e-Reader

File:Ereader.jpg

A rendering of the e-Reader being used with an original Game Boy Advance.

The e-Reader (Japanese: カードeリーダー Card e Reader and カードeリーダー＋ Card e Reader +) is a Game Boy Advance peripheral that is used to scan special cards in order to unlock new features in existing games, and add new features to existing games that have e-Reader functionality, or to play various minigames on the e-Reader itself. It was developed by HAL Laboratory and Olympus. The North American and Australian e-Reader is based on the Japanese Card e Reader +, which is a further development of the original Card e Reader with Link functionality, allowing it to connect to a second Game Boy Advance or even to a GameCube. The e-Reader was never released to Europe, even though the Pokémon e-cards were.

Technical specifications

• "Dot Code Technology" (Optical scanning technology)
• 8 Megabit flash memory.
• 64 Megabyte mask ROM.
• The long strip on each e-Card holds 2.2 Kilobytes of data.
• The short strip holds 1.4 Kilobytes of data.
• Passthrough Game-link port (For using the Game-link cable and the GameCube Game Boy Advance cable)

Pokémon e-Cards

• The Pokémon Battle e card series.
• The Expedition Base Set TCG set.
• The Aquapolis TCG set.
• The Skyridge TCG set.
• The EX Ruby and Sapphire TCG set (Pokédex entries only)
• The EX Sandstorm TCG set (Pokédex entries only)
• The EX Dragon TCG set (Pokédex entries only)
• The EX Team Magma vs Team Aqua TCG set (Pokédex entries only, select cards only)
• Select Wizards Black Star Promos and Nintendo promotional TCG cards.
• Special cards containing extra features for the Smeargle Paint minigame in Pokémon Channel
• Special cards allowing a player to increase the likelihood of special events in the Japanese version of Pokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire

Trivia

• The minigame Machop At Work was included with the purchase of an e-Reader in the US and Canada.
• According to Nintendo Power v.169, it would take roughly 62,500 e-Reader cards to equal the data on one GameCube disc.
  • However, this is a gross understatement when checked mathematically. Assuming the figure listed in the tech specs of this article (2.2KB per strip) and the standard two-strips-per-card format, it would take approximately 350,320 e-Reader cards.

Images

• Card e Reader.jpg

  The original Japanese Card e Reader.

• Card e Reader -.jpg

  The Japanese Card e Reader +.

• E Reader.jpg

  The North American e-Reader, based on the Japanese Card e Reader +.

Pokémon e-Reader applications Expedition Base Set: Diving Corsola • Flower Power • Flying Journey • GO, Poliwrath! • Gotcha! • Here Comes Gloom • Hold Down Hoppip Kingler's Day • Lifesaver • Machop At Work • Magby and Magmar • Make A Dash! • Metronome • Sweet Scent Aquapolis: Dream Eater • Harvest Time • Jumping Doduo • Mighty Tyranitar • Punching Bags • Rolling Voltorb • Sneak and Snatch Skyridge: Berry Tree • Ditto Leapfrog • Follow Hoothoot • Leek Game • Night Flight • Pika Pop • Ride the Tuft • Watch Out! Promotional: Exciting Hide and Seek • Time Travel • Fire Hoops • Imakuni?'s Ball • Wooper's Juggling Game • Big Fruit Strategy! • Tokotoko Truck Construction: Construction: Action • Construction: Melody Box Pokémon Battle e series: Pokémon Battle e: Series 1 • Pokémon Battle e: Series 2 • Pokémon Colosseum Double Battle e Pokémon Battle e FireRed & LeafGreen • Pokémon Battle e Emerald • Pokémon Battle e Promotional cards Berries: Pumkin Berry • Drash Berry • Chilan Berry • Strib Berry • Eggant Berry • Nutpea Berry Ginema Berry • Kuo Berry • Yago Berry • Touga Berry • Niniku Berry • Topo Berry Others: Eon Ticket • Pokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire • Smeargle Paint • List of TCG cards by e-Reader card ID List of TCG cards with hidden attacks • List of miscellaneous Pokémon e-Reader applications