Barcode Battler
Encyclopedia
The is a handheld gaming console released by Epoch in March 1991.
The console at retail was supplied with a number of cards, each of which had a barcode
. Upon starting the game, the player must swipe a barcode representing a player. The game uses barcodes to create a character for the player to use. Not all barcodes work as players; instead some represent enemies or powerups. Because of the ubiquity of barcodes in daily life, players were encouraged to go beyond the barcodes provided with the game itself and to experiment to find their own barcode monsters and powerups from everyday products like food and cleaning products.
Once the game itself is started, the characters "battle" against each other. The characters' statistics were applied to an algorithm containing a random number generator to determine the outcome of each round in the fight.
Battles on this machine are much more simplistic than its successor, with support only for "Soldiers" (re-named in the worldwide release as "Warriors"), and infinite Survival points.
In 1992, a successor unit called the Barcode Battler II (see below) was released featuring interface capabilities with the Famicom
and Super Famicom
.
Outside of Japan it was a massive flop: it was hyped up, and sold in shops alongside the Game Boy
, and the Game Gear, to which it bore some superficial similarities. Ultimately, the Game Boy and Game Gear proved to be more popular in Europe and the United States, probably due to the wider number of game cartridges available for these systems. By comparison, the gameplay of the Barcode Battler was repetitive, featured no graphics, sound effects or controls, and it was quickly forgotten by the general gaming public.
However, the recent release of devices such as Nintendo's e-Reader, as well as barcode games in arcades in the UK such as Dinosaur King
and Love and Berry has shown that there is now an interest in the market. The Barcode Battler grew in popularity in Japan so much that special edition cards were created. The special edition cards were characters from Super Mario, Legend of Zelda, and many others. These cards had their own barcodes and unique stats and powers. Nintendo-licensed special edition cards were produced for both the Mario series
, and the The Legend of Zelda series
. Other special edition versions were commissioned by Falcom
(for Lord Monarch
/Dragon Slayer) and NTV
(for the Doraemon
series).
It featured an extended single player mode, a wider variety of game elements, and an output port designed with interface capabilities - a feature that Nintendo took advantage of in licensing the Barcode Battler II Interface unit. The BBII Interface allowed the Barcode Battler to be attached to the Famicom
and Super Famicom
(via an adapter) consoles similar to the way the Game Boy Player
allows for interfacing of the Nintendo GameCube
with the e-Reader. The functionality of the Barcode Battler II while on this connection was purely as a barcode reader and the gameplay depended purely on the game cartridge in the machine it was connected to.
Some time in 1992/1993, Epoch released the Barcode Battler II across the world, under the name of Barcode Battler. Essentially, the worldwide release differed from the Japanese model only in the design of the LCD screen — it had an English interface instead of a Japanese one. It still had the output port, but no games support outside of Japanese releases. Also, the artwork on the manuals and barcode cards differed to suit the Western gaming audience.
and Nintendo
, Epoch designed a number of games for the Famicom and Super Famicom that required the use of the Barcode Battler II and BBII Interface to play or to enjoy enhanced functions. These games included: (NES, 1992) (SNES, 1993) (SNES 1993) (SNES, 1993) (SNES, 1994) (SNES, 1994) (SNES, 1995) (SNES, 1995)
The console at retail was supplied with a number of cards, each of which had a barcode
Barcode
A barcode is an optical machine-readable representation of data, which shows data about the object to which it attaches. Originally barcodes represented data by varying the widths and spacings of parallel lines, and may be referred to as linear or 1 dimensional . Later they evolved into rectangles,...
. Upon starting the game, the player must swipe a barcode representing a player. The game uses barcodes to create a character for the player to use. Not all barcodes work as players; instead some represent enemies or powerups. Because of the ubiquity of barcodes in daily life, players were encouraged to go beyond the barcodes provided with the game itself and to experiment to find their own barcode monsters and powerups from everyday products like food and cleaning products.
Once the game itself is started, the characters "battle" against each other. The characters' statistics were applied to an algorithm containing a random number generator to determine the outcome of each round in the fight.
History
The original Barcode Battler was released by Epoch in Japan only. It was identical in shape to the worldwide released Barcode Battler and had a white case.Battles on this machine are much more simplistic than its successor, with support only for "Soldiers" (re-named in the worldwide release as "Warriors"), and infinite Survival points.
In 1992, a successor unit called the Barcode Battler II (see below) was released featuring interface capabilities with the Famicom
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
and Super Famicom
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
.
Popularity
The Barcode Battler was very popular in Japan—the idea of experimenting with and collecting barcodes to find out what they would equate to in the gaming world fired the imaginations of many people.Outside of Japan it was a massive flop: it was hyped up, and sold in shops alongside the Game Boy
Game Boy
The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
, and the Game Gear, to which it bore some superficial similarities. Ultimately, the Game Boy and Game Gear proved to be more popular in Europe and the United States, probably due to the wider number of game cartridges available for these systems. By comparison, the gameplay of the Barcode Battler was repetitive, featured no graphics, sound effects or controls, and it was quickly forgotten by the general gaming public.
