Watara Supervision: Info Sheet and Video Featurette

The Watara Supervision is a stinker of a system that was only innovative in that it was the first hinged handheld system. Released in 1992, it attempted to compete with the Game Boy, which was first released in 1989, by offering a very low price system. This was crazy even at the time. Nintendo was way too entrenched and nobody would make games for this unknown system. On paper it had slightly better specs. The games however were generally terrible

Watara Supervision Specs:
1992 Price: $49.95
CPU : 8-bit VLSI
Screen: 2.37" x 2.37" 160 pixels by 160 pixels 25600 pixels 4 tone grayscale
Power: 4 AA Batteries
Audio: Speaker with built-in Headphone jack

Gameboy Specs:
1992 Price: $59.95
CPU : Custom 8-bit Sharp LR35902 core at 4.19 MHz
Screen: 1.8" x 1.75" 160 × 144 pixels 23040 pixels with 2-bit 4 shades of green to dark green
Power: 4 AA Batteries
Audio: Mono Speaker with built-in stereo Headphone jack
Dimensions: 90 mm (W) x 148 mm (H) x 32 mm (D) / 3.5" x 5.8" 1.3" (in)

Though it is best known with it's unique hinged design there were at least 11 different design variations with slightly different branding such as the Quickshot Supervision and the GB-2000 which lacks the hinge

Released games for the Watara Supervision:

Bust/Cross (2-in-1)
Hash Block/Eagle Plan (2-in-1)
Classic Casino (3-in-1)
Cave Wonders (4-in-1)
Lucky Jacky (4-in-1)
Alien
Balloon Fight
Block Buster
Box Carrier
Brain Power
Bubble World
Carrier
Challenger Tank
Chimera
Chinese Checkers
Climber
Crystball
Dancing Block
Delta Hero
Devil Paradise
Dream World
Eagle Plan
Earth Defender
Fatal Craft
Final Combat
Galactic Crusader
Galaxy Fighter
Grand Prix
Happy Pairs
Happy Race
Hash Block
Hero Kid
Hero Hawk
Honey Bee
Jade Legend
Jaguar Bomber
John Adventure
Journey To The West
Juggler
Kabi-Island
Kitchen War
Kung-Fu Street
Linear Racing
Ma Jong
Magnicross
Matta Blatta
Olympic Trials
P-52 Sea Battle
Pacboy and Mouse
Pacific Battle
Penguin Hideout
Police Bust
Popo Team
Pyramid
Recycle Design
Scaffolder
Soccer Champ
Sonny X'Press
Space Fighter
Sssnake
Super Block
Super Pang
Super Kong
Tasac 2010
Tennis Pro '92
Thunder Shooting
Treasure Hunter
Untouchable
Witty Cat

Bellow is a typically silly video of me opening a sealed copy of Pyramid for the Watara Supervision.

　

Zero Punctuation Reviews GTA Chinatown Wars.

Zero Punctuation does hilarious and somewhat foul video reviews. Check out the review for GTA Chinatown Wars.

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation/657-Grand-Theft-Auto-Chinatown-Wars

PSX on the iPhone 3GS.

This is currently more proof of concept, and undoubtedly violates both Apple's terms of service and Sony's licencing. However, the folks over at ZodTTD have gotten a mostly playable PSX Emu running on the iPhone 3GS. Yeah it is a bit slow but... This is mostly exciting because of the implication for the level of games that should be possible on the system should a developer spend the time and effort on a AAA title. Check out the video bellow.



More info at the link bellow.
http://www.zodttd.com/blog/

Sega Retro: Another Genesis Clone

It seems like almost Daily a new Sega Clone is released. Today it is from a company called Blaze which has released a portable game system called the Sega Retro. Despite the rather absurd claim that it is the "world's 1st Sega Megadrive handheld console", it looks like a decent system at the reasonable price of £29.99. Check out the promotional video and link bellow.




http://www.blazeeurope.com/sega/sega-megadrive-handheld/prod_3.html

The King is dead, long live the King...

According to the internet there is no longer any need for the Sega Nomad. A company called Innex is allegedly releasing a system called the Retrogen. It is, if it exists, a region free portable Sega Genesis. The price $50. It seems to have been at E3 so let's hope it is real. Not much info right now since the site that is selling it is down but hopefully it will be back up soon. Check the link bellow.

http://store.videogamecentral.com/sega-genesis-portable-retrogen.html

PSP Go: “the first constantly evolving network device that Sony has put into the market.”

MCV recently interviewed Andrew House, the President of SCEE. He had some interesting things to say about the new PSP Go, which he refers to as, “the first constantly evolving network device that Sony has put into the market.”

He touches on the place that the PSP Go has keeping Sony on the forward edge of the handheld gaming market as well as reiterating the promise of a 10 year life cycle for the PSP. He also addresses the rather hefty price tag along the way and does some typical Sony flag waving. All in all it is a worthwhile little read if you are interested in the PSP Go. Check out the full story bellow.

http://www.mcvuk.com/features/499/House-Proud

High Dynamic Range Lying DSi review

I have not seen many compelling reasons to get a DSi, It does have slightly larger screens which I like but other then that it seems like not a big enough difference to write home about. Nayan Ramachandran over at High Dynamic Range Lying feels a bit different and offers a few reasons that the Dsi has more to offer then the DS. Check out the full story at the link.

http://www.hdrlying.com/imported-data/2009/1/15/nintendo-dsi-artstyle-aquario-and-made-in-wario.html

Ghostwire... I guess ghosts are the new zombies?

It looks like people are at least trying new things with the DSi hardware although this just seems a bit silly... Silly but kind of cool in a spooky campy way.

