Barcode Battler

Last updated
Barcode Battler
Epoch-Barcode-Battler.png
Manufacturer Epoch Co.
Type Handheld game console
Generation Handheld LCD game
Lifespan1991–1995
MediaN/A

The Barcode Battler [lower-alpha 1] is a handheld game console released by Epoch Co. in March 1991. [1]

Contents

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. [2] 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. [2]

Popularity

The Barcode Battler was very popular in Japan [3] —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 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. By comparison, the gameplay of the Barcode Battler was repetitive and featured no graphics, sound effects or controls, and was quickly forgotten by the general gaming public.

However, the 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. These cards were characters from Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda, and many others. They had their own barcodes and unique stats and powers. Nintendo-licensed special edition cards were produced for both the Mario [4] and The Legend of Zelda series. [5] Other special edition versions were commissioned by Falcom (for Lord Monarch / Dragon Slayer ) and NTV (for the Doraemon series).

Barcode Battler II

The popularity of the Barcode Battler was such that in 1992, [6] a follow-up handheld called the Barcode Battler II [lower-alpha 2] 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. [7] The BBII Interface allowed the Barcode Battler to be attached to the Famicom and Super Famicom (via an adapter [8] ) consoles similar to the way the Game Boy Player allows for interfacing of the 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 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 in only 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 it 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. 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:

Manga

A manga was produced to promote the Barcode Battler, called "Barcode Fighter". Five volumes were produced between April 1992 and June 1994, and were later reprinted into two volumes. [10]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Japanese: バーコードバトラー, Hepburn: Bākōdo Batorā
  2. ↑ Japanese: バーコードバトラーII
  3. ↑ バーコードワールド
  4. ↑ バーコードバトラー戦記 スーパー戦士出撃せよ!
  5. ↑ ドラゴンスレイヤーII
  6. ↑ はた山ハッチのパロ野球ニュース！実名版
  7. ↑ ドラえもん2 のび太のトイズランド大冒険
  8. ↑ Jリーグ94
  9. ↑ ドラえもん3 のび太と時の宝玉
  10. ↑ ルパン三世 伝説の秘宝を追え!
  11. ↑ スパイダーマン リーサルフォーズ
  12. ↑ Jリーグ95
  13. ↑ ドナルドダックの魔法のぼうし
  14. ↑ アリスのペイントアドベンチャー

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Super Nintendo Entertainment System</span> Home video game console

The Super Nintendo Entertainment System, commonly shortened to Super Nintendo, Super NES or SNES, is a 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan and South Korea, 1991 in North America, 1992 in Europe and Oceania, and 1993 in South America. In Japan, it is called the Super Famicom (SFC). In South Korea, it is called the Super Comboy and was distributed by Hyundai Electronics. The system was released in Brazil on August 30, 1993, by Playtronic. Although each version is essentially the same, several forms of regional lockout prevent cartridges for one version from being used in other versions.

<i>The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past</i> 1991 video game

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is an action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It is the third game in The Legend of Zelda series and was released in 1991 in Japan and 1992 in North America and Europe.

In the history of video games, the fourth generation of video game consoles, more commonly referred to as the 16-bit era, began on October 30, 1987, with the Japanese release of NEC Home Electronics' PC Engine. Though NEC released the first console of this era, sales were mostly dominated by the rivalry between Sega and Nintendo across most markets: the Sega Mega Drive and the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Cartridge-based handheld consoles became prominent during this time, such as the Nintendo Game Boy (1989), Atari Lynx (1989), Sega Game Gear (1990) and TurboExpress (1990).

LCD games are electronic games played on an LCD screen. Since the release of the Zelda Game & Watch game in August 1989, several LCD games based upon the theme of The Legend of Zelda have been licensed by Nintendo to be released for both Japanese and foreign markets. While Zelda was both developed and manufactured by Nintendo, later LCD games would only be licensed by Nintendo. The Legend of Zelda game watch is an LCD wristwatch game produced by Nelsonic as part of their Nelsonic Game Watch series, and Zelda no Densetsu: Kamigami no Triforce is an LCD fighting video game licensed by Nintendo and produced by Epoch Co. for the Barcode Battler II platform, and released only in Japan.

<i>Barcode World</i> 1992 video game

Barcode World (バーコードワールド) is a video game developed by Epoch and published by Sunsoft.

<i>Doraemon: Nobita to Mittsu no Seireiseki</i> Video Game

Doraemon: Nobita to Mittsu no Seireiseki is a platform video game developed and published by Epoch Co. for the Nintendo 64. It was released in Japan in 1997. The game is based on the Japanese manga Doraemon and has two Nintendo 64 sequels, Doraemon 2: Nobita to Hikari no Shinden and Doraemon 3: Nobita no Machi SOS!, both only released in Japan.

