New Merchandise Marks WonderSwan Color 25th Anniversary

Bandai Namco has revealed multiple merchandise lineups themed after the WonderSwan Color to celebrate the console’s upcoming 25th anniversary. Just like the original WonderSwan‘s anniversary in March 2024, the items take on the shape of the legacy handheld console.

The first lineup comes from Bandai, the group’s toy-focused subsidiary which also used to be the very company that released the console long before the merger happened in 2006. Bandai is gradually releasing miniature charms modeled after the console via Gashapon toy vending machines from the second week of December 2024. People can spend 300 yen to get a miniature console of a random color. Each package will also come with an insertable game cartridge, but it stops short of being actually bootable and playable.

Bandai is also working with General Sticker to release stickers modeled after the WonderSwan Color logo and console. Each sticker is available separately at 385 yen apiece, and there is also a complete 6-in-1 set that costs 2,310 yen. However, even though the general Rakuten storefront includes optional support for shipping outside Japan, none of the items in this lineup are available for overseas shipments.

The third and last lineup in this anniversary merchandise announcement is a collection of WonderSwan Color-themed apparel designs that people can request to be applied on T-shirts or hoodies of any color via Amazon Merch on Demand. The prices range from 2,800 yen for T-shirts to 4,800 yen for hoodies. However, just like the stickers above, the entire apparel lineup is only available to order exclusively from Japan.

Bandai originally released WonderSwan Color in Japan on December 9, 2000. The console added color support while retaining backward compatibility with monochromatic games from the original WonderSwan, in a similar fashion with the Nintendo’s Game Boy Color to the original Game Boy.

Even though December 9, 2024, was technically the 24th anniversary of WonderSwan Color, Japanese companies like Bandai Namco tend to treat the following days as the 25th anniversary year until the product reaches its actual anniversary milestone on December 9, 2025.