Mattel HyperScan Fan Thread

[+sixersfan105]

My hope in creating this post is to establish a single "go-to" thread here on AtariAge dedicated to the Mattel HyperScan console, warts and all. The HyperScan was released on October 23, 2006 and discontinued in Q1 2007. As a member of the seventh generation of video game consoles, its "competition" was the Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox 360 and Sony PlayStation 3.

 

The most unique thing about this console is that it requires the use of trading cards, sold separately in "Booster Packs," to supplement the six (6) cards that came with each game (7 if you bought Spider-Man at Toys R Us), to unlock characters, character abilities and other gameplay elements. Cards are scanned on the console itself via RFID technology, or as Mattel marketed it, "IntelliCard technology," a clear homage to its previous video game console, the Intellivision. "Scan, Battle, Re-Scan" was a trademarked slogan used in marketing materials.

 

Only five (5) games were released for the system, each with a varying number of IntelliCards available for purchase: X-Men (pack-in)(57 cards released; 45 unreleased), Ben 10 (80 cards released), Interstellar Wrestling League (54 cards released; 51 unreleased), Marvel Heroes (70 cards released) and Spider-Man (59 cards released; 1 unreleased). Two games were announced but cancelled: Nick (Nickelodeon) Extreme Sports and Avatar: The Last Airbender, the latter of which is rumored to have been completed.

 

When the HyperScan was originally announced at the 2006 San Diego Comic Con, Mattel planned to release approximately 100 IntelliCards/game cards per game, including 10-20 character cards and 80+ modification cards, with 20-40 hours of play on each character card. Cards were to be released using a matrix scheme of various series and a rarity system to drive collectibility. Given the fact that X-Men and Interstellar Wrestling League had nearly 100 combined unreleased cards, it is likely that there is considerable game content that is literally unlockable. A rarity guide for the game cards/IntelliCards came be found here.

 

With an MSRP of just $69.99, the initial retail bundle included the console, one (1) controller, the X-Men game and six (6) X-Men cards. Later, a 2-Player Value Pack was sold online and possibly in retail stores, which included the console, two (2) controllers, the X-Men game and twelve (12) X-Men cards. While parents surely enjoyed the low price tag, the 8 to 12-year-old boys that the console was targeting likely did not enjoy the long load times, constant card scanning and small game library. 

 

Accessories that could be purchased a la carte included a spare/2nd controller, a card case "designed to protect and transport your collectible game cards" and a system case "to take your console, controller and game gear on the road." Curious if the card case and system case ever got produced? I did come across a page on Mattel's official site that mentions the "Hyperscan™ Intellicard™ Game System Case" but the picture looks to be that of a card case only. 

 

Looking for instruction manuals? Here are links to manuals for the console, controller, Marvel Heroes, X-Men, and Ben 10. If anyone has scans of the manuals for Interstellar Wrestling League and/or Spider-Man, please post them on this thread, as I could not find them anywhere.

 

Here's a commercial for the HyperScan from BITD. Fun fact - the HyperScan has a USB port which is used for absolutely nothing. That said, the console manual does state that the "USB expansion port [is] provided for future accessories and/or devices." Welp.

 

Years back, some folks dabbled in making their own demos for the HyperScan, but there has not been anything since in the homebrew scene. Homebrew files and some other goodies can be accessed here and burned to disc for play on real hardware. Much like the Dreamcast, there is no copy protection on the HyperScan. There is supposedly a HyperScan emulator but I haven't checked it out myself. 
 

Came across an interesting blog entry about "hacking" the HyperScan and it contains a decent amount of info I haven't seen elsewhere. Interesting stuff! 
 

If you're on Facebook, feel free to join the newly-created HyperScan Fans group. 

 

Did anyone here buy a HyperScan at retail back in 2006/07? Who here picked up a HyperScan more recently? I know the general consensus is that it is a poor system but curious to hear everyone's thoughts who actually had/has one and took the time to try out the games and acquire a bunch of game cards, etc.  

[+jgkspsx]

I love the HyperScan, if only because it makes the R-Zone look better by comparison

 

But seriously I am interested to hear perspectives on it. It's not a bad idea, and anticipates by ten years many more "real" gaming experiences using collectibles from Amiibos to Skylanders to Disney Infinity to Starlink. It also kind of follows on from Tiger's forgotten NetJet system, although at least theoretically HyperScan games should stay playable in a way NetJet games are not without significant effort.

[+sixersfan105]

13 hours ago, jgkspsx said:

But seriously I am interested to hear perspectives on it. It's not a bad idea, and anticipates by ten years many more "real" gaming experiences using collectibles from Amiibos to Skylanders to Disney Infinity to Starlink.