Conny PDC100: it has 100 games! That is why it has the number one hundred in it’s name.

Another cheap, poor quality, multi-game handheld has become available. This one is called the Conny PDC100. It appears to have a collection of completely original games which does not bode well for these type bargain handhelds. Here are the official specs.

Model: Conny PDC100
2.5-inch 16-bit color TFT LCD display.
TV-out support.
100 games built-in.
16 x puzzles
17 x actions
20 x mini games
20 x shooters
17 x racing games
10 x luck-based games
Powered by 3 x AA batteries.

It is available thru Deal Extreme for the low (but probably far to high) price $65.
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.20215
Let me know what you think if you have one of these.

Definitive Gameboy Timeline.

I published a brief handheld gaming timeline quite a while ago but it does not begin to compare to the less inclusive but very slick timeline at Gizmodo. Check it out at the link. http://gizmodo.com/5222211/the-definitive-game-boy-timeline

Here is the less impressive, slightly updated, and more inclusive timeline from i am handheld.

1979
Milton Bradley releases the first cartridge-based handheld video game system MicroVision. Nothing much happens in portable gaming for the next 10 years.

1989
Nintendo releases the Game Boy system. It's boxy has a lousy screen and is ugly as hell but everyone loves it.
Tetris is arguably the most important handheld game ever. It is released for the Gameboy which sells like crazy.
Atari Lynx is the first color handheld video game system but it does not have Tetris and eats batteries. System will hang around for years wishing it found Tetris first.

1990
Sega releases the Game Gear in Japan.
Turbo Express is released which plays TG 16 carts.

1991
Europe and US get Game Gear.
Japan gets Parodius on the Gameboy, while US gets boring old R-Type.

1992
Watura Supervision is released along with games like Recycle Design and, Untouchable which perfectly describe the game system.
25 million Gameboys have been sold.

1993
Mega Duck & Cougar Boy game systems are released in Europe. US suffers from never receiving these systems.
Zelda first appears on a handheld.

1994
94 is a slow year in handheld gaming due to "Grunge". Only game released is "Stop That Roach!" on the Gameboy.

1995
Nintendo releases Virtual Boy. It's totally 3D! Gamers develop a collective migraine.
Game Axe is released which is a pirate handheld Famicom player. Thanks to NES on a chip technology spawns many imitators.
Sega Nomad released. Genesis heads now have excuse to lug their Genesis cartridge collection around with them. System only fits in duffle bags.

1996
Neo Geo Pocket is released in awesome black and white!

1997
Tiger Electronics releases game.com. Someone better have gotten fired!
Sega stops supporting Game Gear format.

1998
Nintendo releases Game Boy Color.
Sony PocketStation is a mem card and a portable game!
Pokemon invade the Gameboy and millions of parents have no idea what the hell their children are talking about.
Games are still being released for the Lynx. Lynx users are like "In your face Nintendo!"

1999
SNK totally copies Nintendo and releases Neo-Geo Pocket Color. Metal slug now fits in your pocket as well as some awesome fighting games.

2000
Wonderswan is released. A couple nerds want it to come out in the US but nobody cares about their needs.
Majesco re-releases the Game Gear. It is called Game Gear Core System.
Neo Geo Pocket releases another Metal slug game then gives up when GBA appears on the horizon.

2001
Nintendo releases the Game Boy Advance handheld system.
Advance Wars, Castlevania: Circle of the Moon, F-Zero, and others are released for GBA. GBA is looking good.
GP32 is released, only a few nerds care. Homebrewers rock.

2002
Wonderswan Crystal is even more beautiful than it’s predecessor. It has a great library of RPGs but all are in japanesse.
GBA gets Zelda and Metroid, bathes in the blood of defeated game systems.

2003
Nokia releases the N-Gage It’s a phone and a game system. Casual gamers don't care. Hardcore gamers care even less.
Puzzle Bobble VS is releases for N-Gage. This game should be impossible to do a bad version of but somehow manages to get an average score of 22%.
Tapwave releases the Zodiac, it's a PDA made for games.
Timetap releases Gameking, China throws a party.
Game Theory Admiral is released which plays famicom games. Nintendo does not seem to care.
Nintendo counters with GBA SP and all the other systems fail.

2004
N-Gage QD is released and still sucks, just not as badly, not nearly as bad as the Gizmondo which would have almost been ok if it was a cell phone and is released next year.
Leisure Suit Larry: Pocket Party is cancled. This is possibly the final nail in the failing N-Gage's coffin. The world breathes a sigh of relief as a game called "Pocket Party" will not be played in public.
Wonderswan stops getting games. Still none in English.
Nintendo releases the Nintendo DS, and Pokemon Mini. This duel strike knocks all other mo-fos out.

2005
Sony releases PSP and handhelds are finally legitimized.
Gizmondo is released, Sticky Balls makes gamers snicker, Colors is canceled and Erickson crashes his Enzo. The End!
EZ Mini is released.
Also released is the GP2X which makes the GP32 nerds screamgasm with delight.
Nintendo can't stop itself and releases a lite version of the GBA SP, and Gameboy micro.

2006
The Nintendo DS Lite ups the sex appeal of Nintendo. Handheld games have officially exploded. Girls, casual gamers, your parents, and jocks officially play video games and carry them around in their pockets.
OneStation brings probably illegal games to savy importers at low prices.

2007
PlayStation Portable Slim & Lite are released.
iPhone releases.

2008
Pandora is scheduled to release but does not.

2009
DSi is released, PSP Go is announced, Wiz and Dingoo are released, Pandora looks more like vaporware.