New model WonderSwan indicates Western release?

Bandai has developed a new model of its Japan-only WonderSwan Color handheld console, known as WonderSwan Crystal.

The new model will come equipped with a high-end TFT LCD screen that, according to Bandai, will set it apart from the competition. Interestingly, and for the first time in the lifespan of Bandai’s WonderSwan campaign, it released the information in English, hinting at a possible global release for the new WonderSwan.

The WonderSwan has fitted neatly into the Japanese handheld market, powered largely by solid RPG support from SquareSoft. The handheld market outside of Japan has been the sole property of Nintendo for the past ten years, with the Pokemon-powered Game Boy Color destroying the last non-Nintendo portable, SNK’s Neo Geo Pocket Color.

It was always expected that Bandai would release a version of WonderSwan in the West, as exclusive portable SquareSoft support is considered enough to keep such a machine afloat in both the European and American markets. Now that Square has signed a deal with Nintendo, Bandai must feel that it has had its lifeline cut short.