Thanks for the mention. I am glad that the English-friendly games list is useful for WonderSwan newcomers. This is such an amazing console. I have ordered the same kit from AliExpress, I can't wait to install it. Thanks for the video.
Hey you’re most welcome! Your website is a fantastic valuable resource! Totally agree, it’s highly underrated. You’re going to love the kit! Cheers buddy!
I've done two WonderSwan Color IPS kits using this tutorial . Zero problems . It really helps to see the proper orientation of the cables , screen , and boards as you're doing the install . Thank you .
Thank you dude 🙏! That really means a lot! I love this stuff and I’m glad I can share it with everyone! The obscure consoles are the best! Cheers buddy!
I know this is a fairly old video by now, but there's actually few rechargable battery kits (including drop in options!) for the WSC that were made specifically for people that do the ips mod. The ones Ive seen give you over a dozen hours on an ips and are of course rechargable! Whenever I finally get my hands on a WSC I'm going to grab an ips kit, a battery kit, and probably even a flashcart! It really is a shame we never got these in the west, they're great little machines 😊
FANTASTIC tutorial! This is just what I've been waiting for... so concise and easy to follow. Just ordered my WonderSwan Color on eBay, now I just have to wait for the IPS kits to come back in stock. Thanks again, this is incredibly helpful!
Thanks for the tutorial, I may try it out! I live in the states but I found a swan color in a local retro gaming store back when I was about 10. I now have 4 b/w models, 2 color, and recently found a good deal on a crystal! As far as recs go, I recommend Digimon D-Project, it's more obscure compared to the other Digimon rpg games, but it's very simple and requires practically no reading! Other good titles are Medarot Perfect Edition, Rockman & Forte, Super Robot Wars Compact, SD Gundam Generation, and the Evangelion game!
So, my opinions on the WonderSwan: While my "weeaboo" side really wishes we could have gotten the console in the West, especially as some of my favourite series like Detective Conan, Digimon and One Piece had exclusive games for the system... its library was both the reason why it succeeded briefly and failed hard, and why it could have struggled immensely in the West. Aside from a couple of exceptional games, such as the Final Fantasy remake, Front Mission and a few others, the bulk of its library came from Bandai's use of all the anime licenses they had due to their toy and figure manufacturing business, which made the console's library quite niche, and aside from competition from Nintendo, the fact the United States had only just begun approaching anime in the early 2000s would have probably been an obstacle to a potential North American WonderSwan release, and in Europe it would have only fared slightly better due to its long-standing market for anime, especially in France and Italy. There is no "killer app" for the WonderSwan, no major brand that comes to mind when thinking of the console, just licensed games and third-party ports. It lacked an identity of its own, and suffered greatly for it. Secondly, Bandai... never really did much with it. Its only update was the WonderSwan Color, which not only released a year after the original WonderSwan, but was also just that, a colour screen update, released just after the announcement of the Game Boy Advance, which greatly outpowered the console. The SwanCrystal, released in 2002, was a simple display update, bumping up the quality from the twisted nematic display of the WonderSwan and WonderSwan Color to a TFT LCD, and nothing more, to the point Bandai itself discontinued the entire line a year later.
Wow great info on the wonderswan! Thank you! I agree, anime really didn’t gain a footing in the US until the mid to late 00’s. Really appreciate the insight! Cheers buddy!
The Wonderswan is definitely an interesting little device, but it definitely could not stand up to the Gameboy line. Probably the only portable systems that had a chance against Nintendo were the Gamegear (which compared to the GB barely made a dent in the market) and the PSP. (which again didn't fare as well as it's competition, but managed to make an Impact.)
I just ordered my WSC today. The drastically short battery life is a bummer, but with a couple rechargeable batteries on hand it shouldn't be too bad. I'm excited!
Dude that looks so fresh, a friend of my mom and dad brought me home a Swan Crystal system from Japan in the summer of 03, I still think it was way ahead of its time. Really cool system, I have to do this mod.
I started watching this video because I intend to do the project, and ordered the parts, but I keep watching the video because it’s just so dang relaxing.
This video cost me about $300 lol. Bought my first Wonderswan, this IPS kit, and the Flash Masta flash cart when it went on sale yesterday. Can't wait to get the flash cart in a few weeks, and will be installing the IPS screen tonight. Love your videos, btw. Very well made and relaxing.
Great video! I appreciate how you provide balanced feedback as well such as the pros and cons. There were previous episodes where you mentioned a kit would be virtually perfect or such (e.g. GBC IPS), only for me to be surprised seeing the screen tearing or other flaws when I installed it myself. That said, I’d like to say that the presentation of your walkthroughs of mods are some of the best in youtube!
Subscribed after watching this video, this is exactly how I feel tutorials should be. Relaxing, allowing the viewer to escape as well as properly perform this screen swap because you are a great teacher man thank you for making this and I look forward to more of your content!
No idea this upgrade existed. Glad to see mods for more obscure systems. I have the Final Fantasy limited edition version, but the lack of light was a real problem that stopped me from using it much.
I came looking for a guide for the solder points, and this was the first one to come up... But turned out to be unreasonably useful, as not only do I have the exact same kit, I have the same screwdriver set 😂
If you hold the color palate sensor it will show an option for battery display, and if you hold the brightness sensor you will get a pixel shader option
thanks for getting me into handheld modding and for this video! i just used it to install my own Wonderswan IPS kit! btw, Gunpei is pronounced "goon-pay". keep up the great work 💪
@@Digiflower5 That's with the screen brightness at max. You should be able to double that at more reasonable brightness levels. Of course backlights are always going to eat up more battery.
I just bought my first Wonder Swan and I’m waiting for it to arrive. I’m trying to decide if I want to replace the screen or not. I’m not thrilled about the huge cut in battery life, but it looks like it’s so much easier to see and play that it may be worth it. Thanks for making this tutorial and doing the battery test!
