Macro Winners Electronics Ltd.

Macro Winners Electronics Ltd.
Logo.
Origin	Taiwan (1988), Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong (?-present) (head office) Bao'an, Shenzhen, China (factory)
Years	1988-present
Consoles	Famicom, generic 16 & 32-bit architecture
Aliases	Bel Sonic GameStar New Game Star (?) 宇霖電子股份有限公司 (Taiwan)
Published games by	Inventor, Cube Technology, Waixing, Gamtec (?)
Related companies	Advance Bright Limited, Cube Technology

Macro Winners Electronics Ltd. is a Hong Kong-based publisher of game consoles, most notably the MiWi series, which was founded in Taiwan in 1988. The company is also known as Bel Sonic, which is what the BS that appears in their logo stands for. The company previously used the name GameStar (also formatted as Game Star), particularly on "educational computer" systems.

Their manufacturing plant is based in Bao'an, Shenzhen, China, under the name "Guanying Electronics (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd." (冠盈电子（深圳）有限公司).

While Macro Winners is not known to have produced their own software, they appear to have directly commissioned a number of other companies to produce Famicom/NES-based game software for use on their plug & play consoles. This includes the uncommon "Colosoftware" 5-in-1 game set, a large number of VT03 games and hacks from Cube Technology and Shenzhen Niutai Technology (which themselves are connected to Gameinis), and possibly Inventor for a specific "New Game Star" hack set. Macro Winners may have also commissioned a "Mega 5-in-1" cartridge featuring rebranded versions of Super Donkey Kong - Xiang Jiao Chuan and three Gamtec games.

Consoles

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, 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.

Generally, the shell of a MiWi console is a rounded copy of the Nintendo Wii's shell, and the arcade controller resembles the Nintendo 64's controller without the middle prong, with the analog stick not having any replacement whatsoever on the design. Some consoles instead include a blue LED light.

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 the name of Macro Winners' manufacturing plant in China, Guanying.

List of consoles

• MiWi (Serial code BS-9800) - Running VT168. Unlike other MiWi consoles that have compilations built-in, it has cartridges with games bundled with the console, which only offers power and runs the cartridges. It comes with two cartridges, one offered as a bonus being a "32 in 1" cartridge with a compilation of 16 games developed by Waixing, and a main menu and 16 bonus 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. The most prominent cartridge is a "7 in 1" including "interactive sports games", which seem to be a mixture of Waixing and Cube games. Unlike most MiWi consoles, its controller resembles more the Nintendo 64's controller, with the middle prong included and a blue LED in place of the analog stick.
  • A variant of the same name has been spotted sold in the Spanish-speaking world with the box and manual rewritten in Spanish, the usual shell, and a 6 in 1 cartridge instead of the 7 in 1 one.
  • MiWi (Bungee) - Sold by Bungee in Brazil. One version has 41 games while another has 89 games; both models have built-in games and no cartridge slot. The InterAct brand is used on its box.
  • MiWi Xtra - Includes an 8 in 1 cartridge instead. Strangely, its shell more closely resembles the Wii that it was copying. While the MiWi Xtra is more well known as a version of this system, this YouTube video shows a console simply called MiWi with many of the traits usually found in MiWi consoles. Intec has sold a variant called Intec Interact, with its 32 in 1 cartridge fixing the "Arcase" typo.
    • Xplay Interactive (Serial code XP-89) - Sold by Diplomat in Brazil, uniquely having a splash screen with the Xplay Interactive logo and the Brazilian flag. Two versions of it exist: the initial version with the 89 in 1 cartridge and a later one with the 96 in 1 cartridge.
    • Tekno Games - Brazilian variant with 89 games. Both selection of games are separated into 2 cartridges.
  • Console Technigame - Sold by La Foir Fouille in France. Variant with a more stubbed top of the shell rebranded with Technigame's name, including 6 in 1 and 16 in 1 cartridges only featuring games developed by Waixing. Original MiWi version is not known.
  • Multilaser Multigame - Variant sold by Multilaser in Brazil. Very similar to the Console Technigame variant, but bundled with a standard controller much like the common MiWi variants. A later version of it includes a 7 in 1 cartridge instead of the 6 in 1 from the original version. The controller that comes with it is somewhat reminiscent of the Sony PlayStation 1 controller but with a more rounded design.
  • MiWi 2 - Uses the shell from the MiWi Xtra and offers a 111 in 1 cartridge, with the 89 in 1 cartridge offered optionally.
• Eittek MiWi - Popular nickname for a MiWi console (official name unknown) distributed by Eittek Electronics. Runs the Family Sport software by Senca, specifically the 45 in 1 version.
• MiWi BS-9800 (Serial code BS-9800A/B/C) - Running VT389 with games and menu developed by Cube Technology. Variants have been made of it (without the Soccer and Baseball games and its own DDR copy) as the Reactor Arcade and MyArcade Game Station.