Yes, it definitely seemed to be ahead of the curve on that concept. Implementation by Mattel left a lot to be desired, of course. 

[+jgkspsx]

The really interesting story with this and the game.com and the NetJet was that there WERE visionary engineers who accomplished amazing things with very limited resources and no corporate support. Imagine if real resources and decent hardware had been invested into these things at pivotal moments of the growth of the industry, when there WAS an opportunity for a disruptor.

[Austin]

Funny enough, I just bought one of these. Based on the prices of CIB console bundles on eBay, I was basically like, "It's now or never." I probably should have chosen "never", but I like adding to my hardware collection.

 

The games are kind of awful, the controller is questionable at best, but the console looks kind of neat. Unfortunately, its video cables are hardwired to the system. It's also unfortunate that the cards are pretty much required to play the games. While the console can play CDr media, the cards are special, have not been replicated and some sets are getting pretty expensive. As such it's difficult to justify the cost of one of these things. It would have been different when they were being liquidated back in the day. Would have made for a fun night's worth of dumb entertainment.

 

It's interesting that homebrew can be a thing on this, but I don't foresee anyone putting the time into it. There's got to be a ridiculously tiny audience. I would be curious to see "what it can really do" though. The games on it feel rushed and lack polish.

Edited December 22, 2021 by Austin

[+sixersfan105]

Welcome to the club, @Austin! What did a CIB system set you back, out of curiosity? And was it the standard retail set or the 2-player value pack? I am new to the HyperScan scene, too (is there even a scene?). Collecting complete sets of cards might be fun, but will probably take a while. I agree that we won't likely seen any additional homebrew given the audience but I suppose you never know! Yes, the games are "meh" for certain. I feel as though Mattel spent all of its energy - and dollars - on flashy licenses for the games and didn't take the time to make quality games. 
 

I do find it interesting that the "under the hood" specs show that the released games don't come close to pushing the system to its maximum potential. 
 

Oh and if you or anyone is interested, I created a HyperScan Facebook group the other day. The more, the merrier

[Austin]

I checked my order and it looks like it was $82 after shipping and tax. This was less than a month ago too. The item was listed for $60, but the seller charged close to $20 for shipping. It was the standard retail set with X-Men included. For anyone interested, the seller has more from what I can see: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000IZZDAE/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_E61QRMTG7K0TMTPGKF4X?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

 

When I collect consoles I want them specifically with the box and it seems they don't pop up very often like that on eBay. So, when I saw this "NIB" one on Amazon, I went ahead and took a chance on it. Despite the stock photos, public questions to the seller had asked if these were actually new. The seller confirmed they were, so I felt confident in ordering it. It did arrive NIB, still sealed.

 

Note, for anyone that doesn't care about boxed units, it looks like you can get bare systems anywhere from $35 to $50+ on eBay. If you go that route, just make sure you get one with a controller.

 

@sixersfan105 - I do wish more R&D was put into the hardware itself. Hardwired A/V cables is always a bad idea, but the controller in particular is just abysmal, and I'm usually pretty forgiving when it comes to lackluster controller designs. There's what feels like an analog stick in replacement of a d-pad that would have been ideal given there are only 2D games on the system. The face buttons are super mushy and lack any sort of quality, tactile feel. The front triggers are extremely uncomfortable for my hands, and the rear triggers are ridiculously tiny. It's like no thought went into the design of it. The plastic also just feels cheap. It lacks the sort of quality feel you would get with a major first-party console of the day, and feels more like a bottom-of-the-barrel third-party controller.

[+sixersfan105]

That's not bad at all for NIB! Nice pickup. Just took a peek at the listing and, ironically, I just bought a Ben 10 Game Pack from that same seller yesterday for $19.99 + $10 shipping. I originally purchased a HyperScan bundle off Facebook Marketplace but when I contacted the seller a week after purchase asking when they anticipated getting it shipped out, they said something came up and they won't be able to ship it anytime soon and they canceled the order. That led me to the eBay hunt and I found what was essentially the original retail bundle with X-Men, X-Men manual, six X-Men IntelliCards, console manual,  console, controller, and power supply just without the original packaging, plus a second boxed controller that had never been used (was still affixed with twist ties to the inner box with a bag around it). Set me back $53 all-in which I thought was reasonable.

 

Yes, the hardwiring of the AV cables was a strange decision. My only thought is that they sort of marketed these systems as portable and being able to bring them to your friend's house, etc., so I wonder if that played into the decision, thinking kids would forget to bring the AV cables or they would get lost, etc. Just a thought. I hear you on the controllers and given how cheap the system was to begin with ($69.99), they likely weren't willing to go the extra mile on quality materials. Another strange decision, which I'm sure was money-driven (because what isn't?), was the choice to use a 4x CD-ROM drive, when 40-50x speed units were commonplace in 2006. That's why load times are so long and why sometimes there's a loading screen just to get to another loading screen.