Oh no, the price is gonna go up in Wonderswans and games now that someone popular made a video. I better get the last couple games I want for my collection before it happens. Love you though Tito. Your tutorials are always top notch. I figured this video was coming after you made that post about Wonderswan. Good to see you went with one of the best looking Wonderswan Colors to make this video.
Thank you dude! I really appreciate it! I agree the translucent orange color just pops and looks fantastic! I really am loving this handheld! Again, really appreciate the kind words dude! Cheers!
The price is going up on consoles even more, it's crazy how much even monochrome ones are listed for compared to a year ago. Thankfully game prices don't seem to have spiked quite as much.
I think the 3:49 hrs of battery life in exchange for a beautiful back lit screen is totally worth it, without question. You can just keep a set of 4 AA batteries on the charger and just swap each one out between your four-hour wonderswan gaming sessions lol.
You made that look so easy! I'm sure I'll make a mess. I'm considering buying one for Densha De Go, it's a game that I can recommend because although it's in Japanese you don't need to understand the language, just the basics of the game.
You've had some good game recommendations in this thread, but many of them are very expensive these days. Assuming you don't want to pay $100+ for a loose Klanoa, Guilty Gear or Rockman cart, my recommendations are: 1. The Digimon Battle Spirit titles - not amazing, but affordable and fun. 2. Rhyme Rider Kerorican - a really charming rhythm action game that asks you to hold the WS diagonally (although you really don't have to). Simple gameplay, but beautifully presented and the music is great. 3. Side Pocket - my favourite sports title. Just a simple pool game, but enjoyable. What I do is filter worldwide WonderSwan eBay listings by "newest" with the Video Game Kraken list of English-friendly titles open in another tab. Prices can vary quite wildly, but you will see many games from the list at good prices if you have a look every so often, especially from Japanese sellers. I've accumulated about 20 games over the past year that way, half of them boxed.
The mod fits perfectly, you just bent the ribbon cable wrong. It fits completely on the back, without having to bunch it up against the front. Still awesome tutorial overall.
Your videos are always quality and top notch, Tito. Great video. I gotta say, I really loved this hand transition you did at 3:37. You definitely understand pizzazz, my friend.
Thanks dude! I really appreciate it! I’m so glad your enjoying the production! I have as much fun with that as I do modding the consoles! Cheers buddy!
I just got a WSC myself today! The screen is pretty beat up, but this looks like a fun project to try! I'm big into Digimon and still need the vpet adapter.
I have had a Wonderswan in my eBay cart on and off for over 3 years. And have been looking for a IPS mod, but haven't found one. This is freaking awesome, will buy one immediately.
Great channel, Tito! Have you looked into the RGB mod for that sweet Turbo Express you picked up? It's a little pricey, but quite an improvement over the composite mod and magnitudes better than stock.
I have! I’m hoping that someone makes some aftermarket shells since I would feel bad at nodding the original since the console is so rare now a days. That would be a sweet mod to do though!
Really loved the piano music. I’m more of a purist when it comes to original hardware. Half the fun is playing them how they were meant to be played. If I want to play Wonderswan games with a great screen, that’s what a PSP is for. But that’s just me. As for recommendation - Tekken Card Challenge. A bit of a learning curve because Japanese, but a lot of fun especially if you know the characters. And best of all - it’s cheap.
That’s true Bill! I’m the same way, I like to have my original consoles unmodified but another set that is fully modified that way it still original hardware, just enhanced. Cheers buddy and thank you for the recommendation! I’ll def check that out!
Thanks Steve! It’s really a great console and I’m loving the new screen. It would have been amazing if they did included an aligning bracket. Maybe I should try my hand at designing my own, haha! Cheers buddy!
Nice Video as always. And exactly at the right time because i'm planing on getting one myself. The batterylife is comparable to the GBP Backlight, an i think more than 3h are enough. Also the Swan is so small, its easy to always bring one or two spare batteries with you. And i guess a LiPo-Mod is out of question for it.
Thank you! Glad you liked the video! Agree, 3 hours is impressive given the single aa battery and the really nice IPS. I’m hoping to do a battery mod for it! I think it’s possible! Cheers!
Just installed this and it is glorious. Couldn’t really see the screen before and now...it’s easy on the eyes. Great tutorial but I am definitely moving the touch sensors elsewhere. Lol. Speaker area makes me cycle through the colors. Natural placement for shoulder buttons, thus fingers.
The wonderswan has notoriously bad screens - with the exception of the crystal, of course. The color's screen is definitely an improvement over the original but I'd still consider it to be straining to look at. This mod is amazing. And affordable - especially when compared to the price of a swan crystal.
I wish there was a better flashcart available for WS, that would make it an absolute beast. Also, a mod so it starts up in muted mode, making the system always start at max volume was just a terrible idea. I'd love to see a volume knob mod with the sound button repurposed to the brightness instead of a touch sensor. WS has excellent versions of Space invaders and Tetris (make sure to get the colour version of Tetris!)
Impressive! So no ghosting or freezing/stuck pictures? Very, very nice. Hopefully they’ll be in stock again soon. My top 3 game picks: Gunpey, which is widely available. Tetris, a loose cart is pricey. Mr. Driller, another great port.
Hey DC Celly! Yes they should be back in stock soon. I’d put a watch on it so you get a notification. Thanks for the recommendations! This look great! Can’t go wrong with Tetris! Cheers buddy!
I remember a blue WonderSwan color appeared on the first episode of the mecha anime Full Metal Panic as just a cameo when the main character was briefed on what a high school student should act like as he was always trained as a soldier first.
