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HyperScan

Manufacturer	Mattel
Type	Video game console
Generation	Seventh
Release date	October 23, 2006 (2006-10-23)
Introductory price	$69.99
Discontinued	2007 (2007)
Units sold	~30,000
Media	CD-ROM
System on a chip	Sunplus SPG290 @ 108Mhz
Memory	16MB DDR DRAM
Storage	RFID cards
Controller input	Gamepad
Best-selling game	X-Men (pack-in)

The HyperScan is a home video game console from the toy company Mattel. Marketed towards tweens, the console is unique in that it includes a 13.56 MHz radio-frequency identification (RFID) scanner that reads and writes to special cards called "IntelliCards" which, in turn, activate features in and save data from the game. Players are able to enhance the abilities of their characters by scanning cards.

Games retailed for $19.99 and the console itself for $69.99 at launch, but at the end of its short lifespan, prices of the system were down to $9.99, the games $1.99, and booster packs $0.99. There were only five titles known to have been released, with two canceled games.

The HyperScan became critically panned upon its release for having outdated 2D-only graphics, a weak game library, and being less capable than other similar consoles such as the VTech V.Flash, which was released the month prior. Critics also raised concerns about the number of IntelliCards needed to complete a set, and the potential financial burden towards its target audience. Following disappointing sales, Mattel discontinued the HyperScan the following year, and canceled all upcoming game and card releases.

Hardware

• Sunplus SPG290 SoC implementing the S+core 32-bit microarchitecture designed by Sunplus Technology. The S+core instruction set architecture allows use of a 32/16-bit hybrid instruction mode, features Advanced Microcontroller Bus Architecture (AMBA) support and includes SJTAG for In-circuit emulation.
• UART, I²C, SPI etc.
• Composite video output (SoC supports TFT displays, but the system does not implement it)
• 16 MB SDRAM system RAM
• 640×480 native resolution
• 65,535 colors (RGB 565 mode)
• 1 USB port
• RFID scanner (13.56 MHz)
• RFID storage: 96 bytes of user memory + 8 bytes unique ID + 6 bytes of one time programmable memory. The HyperScan's RFID systems were provided by Innovision Research and Technology plc, a fabless semiconductor design house based in the UK which specializes in RFID systems and chip design.

The console uses UDF format CD-ROMs and has two controller ports.

Software

Only five games were released, with two games having been canceled due to the system's poor sales and reception.

The games for the system were sold as $20 "Game Packs", which consisted of a game disc accompanied by six game cards (seven for Spider-Man). Additional cards which contained characters, abilities, moves and levels when scanned were part of a six-card "Booster Pack", available for $10/pack. As with most trading card packs, the cards were randomized.

Multiple booster packs were intended for certain games. X-Men intended to have 102 cards to unlock parts of the game in separate "red" and "black" series; the latter went unreleased due to the console's cancellation.

Though not much development for homebrew games was done on the console, several programmers have created demos and proofs-of-concepts. Some of the programs include a CD-Door demo, 3D wireframe demo, and a Bluescale demo.

Retail

The system was sold in two varieties: a cube and a 2-player value pack. The cube box version was the version sold in stores. It included the system, controller, an X-Men game disc, and 6 X-Men cards. Two-player value packs were sold online (but may have been liquidated in stores) and included an extra controller and 12 additional X-Men cards.

The included game was rated "T" and the remaining titles were rated "E10+" by the ESRB.

Reception

The system was universally panned by critics for its clunky design, broken controls, poor library, long loading screens, and the unnecessary usage of cards to select characters, and was officially discontinued in 2007. It is featured as one of the ten worst systems by PC World magazine.

