SUPERVISION - The forgotten Game Boy

[@Hollander113]

As a kid I was saving up to buy a Gameboy, but then found the supervision for 20 gulden less. I could either save a little longer and get my Gameboy or go home with the supervision right then and there. Let's just say I learned an important lesson about patients and rash buying...

[@RetroGameCouch]

I can only imagine your disappointment.

[@ruffark]

Thanks for this awesome video. I grew up with the Watara. My parents just didn’t know about this stuff, so they bought me a supervision instead of the gameboy. Still I loved it, I have a few and a nice collection of games. Hope someone will come up with a replacement screen.

[@jammerc64]

Fun Fact: Assembloids, that I had also a pleasure to work on, is probably the only modern homebrew release for Supervision handheld ;) A bit pity that there wasn't any video of it included here but thanks for mentioning us!

[@RetroGameCouch]

True, some footage of the game would have been better. I yet have to get the game myself.

[@obsoleteworlds]

Assembloids did such amazing things with the Supervision's sound it made me sad that nobody programming the original games knew how to unlock its potential. I'm amazed every time I turn it on.

[@zsewqthewolf1194]

the funny thing is if they just hire better devs and also hold out for tech to become cheaper it could have given a game boy a run for there money by just basically out pricing them, there was a reason why tiger handhelds refused to die out as the gameboy become cheaper and cheaper in the 90s because they was just dirt cheap

[@wltrlg]

Haha, coming from a modest family a Gameboy was too expensive, so I also played a lot on this Supervision. What a retro experience, thanks!

[@michaelturner2806]

7:00 - 7:35 re screen size, your conclusion of "the game boy can display a much more detailed image" is not really correct. With both a larger size and larger resolution, ignoring all other aspects, the Supervision screen is clearly superior by those metrics. They have different ppi, but comparing ppi is most useful when comparing two screens of the same size. For a wider example, consider the 2.6" 160x144 Game Boy screen with a ppi of 82.79. Compare that to an NES running on a 30" TV, running at 256x240, which would be a much much lower ppi of 11.7. There's no way you could consider the Game Boy screen superior using those metrics, disregarding color depth and ghosting etc. Another example would be to compare the NES on a 30" TV to a Sega Game Gear. The GG sports a 3.2" screen at a resolution of 160x144, with a ppi of 62.27. That's much higher ppi than the TV NES, but with a lower resolution and size, the GG can't display nearly as much information as the NES, just the pixels are smaller.

[@andyroberts9495]

my dad picked up one of these for me from a car boot sale for £15, he was too tight to buy me a gameboy. now these things are worth around £150

[@AunCollective]

I've always had a soft spot for the underdog and/or obscure systems. I picked the Saturn during the 1995 Xmas season. Picked up a virtual boy about a year later when it was on clearance. Never had the opportunity to pick up one of these, but I did have a Tiger R-Zone at one point.

[@prufrockrenegade]

I remember wanting an R-Zone so bad as a young kid. The commercials (during commercial breaks for VR Troopers lol) made it seem like real VR. Thank God my parents never bought me one; shit probably would have given me epilepsy haha

[@beyondobscure]

Lucky...

[@DjangoSantiago]

Great video! Loved my Supervision back in the day and still do. And still actively collect for it too, I’m only 5 carts away from a full set! Doubtful I’ll ever get the remaining 5 though.

[@RetroGameCouch]

Which ones are you missing?

[@damightybenstein]

I need to buy one before AVGN makes an episode about this console.

[@wyldelf2685]

I remember commercial where kid picks up stiff dead squirrel 🐿️ and whacks himself across head the picks up GameBoy and says "ooh colors" ,think it was GameGear Commercial 😸

[@RetroGameCouch]

That commercial is in the video. I just cut off the squirrel part.