@@MachoNachoProductions Sega Saturn also made appearence in Neon Genesis Evangelion as console that Asuka love to play. In Cardcaptor Sakura (both anime and manga) you can also see Kero play a console that have controller shaped like Sega Saturn's one but with four face buttons instead six. Real life video game console cameo in anime or manga is actually quite common.
this video convinced me to get one, especially after the mod the pixel art of the WS/WSC games just pop so beautifully and its such a unique device. I got a great deal on sendico for a boxed wonderswan color as well as some one piece games also in box with their respective manuals. now im just waiting for this mod kit to arrive
I'd reccomened Rhyme Rider Kerorican. It's a rhythm game that doesn't need much language besides menu navigation, it's more expensive but I think it's worth it.
I’d be careful. I think it need ls to have the same voltage rating as a regular alkaline battery. I’m not much of an electrical engineer so hopefully someone could chime in.
Given the single battery, the best mod would be a reflective front light that can be turned off and on based on lighting needs. Unfortunately, this would dramatically increase the difficulty. I think certain models of the gameboy had this arrangement and I know the GP32 had a front lit model where the light can be turned on and off. In fact, my GP32 hardly ever gets used precisely because it doesn't have a front light as it is the non lit version. Reflective LCDs are great for saving power, but they suck in anything but very bright light. As a fifty something, I'm not outside with a game very often. I like to enjoy them in my easy chair. It is just not ideal to use them in this way. OTOH, rechargeable batteries are cheap enough and given it only needs one battery, you can always have a charged battery. The only downside to this is if you are really good at a game and if you cannot save it.
I'm perfectly OK with the battery life, but not the ribbon cable situation, and it's really hard for me to justify this for the software collection, WSC is a wonderful little machine that I really like though. Thanks for the video!
Awesome Bro, finaly a IPS for the WonderSwan. I recommend Guily Gear Petit 2, one of the best WS Games and there is Rockman & Forte, its a unique Version of the Game. Have Fun with your knew Baby ;-)
Great videos, helps me decide if I want to as well I now own wonderswan, wonderswan color, and wonderswan crystal ( I got for $5 it had a burn screen which was an easy fix) I'm debating on putting this screen in one but I'd rather do it on another one and not my original finds. Lol, same with my gameboy finds.
I’ve owned one for a couple of years and I love it. I recommend ghouls n ghosts and golden axe they are great ports but can be pricey. And I think the mod is worth it,can’t beat playing it anywhere vs battery life thanks for the great content take care.
Great vids as usual bro! Any plans to build zwenergy's gbaHD? It's like an open source GBA Consolizer made from off the shelf parts. The Gameboy subreddit just kinda slept on it and the build guide barely got a few upvotes. Could be a cool opportunity for your channel be a first to make a proper video on it. I'm personally waiting on more people to get on board before building one myself tho lol.
Thank you🙏! I just looked at it and it looks a bit complicated but very cool! I’m actually going to be looking at something very similar that you may be interested in so stay tuned! Cheers Sean!
I would love to get my hands on one of these to investigate a battery mod. I'm curious to know if it actually runs on 1.5v or if the voltage is stepped up - I assume it will be, which could make it a good candidate for a lithium battery. Getting it to fit could be tricky though...
That would be awesome! I think the wonderswan would benefit nicely from a battery mod. I am unfortunately not sure if the voltage is stepped up. I should read up on some electrical engineering n, definitely not my strong suite.
Are there mods that add a “hump” to the back for more AA’s, or a rechargeable battery with larger capacity? You mentioned how thin the device already is, I would be fine with a larger protrusion if it helped maintained a better battery life. Great channel, glad I found you. Attempting the DCHDMI when it arrives 😱
Thank you! Glad your enjoying the channel! I definitely need to look into those battery mods. I wouldn’t mind the extra hump either. Best of luck on the DCHDMI mod! Cheers!
Great video! I've been looking forward to reviews of this kit. Btw, the Wonderswan did go out of Japan and saw a very limited release in other parts of Asia. Korea and China have versions of the handheld.
Thanks glad you enjoyed the video! That would be really cool to track down a Korean version. May need to look into that. Thanks for the info! Cheers Benjamin!
@@MachoNachoProductions Thank you! Keep 'em coming. There's a Korean bundle that comes with an english Digimon RPG (I've been looking for it for a while now!), and a Chinese version of the Swan Crystal that comes with English instruction booklets. I happen to have that one :)
@@MachoNachoProductions Here's my WonderSwan Digimon breakdown: 1. The only English language Hong Kong Digimon release (or WS release in general) is Digimon Digital Monsters: Anode/Cathode Tamer Veedramon Version, which is so rare that I haven't seen a single copy for sale after a year of WonderSwan collecting. I assume if I ever did it would be prohibitively expensive. 2. The Digimon Battle Spirit titles (Frontiers: Battle Spirit and Tamers: Battle Spirit) are fighting games similar to One Piece Grand Battle and are playable for non-Japanese speakers. They're affordable too, although there's 1.5 version of Tamers: Battle Spirit that is less so. 3. The monochrome game Digimon: Digital Monsters Ver. WonderSwan is also totally playable, as most of the text is in English. It's also an affordable cart. Just make sure you're not getting Digital Monster Card Game - Ver. WonderSwan Color as that's not English-friendly at all. 4. There is a fan translation of Digimon Adventure 02: Tag Tamers. I'd love to get a flashcart to play that and Anode/Cathode Tamer (as well as the translations of Chocobo Mystery Dungeon and SaGa). Flash Masta have been making batches of their (expensive) cart lately, but it always sells out instantly.
I dont mind the less battery life really this mod improves a lot on the wonderswan, I have one with a front lit but it has so much glare I dont even bother playing with it that much.
Great stuff 👍. BTW, you talk about the creation of the OG Game Boy, well it's a kind more complex. Florent Gorges, a french video game historian have the chance to itw some of the OG engineer of the DMG project. To be short, Yokoy was the leader of the R&D1, but he's not him who have the final idea of the Game Boy.
