E-Reader
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- The title of this article is incorrect because of technical limitations. The correct title is e-Reader.
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The e-Reader is a device made by Nintendo for its Game Boy Advance portable video game system. It has a laser scanner that reads "e-cards," paper cards with specially encoded data printed on them. e-Cards may contain NES games, new levels or power-ups for games such as Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3, items and designs for the Nintendo GameCube game Animal Crossing, new trainers to battle in Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire and even mini-games - including an exclusive version of Mario Party.
Data is encoded on the cards using "dot codes," a specialized barcode technology licensed from Olympus Optical Co., Ltd. e-Cards may have one or two sets of dot codes on them, either a long strip on the left side of the card, a long strip on both the left and right sides of the card, a short strip on the bottom of the card or a short strip on the bottom of the card with a long strip on the left side of the card. Smaller games may require scanning only one card (two sets of dot codes), while the larger NES games can require as many as five cards (ten sets of dot codes) in order to start the application.
The shorter dot codes were only used with the Pokémon Trading Card Game. Cards released in regular sets published by both Nintendo and Wizards of the Coast had dot codes on the bottom side of the card that, when scaned, displayed a Pokédex data entry for the Pokémon shown on the card. Many of the cards published by Wizards of the Coast included a left side dot code that would allow users to play mini-games, animations, use secret attacks in the Trading Card Game or play with various songs and graphics.
Two versions were released in Japan: the original, which could read cards for use in games, etc., and another with a link cable port to connect with Nintendo GameCube games such as Animal Crossing and with other Game Boy Advance systems for games such as Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire. Only the latter was released in America. This unit was released in all the major world gaming territories with the exception of Europe.
The e-Reader plugs into the cartridge slot of the Game Boy Advance like a regular game would. The end of the e-Reader sticks out from the Game Boy Advance unit to provide a slot to scan the e-cards.
The e-Reader is compatible with both the Game Boy Player and the Game Boy Advance SP. When using the Game Boy Advance SP, the link cable is not used like the original Game Boy Advance; it can only be hooked up to the back of the system, not the e-Reader. The e-Reader is incompatible with the Nintendo DS. Owing to changes in the system's case design, the device will not fit into the cartridge slot of the system.
The e-Reader has been discontinued.
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Game List
Classic NES
- Classic NES Series: This series comes in a pack of five, each which must be scanned twice, on both sides. There are thirteen games in this series. Each of these games are ports of the classic NES game by the same title.
- Series One:
- Balloon Fight: In this game, you're a man tied to two Balloons, who is fighting a bunch of Birds.
- Donkey Kong Jr.: In this game, you go through four levels, trying to save your father, Donkey Kong, from Mario. Often included with the e-Reader.
- Excitebike: In this game, you race three other bikers over rough terrain.
- Pinball: In this game, you play a classic game of Pinball. Mario and Peach make a cameo. Early releases of the e-Reader in the US included this game instead of Donkey Kong Jr.
- Tennis: In this game, you play Tennis.
- Series Two:
- Baseball: In this game, you play Baseball.
- Donkey Kong: In this game, you go through three levels to defeat Donkey Kong, who has kidnapped Princess Peach.
- Ice Climber: In this game, you play as Popo, and climb more than 30 mountains, while fighting seals, polar bears and condors.
- Mario Bros.: In this game, you fight various enemies in the sewers.
- Urban Champion: In this game, you fight against the computer, who is controlling a fighter.
- Series Three:
- Clu Clu Land: In this game, you move around a maze and try to form an image, while avoiding other monsters.
- Donkey Kong 3: In this game, you play as Stanley the Bugman, who is trying to get Donkey Kong out of the way.
- Golf: In this game, you play Golf.
- Series One:
Animal Crossing-e
- Animal Crossing-e Series 1: 66 Cards total
- Animal Crossing-e Series 2: 71 Cards total
- Animal Crossing-e Series 3: 94 Cards total
- Animal Crossing-e Series 4: 95 Cards total
- Animal Crossing-e Promo Cards: One is included with the e-Reader and the other one was included with an issue of Nintendo Power.
Pokémon Battle-e
- Pokémon Battle-e Iron Defense: Contains two sets; Iron Defense and Solid Armor.
- Pokémon Battle-e Freezing Ray: Contains two sets; Freezing Ray and Seizing Poison.
- Pokémon Battle-e Hidden Ruins: Contains two sets; Hidden Ruins and Cordial Bond.
- Pokémon Battle-e Promo Cards: Two different cards were packed in the US release of Pokémon Sapphire and Pokémon Ruby. Four more Battle-e promo cards were released with the e-Reader in the AU Market.
Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3-e
- Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3-e Series 1
- Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3-e Series 2
- Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3-e Promo cards: Two promotional cards came packed in with every US copy of the game sold. Five additional cards were released for a very short time and were packed in with the game and sold exclusivly at Wal-Mart stores in the US. These five cards have become very hard to find.
Pokémon Trading Card Game
- Expedition
- Aquapolis
- Skyridge
- Ruby/Sapphire
- Sandstorm
- Dragon
- Team Aqua vs Team Magma
- Pokémon Trading Card Game Promo Cards: Various promo cards were released through Wizards of the Coast and Nintendo sponsored events such as tournaments and league promotions, in various magazines (including Nintendo Power) and at the Target Snack Bar.
Other
- e3 2002 Promo Pack: A very rare promotional pack given away at the 2002 e3 conference, this pack contained a variant Manhole-e card, two Pokémon trading card game cards and a Kirby card that, when scanned, would tell you if you have won a prize. The Kirby card is considered to be the rarest e-Reader card ever.
- Mario Party-e: A complete card game with 64 cards using the e-Reader for minigames.
- Mario Party-e Promo Card: While not an e-card (the card contains no dot codes), a promotional "Two Coin Card" was packed with GamePro magazine and can be fully used with the Mario Party-e game.
- Air Hockey-e: A promotional card given away at various retailers when the e-Reader was initially released. In this game you play a real game of fast paced air hockey. An AU-exclusive version of this card was packed in with the e-Reader when sold in Austrailia.
- Manhole-e: A port of the orginial Game & Watch game. Included with the e-Reader. Close the manholes as pedestrians pass by.
- FOXBOX Kirby Slide Puzzle: A slide puzzle game included in an issue of Nintendo Power and Tips & Tricks Magazine.
- EON Ticket: A promotional card given away at e3, at Toys R Us during the EON Ticket Summer Tour in 2003 and in an issue of Nintendo Power. Used to get Latias or Latios on Pokémon Ruby or Pokémon Sapphire.
- Pokémon Channel: Three US exclusive cards and three AU variant cards were released with the Nintendo GameCube Game Pokémon Channel.
External links
- GameFAQs entry for e-Reader (http://www.gamefaqs.com/portable/ereader/data/34086.html)
- Complete e-Reader card list, courtesy of GameFAQs and UncleBob (http://www.gamefaqs.com/portable/ereader/game/915738.html)
- Nintendo e-Reader official site (http://www.nintendo-e-reader.com/)ja:カードe