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-Reader Cards," paper cards with specially encoded data printed on them.
The e-Reader is neither a console nor an accessory, but an add-on device, like the Famicom Disk System or the Sega CD. The e-Reader is one of only three official Nintendo add-ons to be released in the states. The other two add-ons are the Super Nintendo Entertainment System's Super Game Boy and the Nintendo GameCube's Game Boy Player.
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Game Boy Advance
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-Reader 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. Due to changes in the system's case design, the device will not fit into the cartridge slot of the system. It should be noted that some hardware modders have managed to get their e-Reader working with the DS; however, it is not recommended that the average end-user attempt this.
In order to add items and scan levels in games such as Super Mario Advance 4, a player required two Game Boy Advance systems and a link cable. The gray end would go into the e-Reader GBA and the purple end into the GBA that had the game. After entering the needed point on the game, players would swipe the cards in and the data would be transferred to the game cartridge.
Information
Two versions were released in Japan: the original (without a link cable port), 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 North America.
The e-Reader was only released in Japan, North America, and Australia. It was announced for Europe but was later cancelled. Due to a lack of popularity, it was discontinued in North America in early 2004; however, it is still being produced in Japan, where it became more popular.
e-Reader Cards
In the U.S., e-Reader Card packs have been released that contain:
- NES games
- New levels and power-ups for Super Mario Advance 4
- Items and designs for Animal Crossing
- New trainers to battle in Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire
- Mini-games, including an exclusive version of Mario Party.
There have been numerous other games released with e-Reader support in Japan.
Dot codes
Data is encoded on the cards using "dot codes," a specialized barcode technology licensed from Olympus Optical Co., Ltd. e-Reader 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. When scanned, the e-reader 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, and use secret attacks in the Trading Card Game or play with various songs and graphics.
Game List
Classic NES
Each game in this series comes in a pack of five cards, each of which must be scanned twice, on both sides. There are thirteen games in this series. Each of these games is a direct port of the classic NES game of the same title.
- Series One:
- Balloon Fight: In this game, the player plays a man tied to two Balloons, who is fighting a bunch of Birds.
- Donkey Kong Jr.: In this game, the player travells through four levels as Donkey Kong Jr., attempting to save his father, Donkey Kong, from Mario. Included with some releases of the e-Reader.
- Excitebike: In this game, the player races a motorcycle against three other bikers over rough terrain.
- Pinball: This game is a classic game of pinball. Early releases of the e-Reader in the U.S. included this game instead of Donkey Kong Jr.
- Tennis: In this game, the player plays tennis against a computer opponent..
- Series Two:
- Baseball: In this game, the player plays baseball against a computer opponent.
- Donkey Kong: In this game, the player travels through three levels to defeat Donkey Kong, who has kidnapped Pauline.
- Ice Climber: In this game, the player plays as Popo, who must climb more than 30 mountains, while fighting seals, polar bears and condors.
- Mario Bros.: In this game, the player fights various enemies in the sewers as Mario.
- Urban Champion: In this game, the player fight against a computer-controlled fighter.
- Series Three:
- Clu Clu Land: The goal of this game is to move around a maze and try to form an image, while avoiding monsters.
- Donkey Kong 3: In this game, the player plays as Stanley the Bugman, who is trying to chase Donkey Kong out of a greenhouse.
- Golf: In this game, the player plays golf.
Animal Crossing-e
The cards, when used with the game's post office, would provide items to players. Some were rare, while others were more common. Some unlocked "town tunes", which were played each time you talked to an animal, still others were "sibling" cards (series 2-4) with two related characters on the front, and yet more were tailor design cards, which unlocked new designs to be used around the village.
- 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, one in each game. 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
There are 36 cards, divided into two series: 18 for Series 1 and 18 for Series 2. In each package of 18 cards there are five demo cards, five level cards, eight power-up cards, and a promotional card without data strips which only contains an advertisement for the Pokémon Battle-e cards.
- 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 exclusively at Wal-Mart stores in the US. These five cards have become very hard to find, as the e-Reader had been discontinued in North America not long after the release of the game.
Pokémon Trading Card Game
- Expedition
- Three cards from this set (Machop, Machoke, and Machamp) were included with the US release of the e-Reader.
- Aquapolis
- Skyridge
- EX Ruby and Sapphire
- EX Sandstorm
- EX Dragon
- EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua
- 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.
Rockman.EXE & Rockman Zero 3 Cards
The Japanese Rockman games for GBA (known as Megaman outside of Japan) used Card Reader e+ cards to customize their game with the e-Reader + (available in Japan only). The cards caused various effects as, such as Base HP, Abilities, Buster Changes, Charge Shot Modifications, B+ Back Abilities. There are even Item Cards which can give out sets of Battle Chips, Sub Chips, BugFrags, Zenny, and even Navi Customizer Programs (Only introduced in Rockman EXE6 Modification Card Part 1 & Rockman EXE6 Modification Card Part 2. They could also cause negative effects ('Bugs') to happen, causing such effects as the causing Rockman to lose health and move the wrong way, or causing the player to be unable to control it. As for the Rockman Zero 3 Cards, they'll change the Resistance Base and add new an overhaul of new things to it as well as Weapon Upgrades and Bullet Appearances to make an actual Buster Shot look like a real bullet that an actual Gun fires.
These cards cannot be used on the English version of the games. The only way to use them through the English versions is through various cheating devices, such as Pro Action Replay and GameShark.
Boxes of Cards wholesaled to stores across Japan. One Box comes with 30 Packs.