Did you run into any issues with the screen changing color as you try to close it up? Or the touch sensors being unresponsive until you relieve some pressure? That stupid long ribbon cable has been the bane of my existence. Love your videos; really appreciate the guides/tutorials!
Figured it out! In case anyone else has this problem, my wire from the positive terminal was running across the connector between the driver board and the LCD, so every time I tried to close it up it put pressure on there and messed with the touch controls.
TBH I only heard about this console today from the Retro Future's video on Virtual Boy, talking about how Yokoi got hired by Bandai after he got fired form Nintendo. I wonder if any of those games got a english rom-hack.
That's one of my favourites too. My loose cart was a little expensive, but worth it. The only other Gundam game playable in English is Kidou Senshi Gundam Seed, but in that you frequently get interrupted by loads of unskippable Japanese text. There is some of that in SD Gundam too, but the balance is much more in favour of the gameplay.
I'll say this about the battery life: If the Wonderswan has a low batter warning (Can't check mine, I don't own any games yet) then it's perfectly fine. Sure, you're gonna spend more money on batteries, but still probably less than an original Game Boy. For me, having a backlight would 100% be worth the 3 1/2 hour playtime limit, since I'd probably never play for that long in a single sitting anyway, and like I said, if there's a low battery warning, I can know when I absolutely HAVE to save my game.
Thanks for the mention. I am glad that the English-friendly games list is useful for WonderSwan newcomers. This is such an amazing console. I have ordered the same kit from AliExpress, I can't wait to install it. Thanks for the video.
Hey you’re most welcome! Your website is a fantastic valuable resource!
Totally agree, it’s highly underrated. You’re going to love the kit! Cheers buddy!
Do you know what the power consumption is with the old and new screens? I would think this will cut battery life in 1/2 or worse.
I've done two WonderSwan Color IPS kits using this tutorial . Zero problems . It really helps to see the proper orientation of the cables , screen , and boards as you're doing the install . Thank you .
Love this. You tackling the more obscure handhelds like this and the NGPC is superrrr helpful for the community. Cheers man.
Thank you dude 🙏! That really means a lot! I love this stuff and I’m glad I can share it with everyone! The obscure consoles are the best! Cheers buddy!
we need a mod that makes it honk, it is a swan after all
😂
More like Hiss and try to scratch and bite you.
Haha, they can be scary and aggressive.
😆😆😆😆
The music during the install portion is great! Love your videos, Super In-depth! Amazing editing, and now I want a WonderSwan!
Thank you🙏! I’m so happy you like the videos!😁
I know this is a fairly old video by now, but there's actually few rechargable battery kits (including drop in options!) for the WSC that were made specifically for people that do the ips mod. The ones Ive seen give you over a dozen hours on an ips and are of course rechargable! Whenever I finally get my hands on a WSC I'm going to grab an ips kit, a battery kit, and probably even a flashcart! It really is a shame we never got these in the west, they're great little machines 😊
FANTASTIC tutorial! This is just what I've been waiting for... so concise and easy to follow. Just ordered my WonderSwan Color on eBay, now I just have to wait for the IPS kits to come back in stock. Thanks again, this is incredibly helpful!
Thank you Nik! So glad you found the video useful! Cheers!
Another fantastic vid! Keep it up!
Thank you! Will do!
@@MachoNachoProductions Would you be able to use less U.V light, it makes the whole thing seem a bit TOO vibrant, and hard to see the true colors
Thanks for the tutorial, I may try it out! I live in the states but I found a swan color in a local retro gaming store back when I was about 10. I now have 4 b/w models, 2 color, and recently found a good deal on a crystal!
As far as recs go, I recommend Digimon D-Project, it's more obscure compared to the other Digimon rpg games, but it's very simple and requires practically no reading!
Other good titles are Medarot Perfect Edition, Rockman & Forte, Super Robot Wars Compact, SD Gundam Generation, and the Evangelion game!
That’s an awesome collection you have! Thank you for the recs! I’m a huge fan of evangelion, may need to check that out!
So, my opinions on the WonderSwan:
While my "weeaboo" side really wishes we could have gotten the console in the West, especially as some of my favourite series like Detective Conan, Digimon and One Piece had exclusive games for the system... its library was both the reason why it succeeded briefly and failed hard, and why it could have struggled immensely in the West. Aside from a couple of exceptional games, such as the Final Fantasy remake, Front Mission and a few others, the bulk of its library came from Bandai's use of all the anime licenses they had due to their toy and figure manufacturing business, which made the console's library quite niche, and aside from competition from Nintendo, the fact the United States had only just begun approaching anime in the early 2000s would have probably been an obstacle to a potential North American WonderSwan release, and in Europe it would have only fared slightly better due to its long-standing market for anime, especially in France and Italy. There is no "killer app" for the WonderSwan, no major brand that comes to mind when thinking of the console, just licensed games and third-party ports. It lacked an identity of its own, and suffered greatly for it.
Secondly, Bandai... never really did much with it. Its only update was the WonderSwan Color, which not only released a year after the original WonderSwan, but was also just that, a colour screen update, released just after the announcement of the Game Boy Advance, which greatly outpowered the console. The SwanCrystal, released in 2002, was a simple display update, bumping up the quality from the twisted nematic display of the WonderSwan and WonderSwan Color to a TFT LCD, and nothing more, to the point Bandai itself discontinued the entire line a year later.
Wow great info on the wonderswan! Thank you! I agree, anime really didn’t gain a footing in the US until the mid to late 00’s. Really appreciate the insight! Cheers buddy!
The SwanCrystal had a TFT LCD but still not backlighted, and the screen is smaller, for whatever reason.
