Bandai´s portable cartridge console you probably don´t know...


scaramouche

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As a portable consoles collector , for a while i used to think Bandai only released 3 portable cartridge based systems:


WONDERSWAN (1999)


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WONDERSWAN COLOR


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SWANCRYSTAL


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But there was a monochromatic system launched by Bandai in 1995, some years before the WONDERSWAN.... very strange in concept. It used to have touch screen, and 2 kinds of cartridges that can be used alone or in junction: cartridges G (games) and cartridges M (design). Cartridges M allow you to create your own MANGA or ANIME series , original or mixing it with popular characters as Rockman or Street Fighter.


The interesting part is that cartridges G, allow you the use of these design in complex games. I have the ROCKMAN 3 version and i can draw and design ROCKMAN weapon, then i can use it for fighting against enemies. It is a very unknown handheld system and the concept was VERY INTERESTING. At some point , not open source, but allows you to create and design your own games and characters on the go.


It was called the DESIGN MASTER (DENSI MANGAJUKU) , as i mention i feel very lucky to get one , the ROCKMAN III edition.


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And these are some of the cartridges i found for it:


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Right now you can see one of the original units at ebay (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bandai-NIB-Handheld-Japanese-console-Design-Master-Densi-Mangajuku-w2-game-RARE-/270915542474), not the following themed edition but the very first released model.As you see is extremely rare and collectible.


Bandai also launched a lot of BARCODE based consoles and recently some mini consoles related with TREASURE GAUST franchise. Some of these systems use chips or battle chips but not cartridges.


So the DENSI MANGAJUKU is one of the most unknown cartridges systems in the handheld history and was a pity as usual, it was not launched outside of Japan. It was the first cartridge based , dot matrix system launched by BANDAI and not the WONDERSWAN as most people believe.
 
@Scaramouche


Did you get the message I sent you a few days ago? It was in relation to the ProScreen
 
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