References

1. Amos, Evan (2021). The Game Console 2.0: A Photographic History from Atari to Xbox (published September 8, 2021). p. 236. ISBN 9781718500617.
2. "HYPERSCAN SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT". Archived from the original on October 24, 2023. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
3. Contributor, GamesIndustry International (July 21, 2006). "Industry First Hybrid Video Gaming System Launches for Tweens". GamesIndustry.biz. Archived from the original on June 15, 2024. Retrieved January 18, 2024. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
4. "HyperScan – RFID Game System from Mattel". About.com. Archived from the original on September 26, 2009. Retrieved January 10, 2015.
5. Amos, Evan (2021). The Game Console 2.0: A Photographic History from Atari to Xbox (published September 8, 2021). p. 236. ISBN 9781718500617.
6. "HyperScan Software Development". Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 10, 2015.
7. "SunPlus: The biggest chip company you've never heard of". Archived from the original on December 29, 2018. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
8. "Sunplus – Products – Sunplus 32-bit CPU – S+core™". January 22, 2011. Archived from the original on January 22, 2011. Retrieved January 10, 2019.
9. "Mattel Makes Contactless RFID Connection with Innovision R&T for Innovative HyperScan™ Games Platform". Innovision-Group. October 18, 2006. Archived from the original on October 10, 2007. Retrieved January 10, 2015. – Site archived by Wayback Machine
10. "Mattel HyperScan – News". PDRoms. Archived from the original on July 3, 2019. Retrieved January 10, 2015.
11. "Mattel and Fisher-Price Customer Service". Service.mattel.com. Archived from the original on July 14, 2011. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
12. "Mattel Consumer Relations Answer Center – Product Detail >> Radica >> Radica Electronic Games". Service.mattel.com. Archived from the original on February 25, 2012. Retrieved July 31, 2011.
13. Edwards, Benj (July 14, 2009). "The 10 Worst Video Game Systems of All Time – Slide 5:7. Mattel Hyperscan". PCWorld. Archived from the original on June 15, 2024. Retrieved July 31, 2011.

External links

• Mattel Hyperscan – Ultimate Console Database Archived September 8, 2017, at the Wayback Machine
• Feature titled "THE MOST BIZARRE CONSOLE FLOPS IN GAMING HISTORY" by ADAM JAMES at SVG.com

v t e Mattel
Toy brands	American Girl Bitty Baby Girls of Many Lands Barbie My Scene Big Jim Blaze Chatty Cathy Creatable World Diva Starz Fijit Friends Flavas Food Fighters Furryville Hot Wheels Liddle Kiddles Magic 8 Ball Manta Force Masters of the Universe Princess of Power Matchbox Max Steel Mega Mighty Max Mindflex Monster High Ever After High Enchantimals M.U.S.C.L.E. (outside Japan) My Child Pixel Chix Polly Pocket See 'n Say Slime Street Sharks Thingmaker/Creepy Crawlers View-Master What's Her Face Xtractaurs
Games	Traditional Apples to Apples Balderdash Blokus Mad Gab Othello Outburst Pictionary Phase 10 Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots Scrabble (except U.S. and Canada) Skip-Bo Toss Across U.B. Funkeys Uno Whac-A-Mole Video and computer Aquarius Auto Race Children's Discovery System HyperScan Intellivision II Intellivoice Pixter
Acquired brands	Anthony Ant Angelina Ballerina Barney Bob the Builder The Enchanted World of Brambly Hedge Fireman Sam Kipper The Magic Key Mike the Knight Oswald Percy the Park Keeper Pingu Rainbow Magic Rubbadubbers Sheeep Thomas & Friends Wishbone
Business units	Current Fisher-Price Mattel Television Studios Mattel Films Former M Network Mattel Electronics
Corporate acquisitions	Bluebird Fuhu Gullane Entertainment Lyrick Studios HIT Entertainment Ideal J. W. Spear & Sons Mega Brands Tyco Toys Mebetoys Radica Games Bought and sold Circus World Feld Entertainment Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus Ice Follies And Holiday on Ice
Litigation	"Barbie Girl" song case Barbie's Restaurants trademark dispute Tom Forsythe lawsuit(s) View-Master factory lawsuit
Other	PlayCable Power Glove The Toy Box Mattel163 (50% joint venture with NetEase) Mattel Adventure Park
Category

• 2000s toys
• Discontinued video game consoles
• Products introduced in 2006
• Products and services discontinued in 2007
• CD-ROM-based consoles
• Mattel consoles
• Seventh-generation video game consoles
• Sunplus-based video game consoles