The Wonderswan is definitely an interesting little device, but it definitely could not stand up to the Gameboy line. Probably the only portable systems that had a chance against Nintendo were the Gamegear (which compared to the GB barely made a dent in the market) and the PSP. (which again didn't fare as well as it's competition, but managed to make an Impact.)
I just ordered my WSC today. The drastically short battery life is a bummer, but with a couple rechargeable batteries on hand it shouldn't be too bad. I'm excited!
Dude that looks so fresh, a friend of my mom and dad brought me home a Swan Crystal system from Japan in the summer of 03, I still think it was way ahead of its time. Really cool system, I have to do this mod.
That’s awesome! The crystal is the best one. I’m not sure if there’s a kit for it but it would be sweet if there was. Cheers!
I started watching this video because I intend to do the project, and ordered the parts, but I keep watching the video because it’s just so dang relaxing.
Thank you Curtis! So glad that you enjoy the video ☺️👍
Man, everything is getting an IPS screen today.
Haha, yup! That’s the mod to do.
Yeah, cool times we're living in :)
Pretty soon the thermostat will get the IPS screen too
This video cost me about $300 lol. Bought my first Wonderswan, this IPS kit, and the Flash Masta flash cart when it went on sale yesterday. Can't wait to get the flash cart in a few weeks, and will be installing the IPS screen tonight.
Love your videos, btw. Very well made and relaxing.
Awesome Video, I loved the battery test. It would be interesting to see the original screen ran under the same test conditions.
Great video, its very relaxing and informative. 😍
looks good, will be grabbing one -
nice upload!
Thank you ☺️🙏
Great video! I appreciate how you provide balanced feedback as well such as the pros and cons. There were previous episodes where you mentioned a kit would be virtually perfect or such (e.g. GBC IPS), only for me to be surprised seeing the screen tearing or other flaws when I installed it myself. That said, I’d like to say that the presentation of your walkthroughs of mods are some of the best in youtube!
Thank you so much! I’m glad you are linking the videos! I really do my best to try and give a full picture of these mod. Cheers!
Subscribed after watching this video, this is exactly how I feel tutorials should be. Relaxing, allowing the viewer to escape as well as properly perform this screen swap because you are a great teacher man thank you for making this and I look forward to more of your content!
Thank you so much for the sub🙏! I’m so glad you like the format and vibe of the video.
Really appreciate the kind word buddy! Thanks again! Cheers!
So happy to see some Wonderswan love!
Me too Retro Ali! So happy there are mods coming out for it! Cheers!
Finally, a WSC backlit mod kit that's affordable! And great video, by the way! Now all it needs is a rechargeable battery and a headphone jack...
Thank you! I agree, a battery mod is certainly in order. I too was surprised when I found there wasn’t a headphone Jack, pretty strange design choice.
Flash Masta do a headphone adapter for $19.99. I really want to order one along with their WS flashcart but the latter is always out of stock.
Huh, that’s interesting. May need to check those items out!
Good guide. Thanks! All works just perfect.
No idea this upgrade existed. Glad to see mods for more obscure systems. I have the Final Fantasy limited edition version, but the lack of light was a real problem that stopped me from using it much.
Thank you so much!
Thanks for the video. I will be watching this video several times to get myself ready for opening up my WonderSwan.
wow, I didn't know that the wonderswan has an IPS screen, looks pretty impressive
It’s really impressive in person! Fantastic colors!
I came looking for a guide for the solder points, and this was the first one to come up... But turned out to be unreasonably useful, as not only do I have the exact same kit, I have the same screwdriver set 😂
If you hold the color palate sensor it will show an option for battery display, and if you hold the brightness sensor you will get a pixel shader option
thanks for getting me into handheld modding and for this video! i just used it to install my own Wonderswan IPS kit! btw, Gunpei is pronounced "goon-pay". keep up the great work 💪
Awesome! So glad your enjoying the videos. Oh man I knew I mispronounced it 😅. Cheers!
Just found this video, but I have a small collection of Wonderswan Colors, so I will definitely do this mod on at least one! It's an easy enough mod!
Nice! It’s a great kit!
@@MachoNachoProductions Just bought a kit!
3 hours battery life is pretty good for an experience like that
I agree! 💯
wow only 3, if I recall the color had 20 before the screen was put in.
@@Digiflower5 That's with the screen brightness at max. You should be able to double that at more reasonable brightness levels. Of course backlights are always going to eat up more battery.
I just bought my first Wonder Swan and I’m waiting for it to arrive. I’m trying to decide if I want to replace the screen or not. I’m not thrilled about the huge cut in battery life, but it looks like it’s so much easier to see and play that it may be worth it. Thanks for making this tutorial and doing the battery test!
Oh no, the price is gonna go up in Wonderswans and games now that someone popular made a video. I better get the last couple games I want for my collection before it happens.
Love you though Tito. Your tutorials are always top notch. I figured this video was coming after you made that post about Wonderswan. Good to see you went with one of the best looking Wonderswan Colors to make this video.
Thank you dude! I really appreciate it! I agree the translucent orange color just pops and looks fantastic! I really am loving this handheld! Again, really appreciate the kind words dude! Cheers!
The price is going up on consoles even more, it's crazy how much even monochrome ones are listed for compared to a year ago. Thankfully game prices don't seem to have spiked quite as much.
I think the 3:49 hrs of battery life in exchange for a beautiful back lit screen is totally worth it, without question. You can just keep a set of 4 AA batteries on the charger and just swap each one out between your four-hour wonderswan gaming sessions lol.
Absolutely agree! 💯
You made that look so easy! I'm sure I'll make a mess.
I'm considering buying one for Densha De Go, it's a game that I can recommend because although it's in Japanese you don't need to understand the language, just the basics of the game.