[@wyldelf2685]

@@RetroGameCouch that's almost the funniest part after all , , squirrel was already dead. No one important would be offended 😔😔👍

[@RetroGameCouch]

I had to cut things short for the flow of the video. It didn't make the final cut. It's a funny commercial though for sure. 😄

[@wyldelf2685]

@@RetroGameCouch GameGear had another ad where people were using GameBoys to scoop up dog poop 💩 ,was so funny had to sit down 🤣😂

[@RetroGameCouch]

Advertisements were brutal back then.

[@Chris.Batchelor]

I saw this in a “Video Game Consoles” book and had never heard of it so I had to research it. Such an interesting device

[@KeviNissan]

My mom bought a brand new super vision for me, because me cousin had an original Game Boy. I don’t use it anymore, but I have it still in the original case, adapter and a few games.

[@The-E-Base]

Interesting fact: Sachen, who was known to make unlicensed games on the NES, ported some of their games to the Watara SuperVision... as licensed games. They were made a vast majority of the games on said system, and went as far as having them be puclished by Watara themselves.

[@devjock]

Wow that's a blast from the past. I remember these being in Intertoys (nl). I quickly brushed this system aside in favor of the mega duck, and later on the Gameboy. For a kid, there's nothing better than bike to the store after school and have a few rounds of mario and Tetris on the in-store gameboy with the big monitor. Me and my friends had a whole competition going. Good times. I'm glad to see there's still a community around this though. And woah, assembloids on such an obscure system, wow.. I have it for the C64. Didn't even know it was ported to handhelds O_o Thanks for sharing dude. Much appreciated!

[@soaremicheledavid6020]

I really like the style of the game card package! It's called minimalist, looks very distinctive.

[@DWINC]

Still have mine in mint condition I loved Tennis, Crystball and that Fighter jet game.

[@yak601]

Iremember the shells of theese were reused and fitted with that "brick game 99999999 in 1". You could find them in eastern europe on markets in the mid 2000's still

[@RetroGameCouch]

I would be very interested to have one 😁

[@AmaroqStarwind]

I'm curious why Journey to the West originally couldn't run on the older models of the Supervision. I'm also curious how much RAM the Supervision had, if any. Wikipedia does not list that particular spec anywhere.

[@barryschalkwijk9388]

Neighbourhood kid had the first bricky model. I tried so hard to like it. But never got bored enough to spend more then 10 minutes with it.

[@cenkcdemir]

I had tilt screen version back in 90's in Turkiye. It was almost impossible to find its games here. So could play only two games. Battery life was terrible. It used to drain all batteries within an hour or so. But it had a solid and good looking. I wished I could play it more.

[@Ultraslainmonkey]

Actually the Atari Lynx (despite being far more powerful) actually had a lower resolution than the Gameboy, the the Game Gear had the same resolution as the Gameboy

[@starspacepresents959]

Great video. I actually really like the art they used, and the output to television device is interesting too. I think it has it's own raspberry pi emulator now, but I could be mistaken.

[@ClemensWennersMusic]

Very nice video dude!!

[@RetroGameCouch]

Thanks buddy!

[@1-eye-willy]

the kick stand is for the external joy pad that you compleatly glossd over

[@RetroGameCouch]

Really? Is there any more info on it? Like a picture

[@koinpusher]

I'm curious what the soundchip capabilities were compared with the gameboy 🤔

[@ZackAceZero]

Whats the song starting on 4:47?

[@twizz420]

1:00 lmfao that's the guy from My Name is Earl

[@RetroGameCouch]

Yes it is 😁

[@obsoleteworlds]

There's also the Hyperboy Hypervision (Argentinian Supervision).

[@ProctorSilex]

I thought I knew all the systems from that era!

[@Leikjarinn]

Owned this gem for years

[@jonahabenhaim1223]

Just wish the music and games were more engaging… it just looks like a gameboy from wish…

[@stressedbyamountainofbooks1]

Cool video ! I learn and had fun watching, it's so cool that you even have a scelled game !

[@RetroGameCouch]

Thank you. Yeah, that's cool to have indeed.

[@TechToyTinkerCompany]

1:04 is that Ethan Suplee from Mallrats?

[@RetroGameCouch]

Yep.

