Watara Supervision

The Watara Supervision, also known as the QuickShot Supervision in the UK, is a monochrome handheld game console, originating from Asia, and introduced in 1992 as a cut-price competitor for Nintendo's Game Boy.[1] It came packaged with a game called Crystball, which is similar to Breakout. One unique feature of the Supervision was that it could be linked up to a television via a link cable. Games played in this way would display in four colors, much like Nintendo's Super Game Boy add-on for the SNES.[1] A full color TV link was also in the works, but because of the Supervision's failure to make a major impression among gamers it was cancelled, along with the games which were in development for it.

Watara Supervision
The Watara Supervision with tilting screen
ManufacturerWatara
TypeHandheld game console
GenerationFourth generation
Release date1992
Introductory priceUS$49.95 (equivalent to $91 in 2019)
MediaROM cartridge
CPU8-bit 65SC02 @ 4 MHz
Display160×160 pixel resolution, 4 shades of grey
SoundMono speaker
Headphone jack
Power4 × AA batteries or 6V AC/DC adapter
Related articlesGame Boy

Though the machine garnered some attention at launch (mainly due to the low price for the machine and its games, which many felt might enable it to make inroads into Nintendo's market share) it was ultimately unsuccessful in unseating the Game Boy from its position as the world's most popular handheld. Reasons commonly cited are the poor quality screen which was prone to blurring and made following the action difficult, a general lack of games and the simplistic nature of those that were released.

Yet another problem was that most of the games that were available were developed in Taiwan or Hong Kong, meaning that fans of big-name Western and Japanese developers were underwhelmed by the apparent lack of support from these companies. Only a tiny handful of games were developed by third parties, including Sachen and the British developer B.I.T.S.. Up against Nintendo's list of popular franchises (Zelda, Mario, Metroid) and those of its third parties (Castlevania, Mega Man) - all of which eventually surfaced on the Game Boy - the Supervision's games were of little interest to most.

Marketing

To keep their costs down, Watara farmed out the international marketing and distribution to third parties leading to various versions including the QuickShot Supervision, Travell Mate, Hartung SV-100, and Electrolab in Argentina, under two different models: the Supervision (in a form factor resembling Nintendo's Game Boy) and the Hipervision. In Taiwan and Hong Kong, it was released as the 泰可BOY (Tiger Boy).[1] The QuickShot version differed from the original Watara format by having the console body split into two parts enabling the screen to be tilted in relation to the control section.[1] This version was also the initial release in North America, although without the QuickShot branding.[2]

In the mid 1990s, the Supervision was once offered as a final prize on the television game show Legends of the Hidden Temple (as well as Masters of the Maze). It was also offered as a prize on the premiere of the similarly short-lived The New Price is Right in 1994.

The Supervision model released without the tilting screen.

Quickshot's UK version of the Supervision was heavily featured for a time on ITV's gaming show Bad Influence![1] Presenter Violet Berlin could be seen playing a Supervision in many of the show's publicity photos.

Technical specifications
  • CPU: 8-bit 65C02 processor, running at 4 MHz
  • Screen: 61 mm × 61 mm (2.37 inches × 2.37 inches), 160 × 160 pixels, 4 greys LCD.[1] There was no hardware video acceleration, graphics had to be drawn by software to a framebuffer.
  • Sound: 2 Tonal and 1 Noise Channel plus additional audio DMA stereo output channel. Built-in speaker and headphone jack with stereo earphones included.
  • Power: 4 × AA batteries or 6V AC/DC adapter
  • Communication port: Two Player Link using DE-9 connector.
  • Cartridge port
  • Controls for 1 Player
  • TV adapter (optional)
  • Tiltable Screen (2 positions)

List of games
Watara Supervision cartridge

Main titles
# Title Developer(s) Release year
1AlienWatara1992
2Balloon FightThin Chen Enterprise1992
3Block BusterWatara1992
4Brain PowerWatara1992
5Bubble WorldBon Treasure1992
6CarrierWatara1992
7Cave WondersBon Treasure1992
8Challenger TankWatara1992
9ChimeraWatara1992
10Chinese CheckersSachen1992
11Classic CasinoBon Treasure1993
12ClimberBon Treasure1992
13CrystballWatara1992
14Dancing BlockThin Chen Enterprise1992
15Delta HeroBon Treasure1992
16Devil ParadiseWatara1992
17Dream WorldBon Treasure1992
18Eagle PlanGTC1991
19Earth DefenderBon Treasure1992
20Fatal CraftBon Treasure1992
21Final CombatThin Chen Enterprise1992
22Galactic CrusaderSachen1992
23Galaxy FighterThin Chen Enterprise1992
24Grand PrixBon Treasure1992
25Happy PairsSachen1992
26Happy RaceSachen1992
27Hash BlockGTC1992
28Hero HawkThin Chen Enterprise1992
29Hero KidWatara1992
30Honey BeeBon Treasure1992
31Jacky LuckyBon Treasure1992
32Jade LegendWatara1992
33Jaguar BomberBon Treasure1992
34John AdventureSachen1992
35Journey to the WestWatara1992
36JugglerBon Treasure1992
37Kabi-Island: Gold in IslandThin Chen Enterprise1992
38Kitchen WarBon Treasure1992
39Kung-Fu StreetThin Chen Enterprise1993
40Linear RacingWatara1992
41Ma JongWatara1992
42MagincrossThin Chen Enterprise1992
43Matta BlattaB.I.T.S.1992
44Olympic TrialsDivide By Zero/B.I.T.S.1992
45P-52 Sea BattleWatara1992
46Pacboy & MouseWatara1992
47Pacific BattleBon Treasure1992
48Penguin HideoutThin Chen Enterprise1992
49Police BustBon Treasure1992
50PoPo TeamSachen1992
51PyramidThin Chen Enterprise1992
52Recycle DesignBon Treasure1992
53ScaffolderBon Treasure1992
54Soccer ChampionWatara1992
55Sonny Xpress!Watara1992
56Space FighterBon Treasure1992
57SssnakeB.I.T.S.1992
58Super BlockBon Treasure1992
59Super PangSachen1992
60Super KongThin Chen Enterprise1992
61Tasac 2010Thin Chen Enterprise1992
62Tennis Pro '92B.I.T.S.1992
63Thunder ShootingThin Chen Enterprise1992
64Treasure HunterBon Treasure1992
65UntouchableBon Treasure1992
66Witty CatBon Treasure1992

Multi-game titles
  • Block Buster/Cross High [2-in-1] (1992)
  • Hash Block/Eagle Plan [2-in-1] (1992; developed by Bon Treasure)
  • Hash Block/Jacky Lucky/Challenger Tank/Brain Power [4-in-1] (1992)

Homebrew

As of 2020, the first aftermarket game Assembloids by PriorArt is available for the Supervision.[3]

Preservation

Like many consoles, the Watara Supervision has lived on through emulation (see MESS). Cowering's Good Tools includes a tool called GoodSV, which catalogues 69 Supervision games as of version 3.27.

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gollark: okaythen.exe.jpg.bmp
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References
  1. "Retro Console Review: Quickshot / Watara Supervision". RetroCollect. 2011-02-05. Retrieved 2011-11-06.
  2. "Syd Bolton - SuperVision Specs". pixelpower.on.ca. Retrieved 2019-03-21.
  3. https://www.mobygames.com/game/supervision/assembloids_
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