You've had some good game recommendations in this thread, but many of them are very expensive these days. Assuming you don't want to pay $100+ for a loose Klanoa, Guilty Gear or Rockman cart, my recommendations are:
1. The Digimon Battle Spirit titles - not amazing, but affordable and fun.
2. Rhyme Rider Kerorican - a really charming rhythm action game that asks you to hold the WS diagonally (although you really don't have to). Simple gameplay, but beautifully presented and the music is great.
3. Side Pocket - my favourite sports title. Just a simple pool game, but enjoyable.
What I do is filter worldwide WonderSwan eBay listings by "newest" with the Video Game Kraken list of English-friendly titles open in another tab. Prices can vary quite wildly, but you will see many games from the list at good prices if you have a look every so often, especially from Japanese sellers. I've accumulated about 20 games over the past year that way, half of them boxed.
Awesome! Great recommendations and advice! I really appreciate it Sam! Cheers!
The mod fits perfectly, you just bent the ribbon cable wrong. It fits completely on the back, without having to bunch it up against the front. Still awesome tutorial overall.
Your videos are always quality and top notch, Tito. Great video. I gotta say, I really loved this hand transition you did at 3:37. You definitely understand pizzazz, my friend.
Thanks dude! I really appreciate it! I’m so glad your enjoying the production! I have as much fun with that as I do modding the consoles! Cheers buddy!
I have an RG351M, and this video has given me an itch to try some WonderSwan games since it will emulate them really well.
Nice! I hear really great things about the RG351M. Thought about getting one when it came out and retro dodo did a review. Cheers buddy!
I just got a WSC myself today! The screen is pretty beat up, but this looks like a fun project to try! I'm big into Digimon and still need the vpet adapter.
awesome! one thing i thought i would mention is that despite it orginally not having a backlight for the screen its still a very good screen 😀
Very true! It’s quite sharp and if the lights right, it does look fantastic!
Love your videos. When will you release the part 2 of the Dreamcast mod?
Thank you Francisco! Hopefully soon. I ran into an issue with the Dreamcast and currently trying to debug it! Stay tuned buddy! Cheers!
@@MachoNachoProductions I hope you manage to fix it. I look forward to your future productions.
Thank you! Me too dude! I am optimistic!
I have had a Wonderswan in my eBay cart on and off for over 3 years. And have been looking for a IPS mod, but haven't found one. This is freaking awesome, will buy one immediately.
Nice dude! You won’t be disappointed!
@@MachoNachoProductions I just ordered one, and with 2 games as well ✌️
Nice!
Wow dude your editing is incredible.
Great channel, Tito! Have you looked into the RGB mod for that sweet Turbo Express you picked up? It's a little pricey, but quite an improvement over the composite mod and magnitudes better than stock.
I have! I’m hoping that someone makes some aftermarket shells since I would feel bad at nodding the original since the console is so rare now a days. That would be a sweet mod to do though!
Great video as usual. I think I will try this using a ribbon cable with terminals on opposite sides so that there is only one fold.
Cheers mate seeing some one else install it helped a lot
Really loved the piano music. I’m more of a purist when it comes to original hardware. Half the fun is playing them how they were meant to be played. If I want to play Wonderswan games with a great screen, that’s what a PSP is for. But that’s just me. As for recommendation - Tekken Card Challenge. A bit of a learning curve because Japanese, but a lot of fun especially if you know the characters. And best of all - it’s cheap.
That’s true Bill! I’m the same way, I like to have my original consoles unmodified but another set that is fully modified that way it still original hardware, just enhanced. Cheers buddy and thank you for the recommendation! I’ll def check that out!
Thanks for this video Tito!
Being designed by the Game Boy designer is a really interesting factoid. Thanks for sharing.
I have two, and will definitely do this to one of them.
Nice! I think you’ll really like it! Cheers!
Cool mod on a system I've never used. This thing looks wild. They should for sure add aligning bracket. Great retro handheld Tito!
Thanks Steve! It’s really a great console and I’m loving the new screen. It would have been amazing if they did included an aligning bracket. Maybe I should try my hand at designing my own, haha! Cheers buddy!
Nice Video as always. And exactly at the right time because i'm planing on getting one myself. The batterylife is comparable to the GBP Backlight, an i think more than 3h are enough. Also the Swan is so small, its easy to always bring one or two spare batteries with you. And i guess a LiPo-Mod is out of question for it.
Thank you! Glad you liked the video! Agree, 3 hours is impressive given the single aa battery and the really nice IPS. I’m hoping to do a battery mod for it! I think it’s possible! Cheers!
Just installed this and it is glorious. Couldn’t really see the screen before and now...it’s easy on the eyes. Great tutorial but I am definitely moving the touch sensors elsewhere. Lol. Speaker area makes me cycle through the colors. Natural placement for shoulder buttons, thus fingers.
Thank you 🙏
The gundam seed game on the wonderswan is really good! And Klonoa too!
Great video!
The music during assembly reminds me of the chill moods of Breath of the Wild's soundtrack
Thank you🙏! Nice, I was going for a chill vibe, glad it came through! Cheers buddy!
Hell yes! I'm getting one!
The wonderswan has notoriously bad screens - with the exception of the crystal, of course. The color's screen is definitely an improvement over the original but I'd still consider it to be straining to look at.
This mod is amazing. And affordable - especially when compared to the price of a swan crystal.
Very very very very very Nice video.
I love your videos 👍🏼👍🏼
Thank you so much!!🙏
I wish there was a better flashcart available for WS, that would make it an absolute beast.
Also, a mod so it starts up in muted mode, making the system always start at max volume was just a terrible idea. I'd love to see a volume knob mod with the sound button repurposed to the brightness instead of a touch sensor.
WS has excellent versions of Space invaders and Tetris (make sure to get the colour version of Tetris!)
I love your videos ! Greetings from France 🇫🇷
Bonjour! 👋 I’m so glad you like the videos! That makes me so happy! Cheers buddy!
