WonderWitch
Encyclopedia
The WonderWitch is an official hobbyist development kit for Bandai
's WonderSwan
console. It was available only by mail order to Japanese residents. Everything related to the WonderWitch was handled by Qute.
The kit includes Windows
software for developing for the WonderSwan, as well as a link cable that plugs into a DE9 serial port, and a special rewritable 128 Mbit cartridge. The cartridge works with standard WonderSwan consoles, and can contain several games, depending on their size. Additional cartridges were also available to buy separately.
The software consists in a C compiler, tools for converting data files, and a utility for transmitting files to and from the console.
The WonderWitch is, for the purposes of amateur developers, a legal alternative to unofficial flash carts popular on other consoles. Those, such as the Wondermagic Color, are indeed much rarer for the WonderSwan than for the Neo Geo Pocket
for instance, although the latter machine sold in much lower numbers.
Several programming contests were organized, and some winning games were published in cartridge form and sold to the public, like Judgement Silversword -Rebirth Edition- and Dicing Knight Period
.
Bandai
is a Japanese toy making and video game company, as well as the producer of a large number of plastic model kits. It is the world's third-largest producer of toys . Some ex-Bandai group companies produce anime and tokusatsu programs...
's WonderSwan
WonderSwan
was a line of handheld game consoles produced in Japan by Bandai between 1999 and 2003. It was developed by the late Gunpei Yokoi's company Koto and Bandai...
console. It was available only by mail order to Japanese residents. Everything related to the WonderWitch was handled by Qute.
The kit includes Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
software for developing for the WonderSwan, as well as a link cable that plugs into a DE9 serial port, and a special rewritable 128 Mbit cartridge. The cartridge works with standard WonderSwan consoles, and can contain several games, depending on their size. Additional cartridges were also available to buy separately.
The software consists in a C compiler, tools for converting data files, and a utility for transmitting files to and from the console.
The WonderWitch is, for the purposes of amateur developers, a legal alternative to unofficial flash carts popular on other consoles. Those, such as the Wondermagic Color, are indeed much rarer for the WonderSwan than for the Neo Geo Pocket
Neo Geo Pocket
The Neo Geo Pocket was SNK's first hand held video game system, released in Japan in late 1998; however, lower than expected sales resulted in its discontinuation in 1999, and was immediately succeeded by the Neo Geo Pocket Color. The system only had a retail release within the Japan and Hong Kong...
for instance, although the latter machine sold in much lower numbers.
Several programming contests were organized, and some winning games were published in cartridge form and sold to the public, like Judgement Silversword -Rebirth Edition- and Dicing Knight Period
Dicing Knight Period
Dicing Knight Period is an RPG game for the Bandai WonderSwan Color. It is also a roguelike, as the dungeons can be randomly generated.Dicing Knight Period was one of the last WonderSwan games to be released, in 2004, alongside Judgement Silversword, another winner in the WonderWitch development...
.