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Watara Supervision FAQ

                    The Watara Supervision  
 			Frequently Asked Questions			 
		       Version SV.02 - June 2001	 

====================================================================
O.K.,Here's the legal stuff: Copyright(c)2000-2001, Sylvain De Chantal 

All rights reserved. This document may be copied, in whole or in part,
by any means provided the copyright and contributors sections remain
intact and no fee is charged for the information. Contributors retain 
the copyright to their individual contributions.

The data contained here in is provided for informational purposes
only. No warranty is made with regards to the accuracy of some
informations.
====================================================================
Additional contributions IS welcome, please send additional informa-
tions, opinions, and comments to : mailto: "sylvaindc@videotron.ca"
                                
Where to get this F.A.Q.:

Try - GameFaqs.Com at "http://www.gamefaqs.com/"
    - my Home Page at "http://www.chez.com/slydc/"
    - Digital Press "http://www.digitpress.com/"

or sometimes on the newsgroup "rec.games.video.classic"
                         
====================================================================

           Welcome to the Watara Supervision F.A.Q. 

                      TABLE OF CONTENTS
                     -------------------

              1.0) The Watara Supervision
              1.5) Supervision around the World
              2.0) Supervision specs
              3.0) Cartridge List
              4.0) Accessories
              4.5) Supervision Emulator
              5.0) More Inputs
              6.0) Credits
              7.0) Web Links about Supervisions

====================================================================

1.0) The Watara Supervision
---------------------------

The Supervision was first sold in 1992. Trying to compete with the 
Game Boy by offering a very low price on the unit and games, they
thought that they could had taken a piece of the market with their
system. Similar to the Game Boy in hardware and design, it has some 
advantages: the screen has a better resolution and a bigger size, the 
console could be bent (well some Supervisions) to adjust the screen 
preventing unnecessary wrist torsion. It also has a better stereo sound 
using an extra DMA channel.

Very few people know that Watara made an agreement to be sponsored on 
the TV show "The Price Is Right" (Come on down! You're the next contestant 
to win a Supervision!! LOL!!), so that Watara could advertise their ads 
on national TV and giving away from time to time as prices.

Unfortunately, trying to detrone the Game Boy (or the Game Gear too) was 
a dead end. Even with it's TV-Link and games that was available for very 
less than the others Hand-Held systems, it didn't cut it. It wasn't the 
lack of publicity nor the quality of the console that flopped the 
Supervision, it was their games of poor quality. There are a few that 
are "gems" but mostly, the games didn't come close to what was available 
on the market.

The SuperVision includes one game (Crystball), 4 "AA" batteries, and
small stereo headphones. The is also another packaging that exist, the
box for the Watara is different (with brown background) and comes with 
the game "Classic Casino".

====================================================================

1.5) Supervision around the World
---------------------------------

But not known to many of us collectors, the Supervision was available
pretty much around the world. Here's a list of Supervision that were
available around the world:

* Watara Supervision: Released in the U.S, Canada, Spain and Italy.

* Quickshot Supervision: Released in the U.K. by the makers of
  too many joysticks (Quickshot) for the Atari 2600, NES, and so on.

* Hartung Supervision: Released in Germany and Nederlands(Holland). 
  Model SV-100.

* ??? Boy: Released in Hong Kong and China. Note: i have a picture
  of the unit (have one myself now) but i can't read Chinese! The 
  picture is available on the Supervision Museum web site, hoping 
  that someone will know the name.
  "http://slydc.20m.com/supervsn.htm"

* Audio Sonic Supervision: Released in Italy and France and in some
  other European countries. They are 2 models known: The GB-2000 
  which looks like a Game Boy and the other one is the GB-1000 which
  is the bendable version like the Watara. There is a variation on
  the GB-1000 that we don't see on the Watara or the Quickshot, it
  has no name in the bottom-left corner of the screen.

* Vini Supervision: Released in Denmark, Distributed by Vini Spil
  (Vini Games). There are two models known: one is the non-bendable
  (like the Audio Sonic GB-2000) and the other is a bendable version
  (model #9205). 

* Videojet Supervision: Released in France. Found one during my 
  vacation in France. Looks exacty like the Magnum Supervision but
  only the name varies.

* Magnum Supervision: Released in Europe and U.S.A. by Magnum Inter-
  national. Looks the same as the Videojet Supervision and it comes 
  in three different color casings: Grey, Yellow and Green.

