# WonderSwan bootrom dumped 20 years after release



## IncredulousP (Aug 21, 2019)

Neat, I'll have to stream this sometime.


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## Mark McDonut (Aug 21, 2019)

This is awesome! I've been getting into wonderswan recently after I bought a bittboy and dropped some roms in, it's a shame this system didn't get much love.


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## chrisrlink (Aug 21, 2019)

shame how the WS got crushed there was a digimon game exclusive to it iirc if the WS had a western release wonder if we would've seen a official localization


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## Daggot (Aug 21, 2019)

chrisrlink said:


> shame how the WS got crushed there was a digimon game exclusive to it iirc if the WS had a western release wonder if we would've seen a official localization


There was also an exclusive Megaman Battle Network game(it was a platformer interestingly enough).


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## GuyInDogSuit (Aug 21, 2019)

I only know of the Wonderswan systems because of the Final Fantasy IV port.


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## raxadian (Aug 21, 2019)

Now if only all those Digimon Wondeswan games were translated rto English...


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## CrakrHakr666 (Aug 21, 2019)

If you can get your hands on a copy, Klonoa was a wonderful game on WS.


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## Voyambar (Aug 21, 2019)

Well this is surprising news. GG Higan


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## AlterL (Aug 21, 2019)

does anybody knows how to play games from this console with a 3ds? or how to make dualswan work? maybe a cia from nomadswan


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## GuyInDogSuit (Aug 21, 2019)

AlterL said:


> does anybody knows how to play games from this console with a 3ds? or how to make dualswan work? maybe a cia from nomadswan


You might get a response if you post this question in the 3DS section.


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## Dani Dandelion (Aug 21, 2019)

AlterL said:


> does anybody knows how to play games from this console with a 3ds? or how to make dualswan work? maybe a cia from nomadswan



I've been using the Mednafen WS core through the HB Launcher to play Chocobo Mystery Dungeon lately.


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## AlterL (Aug 21, 2019)

Dani Dandelion said:


> I've been using the Mednafen WS core through the HB Launcher to play Chocobo Mystery Dungeon lately.



do you know how to properly set it up, I tried playing pocket fighter and it only got like 23-27 fps


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## VitaType (Aug 21, 2019)

Never used the system, but the button placement on this thing looks really wierd.


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## Taleweaver (Aug 21, 2019)

RattletraPM said:


> This has been possible thanks to a hardware-based attack which glitches the CPU to trick the console into booting up without clearing the memory region containing the bootrom


Of course! Why didn't I think of this? 


...

probably because I don't have a clue what that actually means.


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## Rabbid4240 (Aug 21, 2019)

The only reason I know this exists is because of the obscure Mega Man & Bass sequel.


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## linuxares (Aug 21, 2019)

Neat, never heard about it before.


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## phonz (Aug 21, 2019)

I loved playing Wonderswan games on emu back in the day.
I was quite fond of the Digimon and Cardcaptor Sakura games.


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## wormdood (Aug 21, 2019)

VitaType said:


> Never used the system, but the button placement on this thing looks really wierd.


that's because some games used the same button layout as the original gameboy (d-pad a b start and select) and they were played on the console horizontally and there were also some other games that used the d-pad and four face buttons and they played vertically


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## Kubas_inko (Aug 21, 2019)

What is this?


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## DinohScene (Aug 21, 2019)

I've never played a Wonderswan game before but this is neat!


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## NativeCode (Aug 21, 2019)

<3 Judgement Silversword  & Cardinal Sins.


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## ChibiMofo (Aug 21, 2019)

Wait. So we're likely to get a working Wonderswan emulator before we get a working original Xbox emulator???


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## CoolStarDood (Aug 21, 2019)

RattletraPM said:


> which lets a player store his/her own personal info such as the name, birthday, gender and blood type.



Were there any horror games on this system (unlikely given the specs, but iirc some horror games were on the GB/GBC, so its possible)? This would be a great way to freak someone out if done right


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## Humanity (Aug 21, 2019)

What a dickhead button scheme that device has, though.


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## InsaneNutter (Aug 21, 2019)

1MiinMofo said:


> Wait. So we're likely to get a working Wonderswan emulator before we get a working original Xbox emulator???



It's already emulated, it can just be emulated more accurately now.