Impressive! So no ghosting or freezing/stuck pictures? Very, very nice. Hopefully they’ll be in stock again soon. My top 3 game picks:
Gunpey, which is widely available.
Tetris, a loose cart is pricey.
Mr. Driller, another great port.
Hey DC Celly! Yes they should be back in stock soon. I’d put a watch on it so you get a notification. Thanks for the recommendations! This look great! Can’t go wrong with Tetris! Cheers buddy!
flash masta actually makes a usb-c recharbable battery for the wonderswan if you are interested. they claim 14+ hours with the ips screen
YESSSSS I need this in my life
💯! It’s awesome!
Try judgement silversword
Wonderful job! And never hesitate to let us know if you need a thing or two translated from JPN > ENG. 😘
Thank you! Will do!
I remember a blue WonderSwan color appeared on the first episode of the mecha anime Full Metal Panic as just a cameo when the main character was briefed on what a high school student should act like as he was always trained as a soldier first.
That’s cool! I love it when video game tech is featured in media. It’s also cool to see it in anime! Cheers dude!
@@MachoNachoProductions Sega Saturn also made appearence in Neon Genesis Evangelion as console that Asuka love to play. In Cardcaptor Sakura (both anime and manga) you can also see Kero play a console that have controller shaped like Sega Saturn's one but with four face buttons instead six. Real life video game console cameo in anime or manga is actually quite common.
this video convinced me to get one, especially after the mod the pixel art of the WS/WSC games just pop so beautifully and its such a unique device. I got a great deal on sendico for a boxed wonderswan color as well as some one piece games also in box with their respective manuals. now im just waiting for this mod kit to arrive
Nice!
First time seeing a WonderSwan but recall frequently seeing roms for it online.
Mines came today,going to tackle it at the weekend.
Awesome! You’re going to love it! Cheers!
Fantastic video. I recommend you Clock Tower or Guilty Gear Petit, awesome games
Awesome, thank you! Will def check those out! I love clock tower games and guilty gear is an excellent fighter! Cheers Adrian!
To Tito:
If you have ifixit kit....
Make sure you add explosions segue....it works!
Engacho is an awesome puzzle game for WonderSwan.
Awesome, thank you! I’ll have to take a look!
Klonoa seems like a good game to have for it. Also cool video
Thank you! It does seem to be popular. Will check it out!
@@MachoNachoProductions cool. Hope you enjoy it if you do
I'd reccomened Rhyme Rider Kerorican. It's a rhythm game that doesn't need much language besides menu navigation, it's more expensive but I think it's worth it.
Looks great Tito! Fun to see a console I am not that familiar with.
Thanks Gazilla 🙏! Glad you like this one! It’s and odd but very cool little console. Cheers buddy!
This is outside my skill set, but very cool. I like to see someone put a raspberry pi in one of these someday.
Its interesting to see a mod on a rare console.
One of my favorite consoles, I want every color variant lol
Also, is it possible to get high capacity lithium ion AAs? It may be able to squeeze some more play time.
I’d be careful. I think it need ls to have the same voltage rating as a regular alkaline battery. I’m not much of an electrical engineer so hopefully someone could chime in.
Me too dude! They all look so nice. And the special edition ones too 😍
Given the single battery, the best mod would be a reflective front light that can be turned off and on based on lighting needs. Unfortunately, this would dramatically increase the difficulty. I think certain models of the gameboy had this arrangement and I know the GP32 had a front lit model where the light can be turned on and off. In fact, my GP32 hardly ever gets used precisely because it doesn't have a front light as it is the non lit version.
Reflective LCDs are great for saving power, but they suck in anything but very bright light. As a fifty something, I'm not outside with a game very often. I like to enjoy them in my easy chair. It is just not ideal to use them in this way.
OTOH, rechargeable batteries are cheap enough and given it only needs one battery, you can always have a charged battery. The only downside to this is if you are really good at a game and if you cannot save it.
I'm perfectly OK with the battery life, but not the ribbon cable situation, and it's really hard for me to justify this for the software collection, WSC is a wonderful little machine that I really like though. Thanks for the video!
What you mean with ribbon cable situation? Can you explain?
Awesome Bro, finaly a IPS for the WonderSwan.
I recommend Guily Gear Petit 2, one of the best WS Games and there is Rockman & Forte, its a unique Version of the Game. Have Fun with your knew Baby ;-)
Awesome! Thank you for the recommendations Diego! They sound fantastic! Will def have a lot of fun! Thank you! Cheers!
@@MachoNachoProductions You are welcome 😊 and thanks for the Awesome Videos, it realy keeps me up for some Mods ❤.
Flash Koibito-Kun , amazing little puzzle game!
Thank you for the recommendation! Will def look into it!
My favorite puzzle game on WS, alongside Engacho!
Great videos, helps me decide if I want to as well
I now own wonderswan, wonderswan color, and wonderswan crystal ( I got for $5 it had a burn screen which was an easy fix) I'm debating on putting this screen in one but I'd rather do it on another one and not my original finds. Lol, same with my gameboy finds.
I’ve owned one for a couple of years and I love it. I recommend ghouls n ghosts and golden axe they are great ports but can be pricey. And I think the mod is worth it,can’t beat playing it anywhere vs battery life thanks for the great content take care.
You’re most welcome dude! Thanks for the recommendations! I love golden axe, didn’t know there was a port for it in the swan! Cheers buddy!
Just FYI those look like torx plus screws so if you ever find your bit not fitting quite right that's why :-)
We have those screens and new shells for the Wonderswan coming in few weeks! :)
Awesome! Let me know when they’re in stock so I can link it in the description for you! Cheers!
Great vids as usual bro! Any plans to build zwenergy's gbaHD? It's like an open source GBA Consolizer made from off the shelf parts. The Gameboy subreddit just kinda slept on it and the build guide barely got a few upvotes. Could be a cool opportunity for your channel be a first to make a proper video on it.