* "brandless?" Supervision: Gauze (Brian) found one when he went on
  a trip in Berlin. It's a bendable version (model #9205) but this
  one has two support-clip (to balance it when bent). Gauze thinks it
  a Hartung since he has he brought them new in a store. Humm.....

  So for now, we have 11 variation of Supervision. Is there any more?
  
  Other Note: I already posses six different Supervision: The 
  Quickshot, The Videojet, the Audio Sonic GB-2000 model, the Hartung,
  the ?? Boy and the Magnum (all 3 colors). If anyone has any other 
  Supervision i don't have, please e-mail me. Thanks!

====================================================================

2.0) Supervision Specs
----------------------

* CPU : M65C02 8-bit VLSI at 4 MHZ
* Screen: 61mm x 61mm (2.37" x 2.37"), yielding 25600 pixels
          160 pixels by 160 pixels, compared to 23040 pixels on
          the Gameboy (160 x 144).
* Color: 4 colors (monochrome green tones)
* Power Switch
* External Power Supply Jack (DC6V and YES, GameBoy AC adapter works!)
* Contrast Adjustment
* Direction buttons (similar to the GameBoy)
* 4 "AA" Batteries  
* Headphone jack (unit includes small stereo headphones)
* Speaker built-in
* A & B buttons
* Select button
* Start button
* Volume controller
* Two Player Link (communications port). 
  This is a DB-9 connector, similar to the old Atari joysticks. 
  It is not pin-compatible with the Gameboy link system nor the
  Mega Duck and Cougar Boy systems either.


====================================================================

3.0) Cartridge List
-------------------

Company Abbreviations:
----------------------
Watara/Magnum/?? Boy = W/M/B
Quickshot = Q
Audio Sonic = A
"X" = means that is known to exist for this system. 

Name                 |W/M/B | Q | Hartung | A | Vini  | 
========================================================
2-In-1-A*            |      | x | SV10024 |   | 31695 |  
2-In-1-B*            |      |   | SV10033 |   | 31694 |  
4-in-1*              |   x  |   |         |   |       |  
Alien                | 2109 |   | SV10010 |   | 31660 |   
B52 Battle           |      | x |         |   |       |   
Balloon Fight        | 2147 |   |         |   |       |   
Block Buster         |      | x | SV10001 |   | 31656 |   
Brain Power          |      |   | SV10023 |   | 31679 |   
Bubble World         | 2162 |   |         |   |       |  
Carrier              | 2107 | x | SV10004 |   | 31658 | 
Challenger Tank      | 2115 |   | SV10013 |   | 31665 |      
Chimera              | 2118 | x | SV10016 |   | 31667 |  
Chinese Checkers     | 2130 | x | SV10038 |   |       | 
Classic Casino       | 2200 |   |         |   |       |  
Climber              | 2164 |   |         |   |       |   
CrystBall            |   x  | x |    x    | x |   x   |  
Dancing Block        |   x  | x | SV10030 |   | 31683 | 
Delta Hero           |   x  |   | SV10040 |   | 31680 |   
Dream World          | 2137 |   |         |   |       |   
Eagle Plan           | 2108 |   | SV10005 |   | 31659 |  
Earth Defender       | 2134 |   |         |   |       |   
Fatal Craft          |   x  | x |         |   | 31681 | 
Final Combat         | 2141 |   | SV10031 |   | 31684 | 
Galactic Crusader    | 2129 |   | SV10029 |   | 31667 |  
Galaxy Fighter       | 2187 |   |         |   |       |   
Grand Prix           |   x  |   | SV10021 |   | 31671 | 
Happy Pairs          | 2142 |   | SV10035 |   | 31685 |  
Happy Race           | 2127 |   | SV10027 |   | 31675 | 
Hash Block           | 2101 |   | SV10002 |   | 31665 | 
Hero Hawk            |   x  |   |         |   |       |  
Hero Kid             |      | x | SV10011 |   | 31662 | 
Honey Bee            |   x  |   | SV10018 |   | 31670 |  
Jade Legend          | 2191 | x |         |   |       |  
Jaguar Bomber        | 2123 |   | SV10025 |   | 31673 | 
John Adventure       | 2143 |   | SV10036 |   | 31686 |  
Journey To The West  | 9601 |   |         |   |       | 
Jugglers             | 2163 | x | SV10043 |   | 31692 |  
Kabi-Island          | 2177 |   |         |   |       |   
Kitchen War          | 2170 |   |         |   |       |    
Kung-Fu Street       |   x  |   |         |   |       |   
Linear Racing        | 2112 | x | SV10007 |   | 31663 | 
Ma Jong              | 2116 |   | SV10012 |   |       |   
Magincross           | 2154 |   | SV10039 |   | 31690 |  
Matta Blatta         | 2125 |   | SV10020 |   |       |  
Olympic Trials       | 2124 |   | SV10019 |   | 31672 |   
P-52 Sea Battle      | 2106 |   | SV10006 |   | 31657 |   
Pac-Boy And Mouse    |   x  | x | SV10008 |   | 31661 |   
Pacific Battle       | 2133 |   |         |   |       |  
Penguin Hideout      |      | x | SV10032 |   | 31687 |   
Police Bust          |      |   | SV10014 |   | 31668 |  
PoPo Team            | 2148 |   | SV10037 |   | 31690 |   
Pyramid              | 2150 |   |         |   |       |  
Recycle Design       | 2138 |   | SV10041 |   | 31682 |  
Scaffolder           | 2174 |   |         |   |       |   
Soccer Champ         |      |   | SV10034 |   | 31691 |   
Sonny X'Press        | 2193 |   |         |   |       |   
Space Fighter        | 2120 |   | SV10017 |   | 31669 |   
Ss-Snake             | 2114 |   | SV10009 |   | 31664 |   
Super Block          |   x  | x | SV10022 |   | 31678 |   
Super Kong           | 2149 |   | SV10042 |   | 31689 |  
Super Pang           |   x  |   | SV10028 |   | 31676 |  
Tasac 2010           | 2126 | x | SV10026 |   | 31674 |   
Tennis Pro '92       | 2117 | x | SV10015 |   | 31666 |  
Thunder Shooting     | 2178 |   |         |   |       |   
Treasure Hunter      | 2165 |   |         |   |       |    
Untouchable          | 2171 |   |         |   |       |  
USA Sea Battle       |      |   |         |   |       |   
Witty Kitty          | 2166 |   |         |   |       |  