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## eriol33 (Aug 21, 2019)

Daggot said:


> There was also an exclusive Megaman Battle Network game(it was a platformer interestingly enough).


One of the two only MMBN platformers, but I think it was in the WS color.


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## Humanity (Aug 21, 2019)

1MiinMofo said:


> Wait. So we're likely to get a working Wonderswan emulator before we get a working original Xbox emulator???


I think that Microsoft made an original Xbox emulator for their Xbox One.


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## raxadian (Aug 21, 2019)

sirrokr said:


> If you can get your hands on a copy, Klonoa was a wonderful game on WS.



The GBA version is better I think?


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## Reynardine (Aug 21, 2019)

Neat. Surprising that it took this long for a dump to be made. I guess the console didn't get much love. Kinda reminds me of the Atari Lynx.

I've never seen a real WonderSwan console, I only know it through emulation. I've played Makaimura for Wonderswan via emulator because I'm a fan of that series.


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## Deleted User (Aug 21, 2019)

So does this mean that there will be an emulator for this? Or is there an existing emulator?


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## webyugioh (Aug 21, 2019)

We need a WonderSwan EverDrive


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## DjoeN (Aug 21, 2019)

webyugioh said:


> We need a WonderSwan EverDrive


I have a Wonderswan Flashcard (WonderMagic) but it's broken somehow, there are other flashcars out already for Wonderswan, like the WS Flash Masta

anyway, it's nice to see the bootrom dumped, i still love my WS and WSC, it's a pitty the system failed and never saw a US/EU release, i used the flashcard to get patched roms working (translations)

Also worthy page (WS(C) games that are playable without Japanese knowledge or use trial and error

I have Mr. Driller and a few FF games, would love to get my hands on Loderunner for WS  but don't won't to pay $50/60 for it 

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

Maybe we can convince Bandai to release a WSC mini with ALL games ever made for it on it  héhé


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## lordgoober (Aug 21, 2019)

Heh,  since it was a Bandai system, there were a lot of Gundam games for it as well as 3 different Super Robot Wars games, one of them a three parter.  Hmm.  I think the bootrom stuff was needed to transfer progress from Super Robot Wars Compact 2 parts 1 and 2 into Compact 2 part 3.


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## Idontknowwhattoputhere (Aug 21, 2019)

Kubas_inko said:


> What is this?


Its called a BootRom i assume you know what that is
WonderSwan was some obscure handheld


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## JavaScribe (Aug 21, 2019)

Humanity said:


> I think that Microsoft made an original Xbox emulator for their Xbox One.


Only 39 OG Xbox games work on the Xbox One... the rest of the backwards compatibility list is 360 titles.


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## raxadian (Aug 22, 2019)

JavaScribe said:


> Only 39 OG Xbox games work on the Xbox One... the rest of the backwards compatibility list is 360 titles.



The Xbox 360 is compatible with a lot of the first Xbox games. 

But you still need an original Xbox since the 360 updates broke some Xbox games like Pyschonauts. 

Or just use the Xbox windows emulator, apparently there are several of them. Dunno what's the best one.


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## JavaScribe (Aug 22, 2019)

raxadian said:


> The Xbox 360 is compatible with a lot of the first Xbox games.
> 
> But you still need an original Xbox since the 360 updates broke some Xbox games like Pyschonauts.
> 
> Or just use the Xbox windows emulator, apparently there are several of them. Dunno what's the best one.


I can't get any xbox emulators to work. I think I copied my game wrong, since I don't have an OG Xbox lying around to dump games through. And the 360 is not compatible with any of the games I have. (I just checked, and found one on Wikipedia's compatibility list, but I'm sure I tried it and it didn't work...)


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## Dani Dandelion (Aug 22, 2019)

AlterL said:


> do you know how to properly set it up, I tried playing pocket fighter and it only got like 23-27 fps



I get 60 FPS on my New 3DS. Maybe mess with frameskip/throttle?


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## raxadian (Aug 22, 2019)

JavaScribe said:


> I can't get any xbox emulators to work. I think I copied my game wrong, since I don't have an OG Xbox lying around to dump games through. And the 360 is not compatible with any of the games I have. (I just checked, and found one on Wikipedia's compatibility list, but I'm sure I tried it and it didn't work...)



https://gbatemp.net/forums/xbox-360-hacking-homebrew.227/

Try asking there.