I'm personally waiting on more people to get on board before building one myself tho lol.
Thank you🙏! I just looked at it and it looks a bit complicated but very cool! I’m actually going to be looking at something very similar that you may be interested in so stay tuned! Cheers Sean!
I've been meaning to check out Medarot perfect edition. I might try and pick up one of these.
Nice! Sounds good!
Perfect edition is great, definitely an improvement over the original GB version, and highly playable even without an understanding of Japanese!
Awesome! Thanks for the rec!
I would love to get my hands on one of these to investigate a battery mod. I'm curious to know if it actually runs on 1.5v or if the voltage is stepped up - I assume it will be, which could make it a good candidate for a lithium battery. Getting it to fit could be tricky though...
That would be awesome! I think the wonderswan would benefit nicely from a battery mod. I am unfortunately not sure if the voltage is stepped up. I should read up on some electrical engineering n, definitely not my strong suite.
Are there mods that add a “hump” to the back for more AA’s, or a rechargeable battery with larger capacity? You mentioned how thin the device already is, I would be fine with a larger protrusion if it helped maintained a better battery life.
Great channel, glad I found you. Attempting the DCHDMI when it arrives 😱
Thank you! Glad your enjoying the channel! I definitely need to look into those battery mods. I wouldn’t mind the extra hump either.
Best of luck on the DCHDMI mod! Cheers!
This is pretty similar to the latest IPS kit that I bought on aliexpress to my GBC, its also 15% bigger than the original screen.
Nice! the IPS kit for the GBC are fantastic!
Great video! I've been looking forward to reviews of this kit.
Btw, the Wonderswan did go out of Japan and saw a very limited release in other parts of Asia. Korea and China have versions of the handheld.
Thanks glad you enjoyed the video! That would be really cool to track down a Korean version. May need to look into that. Thanks for the info! Cheers Benjamin!
@@MachoNachoProductions Thank you! Keep 'em coming.
There's a Korean bundle that comes with an english Digimon RPG (I've been looking for it for a while now!), and a Chinese version of the Swan Crystal that comes with English instruction booklets. I happen to have that one :)
Whoa neat! I may have to keep an eye out as well 😅
The wonder swan is an amazing console, a cheap and fun game could be Digimon, there are a bunch of them.
I’m definitely planning on getting a digimon game! I heard they also released English versions of those games in Hong Kong! Cheers Rote!
@@MachoNachoProductions Here's my WonderSwan Digimon breakdown:
1. The only English language Hong Kong Digimon release (or WS release in general) is Digimon Digital Monsters: Anode/Cathode Tamer Veedramon Version, which is so rare that I haven't seen a single copy for sale after a year of WonderSwan collecting. I assume if I ever did it would be prohibitively expensive.
2. The Digimon Battle Spirit titles (Frontiers: Battle Spirit and Tamers: Battle Spirit) are fighting games similar to One Piece Grand Battle and are playable for non-Japanese speakers. They're affordable too, although there's 1.5 version of Tamers: Battle Spirit that is less so.
3. The monochrome game Digimon: Digital Monsters Ver. WonderSwan is also totally playable, as most of the text is in English. It's also an affordable cart. Just make sure you're not getting Digital Monster Card Game - Ver. WonderSwan Color as that's not English-friendly at all.
4. There is a fan translation of Digimon Adventure 02: Tag Tamers. I'd love to get a flashcart to play that and Anode/Cathode Tamer (as well as the translations of Chocobo Mystery Dungeon and SaGa). Flash Masta have been making batches of their (expensive) cart lately, but it always sells out instantly.
Again! Thank you Sam for the excellent recommendations and descriptions for each game! Very much appreciated!
I dont mind the less battery life really this mod improves a lot on the wonderswan, I have one with a front lit but it has so much glare I dont even bother playing with it that much.
Agree Dude! If I had to chose between more battery life and the IPS mod, I would choose the IPS mod. Cheers buddy!
Great stuff 👍.
BTW, you talk about the creation of the OG Game Boy, well it's a kind more complex. Florent Gorges, a french video game historian have the chance to itw some of the OG engineer of the DMG project. To be short, Yokoy was the leader of the R&D1, but he's not him who have the final idea of the Game Boy.
Thank you! That’s very interesting! I definitely need to research it more! Cheers Ace Bunny!
Did you run into any issues with the screen changing color as you try to close it up? Or the touch sensors being unresponsive until you relieve some pressure? That stupid long ribbon cable has been the bane of my existence. Love your videos; really appreciate the guides/tutorials!
Figured it out!
In case anyone else has this problem, my wire from the positive terminal was running across the connector between the driver board and the LCD, so every time I tried to close it up it put pressure on there and messed with the touch controls.
TBH I only heard about this console today from the Retro Future's video on Virtual Boy, talking about how Yokoi got hired by Bandai after he got fired form Nintendo.
I wonder if any of those games got a english rom-hack.
SD gundam operation U.C.! that game is a great side scrolling beat 'em up. easily one of my favorite games on the wonderswan!
Awesome! Thank you! Will definitely look into getting that!
That's one of my favourites too. My loose cart was a little expensive, but worth it. The only other Gundam game playable in English is Kidou Senshi Gundam Seed, but in that you frequently get interrupted by loads of unskippable Japanese text. There is some of that in SD Gundam too, but the balance is much more in favour of the gameplay.
I'll say this about the battery life: If the Wonderswan has a low batter warning (Can't check mine, I don't own any games yet) then it's perfectly fine. Sure, you're gonna spend more money on batteries, but still probably less than an original Game Boy. For me, having a backlight would 100% be worth the 3 1/2 hour playtime limit, since I'd probably never play for that long in a single sitting anyway, and like I said, if there's a low battery warning, I can know when I absolutely HAVE to save my game.