<i>Doraemon: Nobitas New Great Adventure into the Underworld</i> 2007 film by Yukiyo Teramoto

Doraemon: Nobita's New Great Adventure into the Underworld, also advertised as Doraemon the Movie 2007, is a 2007 Japanese animated science fantasy film. It is the 27th feature film of the Doraemon franchise. It is a retelling of the 1984 film Doraemon: Nobita's Great Adventure into the Underworld. It was the second highest grossing anime movie in 2007 after Pokémon: The Rise of Darkrai.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Nintendo</span> The History of nintendo

The history of Nintendo is from 1889 to the present, starting as a playing-card company to eventually becoming a multinational consumer electronics conglomerate. It has always remained headquartered in Kyoto, Japan.

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, Aquabeads, and the Sylvanian Families series of toys. Its current Representative President is Michihiro Maeda.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nintendo video game consoles</span> Overview of the various video game consoles released by Nintendo

The Japanese multinational consumer electronics company Nintendo has developed seven home video game consoles and multiple portable consoles for use with external media, as well as dedicated consoles and other hardware for their consoles. As of September 30, 2021, in addition to Nintendo Switch, Nintendo has sold over 863.07 million hardware units.

<i>Doraemon: Nobitas Little Star Wars</i> 1985 film by Tsutomu Shibayama

Doraemon: Nobita's Little Star Wars is a 1985 Japanese animated epic space opera film. It is a feature-length Doraemon film which premiered in Japan on March 16, 1985. As the film's title suggests, it is a parody of George Lucas' original Star Wars trilogy, with a few elements from his 1983 film Return of the Jedi. The film is directed by Tsutomu Shibayama. The theme song of this film is performed by Tetsuya Takeda. It's the 6th Doraemon film. The remake of the film, Doraemon: Nobita's Little Star Wars 2021 has been released on 4 March 2022 after being postponed from its original 5 March 2021 release date due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

<i>Joe & Mac 2: Lost in the Tropics</i> 1994 video game

Joe & Mac 2: Lost in the Tropics, known in the PAL region as Joe & Mac 3: Lost in the Tropics, is a 1994 Super Nintendo Entertainment System video game and a sequel to Joe & Mac. It is the follow-up to Congo's Caper, the second game in the series.

<i>Doraemon: Nobita and the Island of Miracles—Animal Adventure</i> 2012 film by Kōzō Kusuba

Doraemon: Nobita and the Island of Miracles ~Animal Adventure~, also known as Doraemon the Movie 2012, Doraemon Animal Adventure and Doraemon the Movie: Nobita and the Last Haven -Animal Adventure-, is a 2012 Japanese animated film based on the popular manga and anime series Doraemon. It's the 32nd Doraemon film. The film was released in Japan on March 3, 2012.

<i>Doraemon Story of Seasons</i> 2019 video game

Doraemon Story of Seasons is a 2019 farming simulation role-playing video game developed by Brownies and Marvelous and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment for Nintendo Switch and Windows. It is a crossover of the Story of Seasons video game series and the Doraemon franchise. The title's release marks the first release of a Doraemon video game to international audiences.

<i>Doraemon: Nobitas Little Star Wars 2021</i> 2022 anime film directed by Susumu Yamaguchi

Doraemon: Nobita's Little Star Wars 2021 is a 2022 Japanese animated epic space opera film. It is the 41st Doraemon film and serves as a remake of the 1985 film Doraemon: Nobita's Little Star Wars.

References

  1. ↑ Conveni Barcode Battler box translation. Epoch, Co. 1991.
  2. 1 2 Conveni Wars Barcode Battler Manuals バーコードバトラー. Epoch, Co. pp.1-14. 1991.
  3. ↑ "Handheld Classics: Retro Roundup". Pocket Gamer. 12 March 2009. Retrieved 2010-11-24.
  4. ↑ "Mario Card Image". Archived from the original on January 13, 2009. Retrieved 2010-11-24.
  5. ↑ "Zelda Card Image". Archived from the original on January 14, 2009. Retrieved 2010-11-24.
  6. ↑ "Conveni Wars Barcode Battler II boxart". Combat King's Barcode Battler Website. Archived from the original on 17 February 2014. Retrieved 29 September 2014.
  7. ↑ "Conveni Wars Barcode Battler II Interface". Combat King's Barcode Battler Website. Retrieved 29 September 2014.
  8. ↑ "Super Barcode Battler". The Nintendo Repository. Gamers Graveyard. Archived from the original on 17 May 2008. Retrieved 29 September 2014.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 Combat King. "Barcode Battler: Games". Combat King's Barcode Battler Website. Archived from the original on 2009-04-20. Retrieved 29 September 2014.
  10. ↑ "『バーコードファイター 上・下（小野敏洋）』 販売ページ". fukkan. Retrieved 21 July 2022.

Commons-logo.svg Media related to Barcode Battler at Wikimedia Commons

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.