E-Reader

e-Reader

Scan Dot Code.

The e-Reader was a card-powered Game Boy Advance add-on that let users scan dot codes to play classic NES games, mini-games in Mario Party-e, get info and play mini-games from Pokémon-e cards, and access some fun stuff in various GBA and GameCube games.

e-Readers came bundled with two packs: an NES game (either Donkey Kong Jr. or Pinball), and a "sample pack" of Manhole-e, an Animal Crossing-e card, and three Pokémon-e cards (Machop, Machoke, and Machamp).

Unfortunately, the e-Reader failed in North America and Australia, resulting in a planned Game & Watch-e Collection line being shelved (scans of the released promotional material can be seen here). That said, the e-Reader did flourish in Japan, being supported until the end of the GBA's lifespan. Europe never even got the thing. The E-reader sort of lives on via amiibo cards.

Unused Music#

To do: Rip and upload.

There are tons of unused songs within the BIOS since the Animal Crossing-e cards, Mario Party-e minigames, and Pokémon-e cards don't contain their own music.

GameShark code 02029436???? (where "????" is the song number) will play any song anywhere.

Unused Graphics#

For the Mario Party-e minigame "Balloon Burst", an early version of the Wario balloon is loaded into VRAM alongside the used one. The unused version is one pixel smaller on all sides and has a less tense expression.

Early	Final

Unused Text#

To do: There's probably some debugging symbols, too. Double-check that. Is there a saved application for this "CardeStd Test" preloaded on the e-Reader?

Present at offset 0x5F378C in the US ROM is this line of text, presumably some unused debugging text:

CardeStd Test

Totaka's Song#

A short signature tune of Kazumi Totaka's, hidden in almost every game he has composed music for. In this case, getting the song to play requires one of two specific cards from the Animal Crossing-e series: card P-13 or P-15 of Series 4, both of which contain the minigame "Who's Dunnit?", where the background music contains Totaka's Song on a loop.

As noted above, the music is stored in the e-Reader BIOS rather than in the dot codes.

Version Differences#

Splash Screen#

Japan	US

The US splash screen doesn't have the Olympus logo.

Title Screen#

Card e-Reader	Card e-Reader+	e-Reader

Each version has its own logo, and the copyright years were updated for Card e-Reader+ and e-Reader. Additionally, Card e-Reader does not have a button prompt, while Card e-Reader+'s says "Push Start Button" and e-Reader's says "Press A Button" (though pressing either Start or A {only the latter in Card e-Reader} will work).

Credits#

Pressing Select on the title screens of Card e-Reader+ and e-Reader brings up the credits. This doesn't work in Card e-Reader.

Main Menu#

Card e-Reader	Card e-Reader+	e-Reader

Card e-Reader's main menu is a bit more primitive, and has a Read Info screen instead of the Communication menu (as the physical cartridge lacks a Link Cable port). Card e-Reader+ and e-Reader's main menus are largely identical, just with different logos at the top. The colors of the arrow and highlighted option are also different, as they use the same palette as the logo.

Communication#

To Nintendo GameCube#

Card e-Reader+	e-Reader

Card e-Reader+ has an extra graphic above the background image, and the right handle of the GameCube controller in e-Reader is cut off. The cartridge label also differs between versions. Additionally, the instructions in e-Reader are verbalized, and the screen has background music. Card e-Reader+ lacks these.

To Game Boy Advance#

Card e-Reader+	e-Reader

The two Game Boy Advances are positioned differently, and the Link Cable is both physically different and oriented differently. Again, Card e-Reader+ has an extra graphic above the background image, the cartridge label also differs between versions, and the instructions in e-Reader are verbalized, and the screen has background music, with Card e-Reader+ again lacking these.

References#