Other "Mi-" products

"Mi" is a brand extended from the MiWi brand used by Macro Winners on other products of theirs.

• Mi-Guitar
• Mi-Fiit Aero DANZ
• Mi Nect - Mimicry of the Microsoft Kinect.
  • Woo Complete Video Game - A rebrand distributed by Woo Mobility and sold in the United States, specifically North and South Carolina.

Educational systems

• Andy Brown - a talking bear toy, similar in nature to the popular 1980s toy Teddy Ruxpin. While limited information is known, Andy Brown appears to have connectivity with some "educational computer" Famiclone systems; the back of the box for one "Art-Pro Genius" console model shows the system wired up to an Andy Brown.
  • Andy Brown acted as somewhat of a mascot for Macro Winners/GameStar; appearing on some of their console packaging from the era, and being the central character in the "Andy Brown's World" software built into some "educational computer" Famiclones. The "Mega PC" system comes bundled with an Andy Brown-themed workbook.
• 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.
• Art-Pro Star (BS-9000-ARA) - An Arabic-language system; it is unknown if an English version was produced. The console comes with two cartridges: one appears to contain the "Smart Kids" program set, while the other is a 15-in-1 cartridge containing "New Game Star" hacks. This console has connectivity with Andy Brown.
• V-Mega (BS-9300) - A console modeled after a laptop; it does not feature an actual screen, merely containing a giant sticker with game screenshots where the screen would be located. Features the VT03-based Andy Brown's World educational software, which itself is based on the "Smart Kids" program set. A variant known as the "Mega PC" was published in Mexico by Yese.

Other products

• GameStar Super TV Games (AL-27605-M) - an ID used for several different, though conceptually similar, "plug & play" controllers. Most, if not all, releases were sold in completely unbranded boxes; some variants (particularly in France) feature hard-wired SCART output rather than RCA cables. ID reads "AL-27605-M" on the console itself, and "BS-ADP-400" on the power supply. Some later variants are branded as the "Mega Pad".
  • On some models, this plug & play contains the "Colosoftware" 5-in-1 game set, which is largely comprised of licensed Famiclone ports of obscure Commodore 64 games; on other releases, it features the 15-in-1 set of "New Game Star" hacks. A rebranded version of the latter release is known to have been sold via The Shopping Channel in the United States.
  • Despite featuring molded areas clearly intended for a cartridge port and a battery compartment, some variants lack one or both of these components.
• 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, while another version (ID BS-888) has an alternate version of Dance Party called "DanZ Mate", which features an altered track list. The latter model also features various additional games, including software derived from "educational computer" systems.
• 88-in-1 Joystick - contains 88 hacks of NES/Famicom games. The menu system is directly modified from the "AT-103 101-in-1" multicart (as bundled with the "Arcade Action II" plug & play), but replaces some of its games with Macro Winners-commissioned hacks produced by Cube Technology. 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.

Connections

One "Game Star" product looks identical to the Console TV Famiclone by Advance Bright Limited (ABL) - 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.

Some consoles and multi-game sets released by Cheertech feature games indicative of the early 2000s GameStar releases, including using the Colosoftware games and the New Game Star-branded hacks. Considering that these games are otherwise very uncommon on other bootleggers' systems, this may indicate a connection between Cheertech and GameStar. Cheertech is also known to have used identical controller molds to those seen on several of GameStar's "educational computer" systems.