NEW WONDERSWAN
August 30, 2000

Bandai today announced its answer to last week's GameBoy Advance unveiling (more) by Nintendo: an upgrade to its existing Wonderswan system, which has sold 1.5 million units since its launch a year and a half ago.

The new Wonderswan will be a 16-bit color system and will feature internet connectivity. Perhaps the most noteworthy element of the new system is that it will be compatible with the Playstation2, giving both companies an opportunity to strike back at Nintendo's GBA/GC compatability.

Another advantage for Bandai is that the new system will cost 6,800 yen ($66) when it comes out, making it more than 30% less expensive than GBA. Additionally, the new Wonderswan will have backward compatibility with the original system.

Technologically, the color Wonderswan won't live up to the GBA, though. It will have a 2.9 inch screen and display 241 colors.

However, the company hopes to combat this with support from developers like Squaresoft, who have agreed to port Final Fantasy I (new to the list), II, and III to the Wonderswan. These games will most likely be color versions since they have yet to hit the system.