As niche game fans, it doesn’t surprise us much when a game is never released in the West. But, there have been times when an entire game system never makes it out of Japan. One such system was the WonderSwan.

The WonderSwan was a handheld game system initially released in 1999 and ran until 2003. It was created by Gunpei Yokoi, the man who designed Nintendo’s Game Boy. Being manufactured and released by Bandai, many of the games on the systems were based on anime franchises they owned, such as Digimon, Gundam, InuYasha, and so on. The system also had some third-party support, most notably in the form of Squaresoft providing ports of the earlier Final Fantasy titles.

Unfortunately, at that time there was a flooded market for portable consoles. Not only did Nintendo’s Game Boy Color–and later Game Boy Advance–lead the way, SEGA’s Game Gear was still active, as well as the Neo Geo Pocket Color from SNK. The WonderSwan just couldn’t get enough of a market share to earn a Western release, and eventually it faded away.

So, this week the oprainfall Retro Commercial Research Team–in other words, me–dug up some delightfully Japanese TV advertisements related to this forgotten handheld classic.

Here are the highlights from the past week:

REVIEWS

• REVIEW: Laserlife | Justin Guillou
• REVIEW: Chip’s Challenge 1 & 2 | Michael Fontanini
• REVIEW: Dengeki Bunko: Fighting Climax | Jacob Dobbs
• REVIEW: Hero Generations | Phil Schipper
• REVIEW: Judgement Silversword -Resurrection- | Jacob Dobbs

ORIGINAL CONTENT

• OPINION: Dear Capcom – One More Crossover, Please
• Crowdfunding Spotlight: Tears of Avia
• Total Control Ep 50: Hopefully We Satisfy Your Niche Gaming Needs For 50 More! (PODCAST)

NEWS

• Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross Arragnement CD for Pre-Order
• Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem Atlus Costumes, Release Editions Revealed
• Genei Ibun Roku #FE Reveals Three New Trailers
• Shin Megami Tensei IV: Final Revealed for 3DS
• Shin Megami Tensei IV: Final New Screenshots Released
• Yacht Club Games Cancels Shovel Knight Retail Version for Xbox One
• Custom Satoru Iwata Amiibo Makes Smiles for Charity
• PRESS RELEASE: New Final Fantasy VII Remix Album MATERIA Released
• Famitsu Confirms New Project X Zone 2 Characters

Also, don’t forget to check out Operation Recap on our YouTube channel for an alternate take on this week’s news.

And, as always, if you have any ideas or suggestions for retro commercials, let us know either through Facebook, Twitter, or just leave a good old-fashioned comment below.