Watara Supervision

One of many, many wannabe Nintendo Game Boys, let's take a look at the Supervision, because why not? The Watara Supervision is a handheld game console introduced in 1992 by a Taiwanese company Watara, as a cut-price competitor for the Nintendo Game Boy. The firm entered into distribution deals which allowed for the Watara Supervision to be priced at only $49.95, considerably less than the $89.99 priced Game Boy. It came with a game called Crystball, which is similar to Breakout. One unique feature of the handheld 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.

But anyway, it's definitely BIGGER than the Game Boy, and with all the extra weight one would expect from such a size increase. What's also immediately noticeable is that the Supervision appears to be a device of two halves - it has a chunky rubber middle section seperating the controls from the screen and this contains a semi-flexible "neck" that can be changed from "flat" mode to "tilted slightly" mode, which allowed players to arch their necks just a little bit less, as well as legs to hold up the screen if so desired (this was it its best-known variant, one of 11 that were created worldwide). Still, it sets it apart enough from the Game Boy to not be called a complete clone.

The controls are similar to the Game Boy's - two action buttons, a start button and a select button. Rather than a nice little D-pad, what we have here in a directional sense is a weird bumpy diamond-shaped nub. It's alright for... being diamond-shaped, but not so good for rapidly changing directions in game-based scenarios, so there's some points lost there. 

Specs

• CPU: 8-bit WDC 65C02 processor, 4mhz
• Screen: LCD monochrome 2.37 inches x 2.37 inches, 160x160 pixels
• Power: 4x AA batteries or a 6V AC/DC adapter
• Ports: cartridge port, DB-9 connector port for multiplayer
• Sound: 4 tonal and 1 noise channel, additional DMA stereo output
• Two dials for volume and screen contrast dial
• TV adapter (optional)

Despite the technical superiority over the Game Boy, low price, international releases, and the marketing, the Watara Supervision failed to offer quality games (due to little third-party support from Japanese and American game developers) which were very much needed to capture the handheld market. Known as the QuickShot Supervision in the UK.

Around 70 games were released for the SuperVision.

Watara Supervision value and price guide

What's your Watara Supervision worth in 2024? Here are some recently sold items with prices.

Item	Title	Date	Price
	Watara Supervision Handheld Console 9	03/2022	$220
	Watara Supervision Handheld Console Game	03/2022	$53
	Watara Supervision Handheld Console Game	03/2022	$200
	Fatal Craft Watara Supervision	03/2022	$25
	Supervision Quickshot Console Fully	03/2022	$63
	See all sold items on eBay for more prices	05/2024	-.--

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