Bandai impressed by handheld boom

Bandai's petite WonderSwan handheld just might get a European release. The electronics giants have recently tested the water outside Japan, with Hong Kong and Singapore releases.

"Game Boy had its best year ever last year thanks to Pokémon and has dominated the handheld market for over 10 years now," Bandai's Product Manager Darrell Jones told trade magazine MCV. "But the success of SNK's NeoGeo Pocket Color in the UK proves there is room for more players in the handheld market."

Sounds promising, although chances are that Bandai will wait and release the oft-rumoured colour version of the handheld first. Another potential problem involves competitive pricing. In Japan, the WonderSwan has sold almost two million units in its first year, partly due to software support from the likes of Namco and Square, but mainly due to the pocket-friendly £25 price tag. There's absolutely no chance that we'll see a similar price in the UK, though - we reckon it'll be around £40.