* 2-in-1-A Games: Hash Block/Eagle Plan 
* 2-in-1-B Games: Police Bust/Magincross
* 4-in-1 Games: Hash Block/Jacky Lucky/Challenger Tank/Brain Power   

====================================================================

4.0) Accessories
----------------

Well this won't be a big section since there's only two accessory
that was made for the Supervision. The first one is called the 
"TV Link". This awesome device let's you play the Supervision on a 
TV !! It displays in color, well 4 color actually like the Super 
Game Boy and not full screen like some people think. 

Also they was supposed to be released a Color-Link in full color but 
due to low rate sells of the Supervisions and carts, it was never 
released. Two games were in progress but also where never released: 
Rambo and the Terminator.

The Second accessories in a Carrying case which a picture can be seen
on the Web Site of Syd Bolton. The Carrying case is black with a yellow
strap for carrying and a patch in similar leather with the name 
"Supervision" on it.

====================================================================

4.5) Supervision Emulator
-------------------------

Yes, you are not dreaming. There is a Supervision emulator being done
as you read this. It's still in a very early stage but be sure that
it will eventually be available to test it out pretty soon (i hope!).

In case that you are wondering what is the name or person(s) that 
is/are working on this emulator, many of you already knows the name
of this legendary emulator: the Multi Emulator Super System or simply
the M.E.S.S. (http://mess.emuverse.com/main.html).

Heres the work-in-progress (WIP) about the Supervision emulator part:

Tuesday 12th December, 2000 - PeT has added a Watara SuperVision 
Handheld driver but sound is not yet working. [there were two screen
shots displayed: one of Crystball and the other Delta Hero.]

Sunday 18th March, 2001 - PeT added some CRCs to the Super Vision database.

Saturday 12th May, 2001 - PeT added preliminary sound support to the 
Watara SuperVision emulation.

Sunday 13th May, 2001 - Nathan Woods fixed some compilation errors with 
the new SuperVision changes. PeT modified the SuperVision header files 
to use stream_multi for easier stereo sound generation. PeT also fixed 
stereo allocation for SuperVision drivers.

Monday 14th May, 2001 - PeT enabled stereo in SuperVision drivers.


