to my knowledge, the only game thought to be played in diagonal (yes, even the writings are in diagonal) and this is necessary because the game expect you to push the X,Y and A/B buttons quickly and sometime even at the same time.
Technically the game push the system hard.
The graphics is prerendered, with smooth animations and quirky effects while the music quality is something hard to believe for a handheld from the nineties (in fact the lone speaker of the WS don't do justice to the sample quality and it is suggested to play with headphones).
RRK is a unique experience, very simple and addicting, that can be enjoyed only on WonderSwan.
RRK is a very simple game, Kerorican (the girl in the frog suit) walks down a street and when she approaches an obstacle the player need to push a combo with the right timing to avoid it (the combination vary depending on the kind of obstacle).
However the timing is very tight and you need good reflex and memory to get higher scores especially on the latter stages.
Starting from the packaging (the box can be opened like a bag), continuing with the manual (not a booklet instead a set of cards) and finally through the game itself it's clear that the developer filled the product to the brim with creativity.
This is , to my knowledge, the only game thought to be played in diagonal (yes, even the writings are in diagonal) and this is necessary because the game expect you to push the X,Y and A/B buttons quickly and sometime even at the same time.
Technically the game push the system hard.
The graphics is prerendered, with smooth animations and quirky effects while the music quality is something hard to believe for a handheld from the nineties (in fact the lone speaker of the WS don't do justice to the sample quality and it is suggested to play with headphones).
RRK is a unique experience, very simple and addicting, that can be enjoyed only on WonderSwan.
13) Buffers Evolution
Weird platform game developed by Koto in which robot like creatures must complete a stage in the shortest time possible.
This makes the game more like a racing game than a standard platform game where the focus is more on traversing the platform elements quickly than dispose enemies.
The player can choose different transformation (each with peculiar skills) for the robots so to tackle specific part of the stages more efficiently.
Nice "black and white" graphics and a catchy soundtrack complete Buffers Evolution package.
This makes the game more like a racing game than a standard platform game where the focus is more on traversing the platform elements quickly than dispose enemies.
The player can choose different transformation (each with peculiar skills) for the robots so to tackle specific part of the stages more efficiently.
Nice "black and white" graphics and a catchy soundtrack complete Buffers Evolution package.
14) Xi [Sai] Little
This is the first handheld version of Xi which is known in the west as Devil Dice.
Xi is a popular puzzle game by Sony which first appeared on the original PlayStation.
In the game the player guides the little devil Aqui on a grid full of dices which he need to roll and match to cancel them out.
This version is quite good albeit everything is 2D (with an isometric view).
Xi is a popular puzzle game by Sony which first appeared on the original PlayStation.
In the game the player guides the little devil Aqui on a grid full of dices which he need to roll and match to cancel them out.
This version is quite good albeit everything is 2D (with an isometric view).
15) One Piece Chopper no daibouken
This is a bit tricky to be here because the game has lots of japanese text however because it's an action RPG with strong looting elements the gameplay is quite intuitive to grasp.
Chopper no daibouken is basically a Chocobo Dungeon game with real time combat and One Piece characters.
Each dungeons have many floors which are randomly generated every time and in each floor there are many treasures to loot and enemies to beat.
After a certain number of floors there is a mini game which vary depending on the dungeon (for example a mine sweeper game).
I've found this game to be playable with a bit of practice to understand what the menu and items do.
Chopper no daibouken is basically a Chocobo Dungeon game with real time combat and One Piece characters.
Each dungeons have many floors which are randomly generated every time and in each floor there are many treasures to loot and enemies to beat.
After a certain number of floors there is a mini game which vary depending on the dungeon (for example a mine sweeper game).
I've found this game to be playable with a bit of practice to understand what the menu and items do.
Honorable mention:
Crazy Climber, Gunpey, Gunpey EX, Tetris, Lode Runner for WS, Beatmania for WS, Puzzle Bubble, Magical Drop, Rockman EXE WS, Pocket Fighter, Namco Super Wars, Kuru Para, Dicing Knight., Guilty Gear Petit, Guilty Gear Petit 2, Golden Axe, Ganso Jajamaru-kun, Kinnikuman Nisei: Dream Tag Match, Fire Pro Wrestling for WS, Buffers Evolution, Final Lap Special, One Piece Treasure Wars, SD Gundam - Operation U.C..
Of course without the language barrier Square games and more in general RPG would have had a much bigger presence in the ranking.
Here a couple of names:
Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy II, Final Fantasy IV, Romancing SaGa, Makai Toushi SaGa, Wild Card, Blue Wing Blitz, Hanjuku Hero: Aa Sekaiyo Hanjukunare...!, Hataraku Chocobo, Chocobo no Fushigi Dungeon for WS, Riviera: the promised land, Arc the Lad: Kijin Fukkatsu, Star Hearts, Dragon Ball.
Crazy Climber, Gunpey, Gunpey EX, Tetris, Lode Runner for WS, Beatmania for WS, Puzzle Bubble, Magical Drop, Rockman EXE WS, Pocket Fighter, Namco Super Wars, Kuru Para, Dicing Knight., Guilty Gear Petit, Guilty Gear Petit 2, Golden Axe, Ganso Jajamaru-kun, Kinnikuman Nisei: Dream Tag Match, Fire Pro Wrestling for WS, Buffers Evolution, Final Lap Special, One Piece Treasure Wars, SD Gundam - Operation U.C..
Of course without the language barrier Square games and more in general RPG would have had a much bigger presence in the ranking.
Here a couple of names:
Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy II, Final Fantasy IV, Romancing SaGa, Makai Toushi SaGa, Wild Card, Blue Wing Blitz, Hanjuku Hero: Aa Sekaiyo Hanjukunare...!, Hataraku Chocobo, Chocobo no Fushigi Dungeon for WS, Riviera: the promised land, Arc the Lad: Kijin Fukkatsu, Star Hearts, Dragon Ball.