In 2001, Nintendo released the
e-Reader, a quirky card-scanning accessory for the Game Boy Advance that blended trading cards with tiny bursts of digital content. This week, we explore the long road that led to its creation, tracing the evolution of barcode gaming from Japan’s Barcode Battler craze to Bandai’s Datach and even arcade hits like Mushiking and Love and Berry. We follow how Pokémon cards, dot-code technology, and Japan’s card culture shaped the device, and why the e-Reader thrived briefly in Japan but stumbled in the West. Our conversation also looks at the legacy it left behind—QR codes, AR cards, Amiibo, and physical-to-digital play. Join us as we swipe, scan, and rediscover the Nintendo e-Reader on today’s trip down Memory Card Lane.
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A Trip Down Memory Card Lane