Mess Emulation State
--------------------
very preliminary support (plays Crystball and Delta Hero)
no sound support
no serial port
no tv adapter support
work stopped until more cartridges are available
Pinout of cartridge is in mess/messroms/svision.txt


And here's some informations from the "messroms.txt" file:

messroms.txt
------------

files
-----
svision.txt info for building an adapter for supervision cartridge to
			27c4001 eprom pinout

dumping roms
------------
Watara Supervision Cartridges
 look into mess/messroms/svision.txt for building an adapter


Seems that they never included the text file that has the pinout for
the adapter. I tried to e-mail PeT at this e-mail adress:mess@atanet.at
but my e-mail was sent back to me. So if anyone from the M.E.S.S. read
this FAQ, please contact me so i can add the informations so that 
some few folks aou there could aid you dumping some carts to get the
emulator better developed.

Oh and please people, don't ask me or the guys of M.E.S.S. where to get
some ROMS for playing with the emulator. I don't know (and them too)
where to get the ROMS and i don't have any. Don't be a freaking lamer
and and start bitching about the emulator or the ROMS, just be patient
like so many of us. If you can't wait playing some games, then get 
yourself the real thing, 'nuff said. 

====================================================================

5.0) More Inputs
----------------

Some thinks that the Supervision is associated with the same company
that made carts for the Atari 2600 in europe and some carts for the
Nintendo Entertainment system. Well it's not true. Nintendo looking 
cart today called "Supervision" Entertainment Game Cartridge, are 
shaped exactly like a Nintendo NES cartridge. On the back is a list 
of 52 games that are on the cartridge. They are other Multi-Carts 
available by Supervision too.

Here's some few Service Centers adress which at the time, you could
have send your Supervision for repairs. I don't think these adress
are valid now these days but if one works, please let me know.

Electronics Netherland bv:
Tijnmuiden 15/17/19
1046 AK Amsterdam Sloterdijk
Tel: (020) 139960

SA Electronics Belgium NV:
Brixtonlaan 1H
1930 Zaventem 
Tel: (2) 7208945

Audio Sonic France:
103/115, Rue Charles Michels
93200 St.Denis Cedex 1
Tel: (01) 42433622

            --------------------------------------

I received an e-mail from "Matt Knudson" the 10th of march 2001.
i replied to his e-mail but never got back a reply, pity since
he could have some valuable informations. Check out the e-mail:

From: "Matt Knudson" 
Subject: Supervision
Date: 10 march, 2001 00:04

I came across your Supervison site and was very impressed.  I was a dealer 
of the Supervision (Watara Version) and games in the Salt Lake area for a 
couple years in the early 90's.  I sold about 20 of the units to friends and 
family and about 50 games.  I still have 2 units (1 stopped working for some 
unknown reason) and about a dozen games, some still sealed in original 
packaging.  Let me know if you need any additional info on what I have.

Thanks,

Matt Knudson
801-xxx-xxxx

Damn....geeting the inside story from a dealer would have been great!
Well, if you Matt, ever read this FAQ, please contact me (if you're still
out there of course!).

            --------------------------------------

Here's a review by Ed Dille that was published in Electronic Games 
Magazine in November 1993:


                 The Hall of Fame: East Meets East 

SuperVision
Watary Industries Limited
Distributed in the U.S. by Goldnation
(U.S.A.), Inc.

Hong Kong has been a hotbed of electronic gaming activity since the 
early '80s, when this author first browsed the streets of Kowloon. 
Although not as congested as Tokyo's Akihabra district, there had 
already developed a tremendous interest in video and computer based 
gaming. Unfortunately, due to inadequate trade and copyright law 
enforcement, Hong Kong's marketplace suffered from a maligned reputation 
revolving around software piracy. As such, it is not surprising that 
it has taken almost ten years for companies such as Watary Industries 
to emerge in the Western marketplace in direct competition with one of 
the Japanese giants, Nintendo. However, Watary has a new flagship item, 
and it should make the competition with the "Big N" quite exciting for 
the next few months. The product is SuperVision, and it is targeted 
squarely at capturing the exiting Game Boy market.

