bit-tech Shopping: Nintendo EReader

Rating: 6

Time with product: 6 Months

Strengths: Interesting diversion for card collecting GBA fans

Weaknesses: Gimmicky, and no longer supported

Summary: The Game Boy Advance e-Reader accessory for Nintendo's handheld gaming system is an attachment that allows you to scan various cards that either contain mini games or items that enhance existing Gamecube games. For example, the package (as I bought it) came with a pack of cards that let you play the original NES Donkey Kong Jr. I have seen many of these old e-Reader card packs on clearance at multiple stores. So if you can find an e-Reader you can likely pick up a few classic NES games to play using it. There is even a version of Mario Party that you can play with cards and the e-Reader. This is actually kind of fun - a cross between a regular board game and the Mario party video game franchise. Also, there are Animal Crossing cards that add items and enhancements to the Gamecube version of Animal Crossing (a link cable between GBA and Gamecube obviously is required for this to work). I have never used these, however, so am not sure exactly what they provide. This peripheral was a bit on the gimmicky side to begin with and Nintendo has not supported it in a while. It is a nice diversion though and perhaps something both a collector and kids might enjoy (it's fun to scan cards and have a game pop up as a result, but not THAT much fun).

Rating: 6

Time with product: 4 Months

Strengths: Innovative, easy way to add to existing games, cheap games, collectable.

Weaknesses: Support has all but dryed up.

Summary: The Ereader is a really neat idea and peripheral. It is a unit that plugs into a GBA cart slot and allows you to slide collectable cards through. Various game relevant information is stored on the cards and is entered into the Ereader. The Ereader adds function to existing games through power-ups and the like and often a game itself is on a card or cards. The Ereader is easy to use and a game or content can be scanned in in a few minutes. The Ereader itself has on- board memory that can store a program. Some cards work in conjunction with the link cable or Gamecube link cable in adding content. Animal Crossing for Gamecube can add content via Ereader for instance. The main problem with Ereader is that it wasn't a big sales success and so support has died off. However the old stuff is fairly easy to find, especially on the cheap. It can't be said that it's a great buy for the average gamer. But it is a neat collectable and it's available cheap enough for someone who wants to experiment with it.

Rating: 8

Time with product: 3 Days

Strengths: Adds further to existing games.

Weaknesses: Doesn't fit the GB SP too well.

Summary: Pretty cool idea. Was made for the Gameboy Advance so it fits the Gameboy Advance SP a bit differently. Bought this specifically to add more to the cool Animal Crossing game.

Rating: 8

Time with product: 2 Years

Strengths: An intresting adition to the Gameboy family. I enjoyed Gameboy camera and gameboy printer, but the E-Reader is excellent. Its cool.

Weaknesses: not much replay, unless you buy cards a lot or use it for the gamecube functions

Summary: The E-reader was pretty cool when I first used it. Its cool how you just swipe a bunch of cards and you get a game. I remeber that the Excite Bike pack was like 5 bucks and then the NES classic came out on the advance for 20 bucks. So the swiping of the cards are worth it rather then paying an extra 15 bucks. Well I guess it is. It sucks how nintendo just left the e-reader behind though, its like they just gave up on it and didn't say anything about it. Its a cool product.