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e-Reader

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Title Screen

e-Reader

Also known as: E-reader, e+ (JP; Doubutsu no Mori e+ edition)
Developers: Nintendo, Creatures, HAL Laboratory, Olympus Optical (dot code technology)
Publisher: Nintendo
Platform: Game Boy Advance
Released in JP: December 1, 2001
Released in US: September 17, 2002
Released in AU: October 2003


GraphicsIcon.png This game has unused graphics.
MusicIcon.png This game has unused music.
TextIcon.png This game has unused text.
RegionIcon.png This game has regional differences.
Carts.png This game has revisional differences.


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.

Unused Music

Hmmm...
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.

(Access Method: nensondubois)

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
MarioPartyE BalloonUnused.png MarioPartyE BalloonUsed.png

Unused Text

Hmmm...
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.

(Source: Nintendo Wiki)

Version Differences

Splash Screen

Japan US
Card e-Reader Developer Splash Screen.png E-Reader Developer Splash Screen.png

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

Title Screen

Card e-Reader Card e-Reader+ e-Reader
Card e-Reader Title.png Card e-Reader+ Title.png E-Reader U GBA Title.png

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 Main Menu.png Card e-Reader+ Main Menu.png E-Reader Main Menu.png

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.

Communication

To Nintendo GameCube

Card e-Reader+ e-Reader
Card e-Reader+ GameCube Communication.png E-Reader GameCube Communication.png

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
Card e-Reader+ GBA Communication.png E-Reader GBA Communication.png

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.