[Austin]

Yeah, the portability thing makes sense. I was actually just looking on eBay after my last post (bought a NIB spare controller even, haha) and I did see carrying bags available for it. I assume they are official anyway.

 

If there are other Ben 10 packs available like that, I might pick one up. I do legitimately want to play this thing--well, at least stream it and try. But like I said earlier, the cards are required, so if I can get some of the packs for about $30, I'll just consider it a cost of doing business, heh.

 

Interesting about the disc drive! Were they even still making 4X drives back then? That's incredibly weird. I wonder if there's more to the load time story than just a slow disc drive.

[+jgkspsx]

8 hours ago, Austin said:

Interesting about the disc drive! Were they even still making 4X drives back then? That's incredibly weird. I wonder if there's more to the load time story than just a slow disc drive.

They may have built it with discount surplus parts…

[wolfy62]

You guys got me to look around a little,which is cool because I never paid any attention to the Hyper Scan.

I may jump in and purchase a unit eventually now that it is on my radar. Thanks!?

 

[+sixersfan105]

22 hours ago, Austin said:

Yeah, the portability thing makes sense. I was actually just looking on eBay after my last post (bought a NIB spare controller even, haha) and I did see carrying bags available for it. I assume they are official anyway.

 

If there are other Ben 10 packs available like that, I might pick one up. I do legitimately want to play this thing--well, at least stream it and try. But like I said earlier, the cards are required, so if I can get some of the packs for about $30, I'll just consider it a cost of doing business, heh.

 

Interesting about the disc drive! Were they even still making 4X drives back then? That's incredibly weird. I wonder if there's more to the load time story than just a slow disc drive.

That's funny you should mention that about the carrying cases, as I stumbled across them on Amazon yesterday and snagged one just to have. I'll be very curious to see if it was an official Mattel product or not - will report back. As I mentioned in my original post, there is, indeed a reference to a carrying case in some of the HyperScan marketing materials, so I suppose this could be it! The case on Amazon is called "[Hyper Scan] Multi-Purposes Fanny Pack" and the description is hilarious:

 

"Aesthetics and Functionality Combined. This pack is originally designed for game devices with large interior space, several card / ID / CD slots and interior pockets. Aesthetics and Functionality Combined. This Multi-Purposes fanny waist pack provides all of the functions of a bag pack, delivering hands-free, lightweight storage for all your gadgets. It is a fashionable bag to keep your passports, credit cards, key chain, bluetooth headset, and other necessities within sight and reach. Fits up to your waist size with an adjustable matching belt. You can wear it along with you during outdoor activities, and enjoy security and organization. Hang out longer and go farther whether hiking, cycling or strolling with the Multi-Purposes Waist Pack." ? I attached a couple of pictures of the carrying case for those who haven't seen it yet and may be curious about it. 

10 hours ago, wolfy62 said:

You guys got me to look around a little,which is cool because I never paid any attention to the Hyper Scan.

I may jump in and purchase a unit eventually now that it is on my radar. Thanks!?

 

Glad to hear! Keep us posted if and when you join the HyperScan club.

[+sixersfan105]

Oh hey, look what popped up on my Chrome Newsfeed this morning...based on the facts, it can be none other than a HyperScan unboxing that @Austin made! Cheers. 
 

 

[Austin]

17 hours ago, sixersfan105 said:

Oh hey, look what popped up on my Chrome Newsfeed this morning...based on the facts, it can be none other than a HyperScan unboxing that @Austin made! Cheers. 

Haha! Not really "made", more so just a random thing I did while streaming one night. It's quite poor quality, though I'd say that's probably fitting for something like a Hyper Scan.

[+sixersfan105]

In case anyone was interested in the release order of the five HyperScan games, here's what I was able to come up with:

 

Launch titles (October 23, 2006): X-Men, Ben 10 and Interstellar Wrestling League

November 2006: Marvel Heroes

December 2006: Spider-Man (possibly a Toys 'R' Us exclusive)

 

Also, I added to the first post an IntelliCard rarity guide that I came across.

 

[+sixersfan105]

Circling back as promised on the console carrying case. It's definitely OEM! As per the tag, it is designed to hold a console, AC adapter, two controllers, two game discs and 12 IntelliCards. Here are a few pics of my case...

[P0LYB1UZ]

These accessories… I get the impression Mattel thought the Hyperscan would go over a lot better than it actually did. I wish I’d had one back in the day for that Ben 10 game. It barely looks functional but my 10 year old self still would have thought it was awesome.