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## Humanity (Aug 22, 2019)

raxadian said:


> The Xbox 360 is compatible with a lot of the first Xbox games.
> 
> But you still need an original Xbox since the 360 updates broke some Xbox games like Pyschonauts.
> 
> Or just use the Xbox windows emulator, apparently there are several of them. Dunno what's the best one.





JavaScribe said:


> I can't get any xbox emulators to work. I think I copied my game wrong, since I don't have an OG Xbox lying around to dump games through. And the 360 is not compatible with any of the games I have. (I just checked, and found one on Wikipedia's compatibility list, but I'm sure I tried it and it didn't work...)


Every Xbox emulator for PC is total rubbish.

Around 4 games go in-game, altogether.

Total rubbish.


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## spotanjo3 (Aug 22, 2019)

GuyInDogSuit said:


> I only know of the Wonderswan systems because of the Final Fantasy IV port.



I only know of the Wonderswan because of Rockman & Forte and Klonoa!


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## webyugioh (Aug 22, 2019)

DjoeN said:


> I have a Wonderswan Flashcard (WonderMagic) but it's broken somehow, there are other flashcars out already for Wonderswan, like the WS Flash Masta
> 
> anyway, it's nice to see the bootrom dumped, i still love my WS and WSC, it's a pitty the system failed and never saw a US/EU release, i used the flashcard to get patched roms working (translations)
> 
> ...




Ya, but I've never been able to find a FlashMasta, and I know EverDrives have always been good quality.


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## CrakrHakr666 (Aug 22, 2019)

webyugioh said:


> Ya, but I've never been able to find a FlashMasta, and I know EverDrives have always been good quality.


I know the feeling. The last few FlashMasta carts i found it would have been cheaper just to buy the games.


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## webyugioh (Aug 22, 2019)

sirrokr said:


> I know the feeling. The last few FlashMasta carts i found it would have been cheaper just to buy the games.


Ya, the main reason I want a EverDrive is because I want the fan translations on the original console.


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## DS1 (Aug 24, 2019)

Interesting, I have a really embarrassing bootscreen for my WSC. Too bad I never got more games for it...


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## Lunar_Magika (Aug 24, 2019)

that's cool, I'm suprised it took that long, the N64 and GC BIOS' got dumped before this (to my knowledge) and they came around the same year.


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## Clockdryve (Aug 24, 2019)

No stone unturned....giddy up 

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------



Lunar_Magika said:


> that's cool, I'm suprised it took that long, the N64 and GC BIOS' got dumped before this (to my knowledge) and they came around the same year.


Moist likely due to popularity. More people working on those others.


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## PawsofHorror (Aug 27, 2019)

I know about GameCube bios but 64 has them too? And there's a dump somewhere? Holy cow!


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## cearp (Apr 4, 2020)

DS1 said:


> Interesting, I have a really embarrassing bootscreen for my WSC. Too bad I never got more games for it...


@DS1 what kind of bootscreen does your wonderswan have? very interested!


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## itsacardgame (Apr 26, 2022)

Certain versions of the console have different boot animations, such as the red Zaku IIS, and RX78 Gundam WSC versions. Maybe the Hello Kitty one too. I’m not sure how many there are, but would be neat to see them all dump for emulation.


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## raxadian (Apr 26, 2022)

Humanity said:


> Every Xbox emulator for PC is total rubbish.
> 
> Around 4 games go in-game, altogether.
> 
> Total rubbish.



Things are much better nowadays.


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## cearp (Apr 26, 2022)

itsacardgame said:


> Certain versions of the console have different boot animations, such as the red Zaku IIS, and RX78 Gundam WSC versions. Maybe the Hello Kitty one too. I’m not sure how many there are, but would be neat to see them all dump for emulation.


There's a cool official One Piece boot animation that I put on one of mine maybe 2 years ago.
A clever guy did the hard work of extracting the animation and putting it in a rom, I flashed the rom to a flashcart, booted it up and that was it. Now I see that animation when I boot up 
Even custom animations are possible. (but not sure if any created yet)


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## raxadian (Apr 26, 2022)

Any updates to the emulators? Is been years.


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## Deylin (Sep 19, 2022)

I've just come across this topic - I am wondering if these files will work with the Beetle WonderSwan (Beetle Cygne v0.9.35.1) core witin RetroArch?

Does anyone know how to get the bios to load within RetroArch? Thanks in advance!


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