[@FireFlux73]

Great video as always. Keep up the good work! :)

[@RetroGameCouch]

Thank you.

[@segagirladventurespico]

Awesome video thank you!!

[@RetroGameCouch]

Thank you!

[@abielmoymendoza8542]

Your video was really interesting, suscribe

[@RetroGameCouch]

Thank you!!

[@dbnpoldermans4120]

What are considered the best home brew games? I'd be interested in screen replacement

[@RetroGameCouch]

Check out the links in the description. The Facebook group has the most info.

[@michaelturner2806]

I could've sworn I saw the middle version (with the tilting screen) being advertised on TV super late nights on obscure high cable channels in the US. The bad box art for the games deterred me thankfully, plus I knew my parents would be highly resistant to mail order from such a dubious source. I actually think it was the exposed contacts on the cartridges that sealed it, I'd been used to quality game consoles that hide the edge connector inside a plastic shell.

[@RetroGameCouch]

I always feel sad for the parents who thought they were buying their kids a Game Boy, and instead bought this monstrosity. 😪

[@superamario6464]

1.48....That's music from Jaguar XJ 220 on Amiga!!!! I recognise that anywhere !!! Great video, did not know about this model

[@RetroGameCouch]

So cool that you recognize that song! I love the music from that era.

[@superamario6464]

@@RetroGameCouch love your work!

[@RetroGameCouch]

Thank you. That means a lot.

[@Kawa-oneechan]

I used to have one of these, in lieu of a proper Game Boy.

[@bricethompson1922]

So does the screen replacement mod? Is there a supervison facebook group?

[@RetroGameCouch]

Yes. You can join it here m.facebook.com/groups/680334918772285

[@bricethompson1922]

@@RetroGameCouch thank you

[@FreedomOfSport]

Heel wat op dat eerste model gespeeld, voornamelijk P52 Sea Battle. Heb hem nog liggen. Al was het wel bagger natuurlijk.

[@alans.t.9691]

Been playing some roms in the RG350 emulator and I have to say they're not bad at all, very simple games but fun nonetheless

[@cheaplife2320]

die heb ik ook gehad . de grotere scherm was fijn om te hebben

[@JElNative]

I had 2 wish I didn't lose them.

[@henryfreed-fundak5861]

Poor Watara...

[@KevinArcade87]

Airbuds?

[@dctaken]

1:04, isnt that the dude from that chainsaw movie?

[@enthusi]

A new (and first ever) homebrew for this console is out now ;-) www.polyplay.xyz/Assembloids-Limited-Edition_1

[@wallaguest1]

when IPS mod of Supervision? :P maybe never.

[@snizzol]

You Dutch ? :-) great video

[@RetroGameCouch]

Absoluut. And thank you!

[@snizzol]

@@RetroGameCouch Haha wat grappig, mooie video en ik herken het apparaat zowaar , long time ago. keep it up :-)

[@ikke1981]

@@RetroGameCouch cool, nu ook een Nederlands kanaal! Veel succes.

[@mr.jackgek54]

mijn vader had een supervision vroeger gekocht en ik heb em nu gekregen

[@RetroGameCouch]

Het is een leuke relic uit het verleden, vooral als hij van jouw vader is geweest.

[@zihhuanlin8389]

from taiwan??

[@RetroGameCouch]

Are you asking or telling?

[@zihhuanlin8389]

@@RetroGameCouch asking

[@RetroGameCouch]

I remember not being to able to find much about the company (Watara) that made the Supervision. My conclusion was that it was a company based in China.

[@zihhuanlin8389]

my childhood has a SUPERVISION , my mom to department store to buy in taiwan.

[@RetroGameCouch]

That's cool! Childhood memories.

[@hayden7525]

The analoug pocket can play supervision roms

[@osvaldodelcompare6627]

sell this

[@mr.jackgek54]

ik ruik een nederlander

[@RetroGameCouch]

Ik ontken alles. 😄

[@TheKnockoutNerd]

I really wanted one of these! I had a Game Gear at the time, the form factor and the look of pang.