However, the recent release of devices such as Nintendo's e-Reader, as well as barcode games in arcades in the UK such as Dinosaur King
Dinosaur King
is a card game from Sega that uses the same gameplay mechanics from Mushiking and uses super-powered dinosaurs instead of beetles. The game was revealed in JAMMA 2005 and is available in Japanese and English versions. A Nintendo DS version has also been released in North America.In the fall of...
and Love and Berry has shown that there is now an interest in the market. The Barcode Battler grew in popularity in Japan so much that special edition cards were created. The special edition cards were characters from Super Mario, Legend of Zelda, and many others. These cards had their own barcodes and unique stats and powers. Nintendo-licensed special edition cards were produced for both the Mario series
Mario (series)
The video game series, alternatively called the series or simply the series, is a series of highly popular and critically acclaimed video games by Nintendo, featuring Nintendo's mascot Mario and, in many games, his brother Luigi. Gameplay in the series often centers around jumping on and...
, and the The Legend of Zelda series
The Legend of Zelda
The Legend of Zelda, originally released as in Japan, is a video game developed and published by Nintendo, and designed by Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka. Set in the fantasy land of Hyrule, the plot centers on a boy named Link, the playable protagonist, who aims to collect the eight fragments...
. Other special edition versions were commissioned by Falcom
Falcom
is a Japanese computer game company. The company was founded in March 1981 by Masayuki Kato. Falcom has played a definite role in the growth and development of the Japanese personal computer software industry. The company released the first Japanese computer role-playing game in 1983 and followed...
(for Lord Monarch
Lord Monarch
is a real-time strategy war game by Nihon Falcom. The game is considered to be the seventh installment in the Dragon Slayer series. It was originally released in 1991 for the NEC PC-9801, ported 1992 to the Super Famicom and 1994 to the Sega Mega Drive...
/Dragon Slayer) and NTV
Nippon Television
is a television network based in the Shiodome area of Minato, Tokyo, Japan and is controlled by the Yomiuri Shimbun publishing company. Broadcasting terrestrially across Japan, the network is commonly known as , contracted to , and abbreviated as "NTV" or "AX".-Offices:*The Headquarters : 6-1,...
(for the Doraemon
Doraemon
is a Japanese manga series created by Fujiko F. Fujio which later became an anime series and an Asian franchise...
series).
Barcode Battler II
The popularity of the Barcode Battler was such that in 1992, a follow-up handheld called the was designed to provide enhanced functionality.It featured an extended single player mode, a wider variety of game elements, and an output port designed with interface capabilities - a feature that Nintendo took advantage of in licensing the Barcode Battler II Interface unit. The BBII Interface allowed the Barcode Battler to be attached to the Famicom
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
and Super Famicom
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
(via an adapter) consoles similar to the way the Game Boy Player
Game Boy Player
The is a device made by Nintendo for the Nintendo GameCube which enables Game Boy , Game Boy Color, or Game Boy Advance cartridges to be played on a television. It connects via the high speed parallel port at the bottom of the GameCube and requires use of a boot disc to access the hardware...
allows for interfacing of the Nintendo GameCube
Nintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
with the e-Reader. The functionality of the Barcode Battler II while on this connection was purely as a barcode reader and the gameplay depended purely on the game cartridge in the machine it was connected to.
Some time in 1992/1993, Epoch released the Barcode Battler II across the world, under the name of Barcode Battler. Essentially, the worldwide release differed from the Japanese model only in the design of the LCD screen — it had an English interface instead of a Japanese one. It still had the output port, but no games support outside of Japanese releases. Also, the artwork on the manuals and barcode cards differed to suit the Western gaming audience.
Interfaced games
Due to the professional relationship between Epoch Co.Epoch Co.
Epoch Co., Ltd. is a Japanese toy and computer games company founded in 1958 which is best known for manufacturing Barcode Battler and Doraemon video games...
and Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
, Epoch designed a number of games for the Famicom and Super Famicom that required the use of the Barcode Battler II and BBII Interface to play or to enjoy enhanced functions. These games included: (NES, 1992) (SNES, 1993) (SNES 1993) (SNES, 1993) (SNES, 1994) (SNES, 1994) (SNES, 1995) (SNES, 1995)
See also
- Barcode Fighter (a manga based on Barcode Battler by Toshihiro OnoToshihiro Onois a Japanese manga artist and graphic novelist. He was born in Aichi, Japan.He is best known for the Pokémon manga based on the animation series: "The Electric Tale of Pikachu" published by Viz Media...
) - Nintendo e-Reader
- Barcode Games
- SkannerzSkannerzSkannerz is a series of electronic toys made by Radica Games that use barcode technology to create an interactive battle game. Radica brand barcodes have the additional feature of being able to act as a healing code in the first 2 iterations of the game....
- Monster Rancher (monster generation)