 

I do recall really wanting my own Omnitrix. My disappointment when I didn’t get it for Christmas lmao

[+sixersfan105]

On 1/6/2022 at 1:29 PM, P0LYB1UZ said:

These accessories… I get the impression Mattel thought the Hyperscan would go over a lot better than it actually did. I wish I’d had one back in the day for that Ben 10 game. It barely looks functional but my 10 year old self still would have thought it was awesome.

 

I do recall really wanting my own Omnitrix. My disappointment when I didn’t get it for Christmas lmao

Yeah, I think they saw the accessories and Booster Packs as the way to make some serious cash, which obviously didn't happen. In theory, Ben 10 should be one of the more functional games (along with Marvel Heroes) as there are no known unreleased cards, so no game content should be unlockable, if you manage to get all of the cards, of course...I had to look up the Omnitrix and looks like something my 10-year-old self would enjoy, too!

 

I just recently acquired a few Mattel cases full of sealed X-Men Booster Packs (12 Booster Packs per case). Will be interesting to see how close to the 57 "full set" I'm able to get with the 48 Booster Packs! Will be a case study of sorts. I'll report back.

[+sixersfan105]

Reporting back as promised on my X-Men Booster Pack Case Study. I purchased 48 Booster Packs for a total of 288 game cards (plus the original six that came with X-Men). While 294 cards got me CLOSE to the full set, I'm still missing four, so I've got 53 unique cards out of the 57 that exist. Remember, these Booster Packs retailed for $9.99. So in 2006, 48 Booster Packs would have cost me approx. $480 and I STILL wouldn't have had a full set. That's insane. I spent about $80, including shipping, on the 48 Booster Packs here in 2021/22. This process has definitely discouraged me from trying to attempt a full set of any of the other four games but I'm still glad I carried out this exercise on X-Men. 

[Austin]

Thanks for the reminder! I just did a quick eBay search and found the Marvel Heroes and Ben 10 booster packs cheap enough, $27 or so after shipping for the two together, both new/sealed. So at least I'll be able to try those games when the time comes.

 

Speaking of which, do any games require a full starter set just to play? Based on the footage I have seen, it seems like you just need a card or two to get into the games themselves. Are there moments in any games where you absolutely cannot progress without having extra, unique cards? Given the overall poor quality of the library, I won't be surprised if this is not common knowledge.

 

I'm thinking if cards aren't necessary past actually starting a game, then I'd be interested in tracking down a card or two for the Spider Man and IWL games just to get them running. There's got to be someone out there with dupes. I do see NIB IWL and Spider-Man game/card bundles out there, but it's hard to justify $90+ for them. I do see some packs split up by the card for Marvel, but no one seems to be doing that for the Spider-Man and IWL sets.

Edited January 14, 2022 by Austin

[+sixersfan105]

Good pickups on Marvel Heroes and Ben 10 boosters. By "full starter set" I'm guessing you mean cards 1-6 (1-7 for Spider-Man)? They shouldn't be necessary, no, as they simply contain a couple characters and power-ups/mods. So long as you have a character card, you should be able to start a game without issue. 
 

I should be able to hook you up with some of my IWL spares. I recently got a good deal on a few IWL booster packs and will inevitably have some spares (I haven't taken an inventory of them just yet). Feel free to shoot me a PM and I'm sure we'll be able to work something out. 

[Austin]

Great to know! And yeah, for sure--I'll reach out regarding dupes.

[GAM3RBO1]

If you have any more of those IWL boosters, I'd be willing to send an offer. So far for the hyperscan, I have the console, 2 controllers, 12 X-men booster packs (console bundle not included), ben-10 game, and case. Is there any other accesories I have missed?

[+sixersfan105]

32 minutes ago, GAM3RBO1 said:

If you have any more of those IWL boosters, I'd be willing to send an offer. So far for the hyperscan, I have the console, 2 controllers, 12 X-men booster packs (console bundle not included), ben-10 game, and case. Is there any other accesories I have missed?

Shoot me a PM and we'll see what we can come up with. Curious how many unique cards you have from the 12 X-Men Booster Packs. I think I have some spare Ben-10 cards and also possibly a spare IWL Game Pack (along with the previously mentioned IWL cards).

 

On the accessories front, are you asking if any other accessories are out there beyond what have already  been discussed in this thread?

[GAM3RBO1]

I have been looking for a IWL Game that is under a price tag of $40. 

 

Also, yes I am asking if there are more accesories, because according to the website, there is a case solely for the cards. Also, do you have discord? I can shoot you an offer for IWL.