Macro Winners Electronics Ltd. is a Hong Kong-based manufacturer of game consoles, most notably the MiWi, which was founded in Taiwan in 1988[1]. The company is also known as Bel Sonic, which is what the BS that appears in their logo stands for, and previously used the name "GameStar".
MiWi[]
The MiWi series is a line of game consoles designed to mimic the Nintendo Wii. Most of these consoles run on 16-bit hardware (mostly VT168, possibly also Sunplus SPG), although 32-bit versions are also listed on Macro Winners' website. The controllers do not use accelerometers to sense motion in the same way as the Wii's (or more advanced Wii clones such as the Sport Vii or the Conny Q3), but any sharp motion simply acts as another button press.
Some of the software supplied with MiWis is developed by Waixing, but the Miwi Xtra also includes 16 games developed by Cube Technology; they are stylistically different from Waixing's and do not include the Chinese copyright registration number which nearly always appears on Waixing's games' title screens.[2] The "interactive" sports games included in all versions seem to be a mixture of Waixing and Cube games.
The MiWi series should not be confused with the WiWi series by Qi Sheng Long, although at least one model of each console looks identical. A trademark for the MiWi's logo was filed under their Guanying Electronics Co., Ltd. name.[3]
Other products[]
Some of Macro Winners' other products include:
- Mi-Guitar
- Mi-Fiit Aero DANZ
- Andy Brown - a talking bear toy [4] who also seems to have acted as something of a mascot for the company, as he appeared on some of their console packaging from the era and in "Andy Brown's World", the V-Mega's built-in software.
- V-Mega - A laptop known to exclusively contain Andy Brown's World. Which itself is more or so a VT03 remake of NES-based educational computers that Macro Winners used to make under the name GameStar. More specifically, the Smart Kids. In the game, Andy Brown himself has a large amount of voice acting in-game. The game itself features a mishmash of stolen assets (Andy Brown uses Kirby's Star, The music is from Super Dyna'Mix Badminton, Red from Pokemon shows up, and Most of the music in the game is from early NES games). Bizarrely, the game features a mechanic which forces the player to use the mouse to pick up Andy Brown and select something, though you could also just throw him into the water.
- DanZ Kara - A series of dance mats that seem to use an type of advanced Famiclone hardware. Likely VT03 or UM6578. One model features DJ-Jungle's DDRMAX and another one has an alternate version of Dance Party called DanZ Mate which features different songs compared to the known version. The latter model also features various software from "Educational Computers".[5]
- 88-in-1 Joystick - contains 88 hacks of NES/Famicom games, some of these (unique to this joystick) appear to have been made by Cube Technology exclusively for Macro Winners themselves, but others are generic hacks which appear on many other Famicom clones, particularly Qi Sheng Long's. Has a cartridge port for a type of small cartridge which appears to be Macro Winners' proprietary design.
- V-Pod - a handheld console, uses the same type of cartridge as the 88-in-1
- X-VIEW / Game+ Station - A Emu32-based system.
As GameStar[]
- Smart Genius - A Educational Computer featuring 12 programs. Another version is a 16-in-1 and is known to include several programs stolen for Asder's computers.
- GameStar Fun Educator - An Education Computer featuring 32 programs, which seem to either be normal mainstays like Subor applications and Track & Field Events. A generic version known as 2000 Education Computer is known to exists. A Spanish also version exists with some of the Subor programs being replaced with ones by an unknown developer, (Possibly Sunsonic).
- GameStar Y2K Computer - Both a 48-in-1 and 32-in-1 are known to exist. The 32-in-1 is more similar to the 16-in-1 Fun Educator while the 48-in-1 is more similar to the Fun Educator.
- GameStar Smart Genius Deluxe - A sequel to the Smart Genius which features nearly all the programs from other computers such as the original Smart Genius, Fun Educator, and Y2K Computer.
Connections[]
One "Game Star" product looks identical to the Console TV Famiclone by Advance Bright Limited (ABL)[6] - ABL and Macro Winners appear to have been based in the same building in Hong Kong in the early 2000's, so they may have collaborated at some point, although there is no longer any overlap between the two companies' current product lineups.
The Mi Nect, a model of the MiWi, seems to have been sold as the Woo Complete Video Game (distributed by Woo Mobility) in the United States, Specifically North and South Carolina.
References[]
- ↑ http://www.topfreebiz.com/company/198311/Macro-Winners-Electronics-Ltd.htm
- ↑ http://s4.zetaboards.com/PGC_Forums/topic/8153002/1/#new
- ↑ https://chinatrademarkoffice.com/index.php?c=tdsearch&m=owner&owner=%E5%86%A0%E7%9B%88%E7%94%B5%E5%AD%90%28%E6%B7%B1%E5%9C%B3%29%E6%9C%89%E9%99%90%E5%85%AC%E5%8F%B8
- ↑ http://web.archive.org/web/20031123214431/www.macrowin.com/index.html?63170&dl=
- ↑ https://uc.pory.app/3882-bs-888-danz-kara
- ↑ http://ultimateconsoledatabase.com/famiclones/gamestarconsoletv.htm