SuperVision has a very slight technological edge over the Game Boy, but 
it does offer some unique design features. The first of these is a 
bendable midsection which allows the player to easily adjust the angle 
of the LCD screen. This feature offers two immediate advantages: the 
ability to eliminate glare without moving one's head at odd angles and 
the freedom to alter the balance point of the unit to make long play 
sessions less painful to the wrists. SuperVision also offers the largest 
display in the handheld market, eliminating the need for a follow-up 
attachment like the lighted magnifier utilized with Game Boy. Bravo to 
SuperVision for having the foresight to think of player eyesight. Another 
feature which will be appreciated by ergonomically concerned and point 
players alike is the design of the control buttons and rocker panel. 
Both A & B buttons are 1.5 times the size of the Game Boy and slightly 
more separated, minimizing the chance of hitting the wrong one inadvertently 
in a moment of passion. The rocker panel is also larger and features raised 
knobs at the control points, ensuing more positive directional control.

The similarities between the units are actually greater than the differences 
like Game Boy, SuperVision offers a two player link for head-to-head 
competition as well as full stereo sound output. The latter has four tonal 
and one noise channel like Game Boy, but adds a separate channel for Audio 
DMA output. Both units use VLSI processors and 8-bit MPU video chip controllers. 
SuperVision's controller is capable of 160 x 160 resolution versus 160 x 144 
for the Game Boy, but the visual difference is negligible.

Given the large degree of equivalency in terms of technology, one might 
reasonably ask why they should purchase SuperVision either in addition to or 
in lieu of Game Boy, which has an available library of 215 cartridges at the 
time of this writing. Watary has two strategies to address inherent consumer 
skepticism. The first of these involves unit pricing. SuperVision is currently 
being test marketed at $49.95 with one included game, Crystball (more on that 
later). Interestingly, Nintendo of America recently announced a new packaging 
option called the Game Boy Basic. Priced at $59.95, the package includes the 
base unit and batteries only. When questioned as to the timing of the 
announcement, Nintendo representatives denied that their marketing plan was 
influenced by the introduction of Supervision to the U.S. market. Individual 
Supervision games will be priced from $8.95 to $14.95. This pricing directly 
targets consumers who are irritated at spending $30 and up for individual 
games, many of which are mastered by their adept offspring in a week or less.


====================================================================

6.0) Credits:
-------------

* Syd Bolton - SuperVision Home Page (see links for website)
  The FIRST ever site to talk about the Supervision, 2 thumbs up!
* William D. Velting 
* Ed Dille (Electronic Games Magazine) 
* CLASSICON / NESWORLD (see links for website)
* Chinese Video Games To Go (see links for website)
* Fabio (fparri@libero.it)
* Dieter (ccc@dieterkoenig.at) 
  Classic Consoles Center: www.dieterkoenig.at/ccc/
* Matt Croxford (matt@mattt44.screaming.net)
* Jens-Vagner Andersen (jens-vagner@andersen.mail.dk)
* Brian/Gauze "dropdead" (gauze@my-deja.com)

====================================================================

7.0) Web Links about Supervisions:
----------------------------------

* Syd Bolton - SuperVision Home Page:
  http://www.pixelpower.on.ca/supervision/

* Watara Supervision (in UK):
  http://www.jhayler.freeserve.co.uk/watara.htm

* Virtuelles Computermuseum:
  http://members.aol.com/CompHist/watara.html

* Classicon: The Classic Consoles Website: 
  http://www.emuclassics.com/classicon/watara.htm

* Chinese Video Games To Go: Bit Corp. Gamate & Watara SuperVision:
  http://homepages.go.com/~mosqueda_o/vghist/vg_to_go.htm

* Lycée Roamin Rolland (Nicogil):
  http://perso.club-internet.fr/nicogil/supvis.html

* Pelikonepeijoonit - The Arctic Computer & Console Museum:
  http://gamma.nic.fi/~mikkohoo/peijoonit/handheld.htm#Supervision
  
* The Strange (and Rare) Videogame Pics Page:
  http://members.tripod.com/~faberp/SV.htm

* Hartung Super Vision:
  http://www.heimcomputer.de/konsolen/supervision.html

* Jens Olufs' Computermuseum:
  http://www.olufs.com/jens/portable.html

If you have a web page or site that talks about Supervision, please 
let me know so i can add you in the links, thanks!

====================================================================

Thanks and see you in the next version !!!
------------------------------------------
Copyright(c)2000-2001, Sylvain De Chantal, "sylvaindc@videotron.ca"
Come visit the Supervision Museum: "http://slydc.20m.com/supervsn.htm"




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