The common Parts released are:
- Rockman EXE4 Modification Card Part 1 (1 Pack Contains 4 Modification Cards, and 1 Character Card. Part was released 2/12/2004)
- Rockman EXE4 Modification Card Part 2 (1 Pack Contains 4 Modification Cards, and 1 Character Card. Part was released 4/29/2004)
- Rockman EXE4 Modification Card Part 3 (1 Pack Contains 4 Modification Cards, and 1 Character Card. Part was released 6/30/2004)
- Rockman EXE4 Modification Card Part 4 (1 Pack Contains 4 Modification Cards, and 1 Character Card. Part was released 8/05/2004)
- Rockman Zero 3 Modification Card Part 1 (1 Pack Contains 4 Character Cards, and 1 Story Card. Part was released 5/27/2004)
- Rockman Zero 3 Modification Card Part 2 (1 Pack Contains 4 Character Cards, and 1 Story Card. Part was released 7/22/2004)
- Rockman EXE5 Modification Card Part 1 (1 Pack Contains 4 Modification Cards, and 1 Item Card. Part was released 1/16/2005)
- Rockman EXE5 Modification Card Part 2 (1 Pack Contains 4 Modification Cards, and 1 Item Card. Part was released 3/12/2005)
- Rockman EXE6 Modification Card Part 1 (1 Pack Contains 4 Modification Cards, and 1 Item Card. Part was released 1/15/2006)
- Rockman EXE6 Modification Card Part 2 (1 Pack Contains 4 Modification Cards, and 1 Item or Event Card. Part was released 3/18/2005)
Rockman EXE4 has 120 different types of Modification Cards for the four parts. There is also known promotional card along with two special chip modification cards.
- Card 000 DarkLicence (Obtained through KoroKoro January 2004 Issue) Allows RockMan to use Darkchips without penalty
Special Chip Modification Cards
- Grand Prix Power G (Obtained through WHF January and Feburary 2004, which was also later re-published with a slip holder that came with the card for Rockman EXE4 Double Pack containing both Rockman EXE4 Tournaments Red Sun and Blue Moon.) Grants GrandPrixPower G chip
- Duo D (Obtained through WHF June 2004) Grants Duo D chip
Rockman Zero 3 has 80 different types of Character Cards and 20 Story Cards for the two parts. There are no promotional cards known to this day.
Rockman EXE5 has 100 different types of Modification Cards and 40 Item Cards for the two parts. There are also ten promotional cards, as well as two special chip modification cards.
- Dream Virus (Obtained through Buzy's Single CD for "Be Somewhere"; which is the Opening Theme for Rockman EXE Stream.)
- Gospel (Obtained through buying Rockman EXE5 Team of Colonel at Toysrus given out while purchasing the game.)
- Serenade (Obtained through buying Rockman EXE5 Team of Colonel at Ito Yokado given out while purchasing the game.)
- Proto(Alpha) (Obtained through the event "Survival Netbattle 2005, Road to the Final 1st Stage.)
- ForteGS (BassGS) (Obtained through purchasing Progress Chip Gate Blues Version or Progress Chip Gate Colonel Version.)
- Duo (Obtained through Guidebook "Rockman EXE5 Modification Card Master Guide".)
- ForteXX (BassXX) (Obtained through Rockman EXE5 Team of Colonel Movie Edition.)
- Nebula Gray (Obtained through Guidebook "Rockman EXE5 Ultimate CHAOS Navigation".)
- Papa's Bug-fixing Program (Dad's Repair Program) (Obtained through Guidebook "Rockman EXE5 Team of Blues & Team of Colonel Official Perfect Guide.)
- Hikari Saito (Hub Hikari) (Obtained through the event "Survival Netbattle 2004, Road to the Final 2nd Stage.)
- Forte-Cross-Rockman (Bass-Cross-Megaman) (Obtained through Rockman EXE x Duel Masters Double Feature Movie in a silver pack with both a Rockman EXE5 Modification Card and a Duel Masters Card. 700,000 were given to people who went to see either movie. Was also later included with Rockman EXE Movie Feature, The Program of Light and Darkness DVD.")
Special Chip Modification Cards
- LeadersRaid (Obtained through WHF January & Feburary 2005)
- LordOfChaos (Obtained through WHF June 2005)
Rockman EXE6 has 106 different types of Modification Cards, 30 Item Cards, and 10 Event Cards for the two parts. These special Event Cards will unlock 10 Extra Missions in the Help Job Side Missions, upon completing these will allow you to face BluesFZ and acquire a Blues Mark on the Title Screen of Rockman EXE6's Title Screen. There are also ten promotional cards as well as three special chip modification cards.
- Punk (Obtained through mail in offer for KoroKoro March 2006 Issue for "Beast Operation".)
- DarkRockman (Obtained through buying Rockman EXE6 Toysrus given out while purchasing either version.)
- Soul Battler's Customize
- Meijin's Perfect Customize
- ForteBX
- Django (Obtained at Event "23rd WHF".)
- Hakushaku (Obtained at Survival Netbattle 2006 Spring Distribution)
- RockmanZero (Obtained through buying Rockman EXE6 at Ito Yokado given out while purchasing either version.)
- CyberBeastGreiga (Obtained through Book "Rockman EXE Complete Character Database.)
- CyberBeastFalzer (Obtained through Book "Rockman EXE5DS&6 Complete Music Encyclopedia".
Special Chip Modification Cards
- DoubleBeast (Obtained through WHF January & Feburary 2006 and Survival Netbattle 2006 Spring Distribution)
- Greiga
- Falzer
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 produced.
- 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-Reader 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 Australia.
- Manhole-e: A port of the original 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.