Story Behind the Cards: Nintendo e-Reader Cards

In September 2002, Nintendo released the Nintendo e-Reader in North America. This add-on was meant to be used with the Game Boy Advance and the GameCube — when inserted into an adjoining console, the player could swipe special cards through the e-Reader to unlock extra content in a variety of games. Although the e-Reader didn’t sell well in North America (it was very popular in Japan!), e-Reader cards surged in popularity on the secondary market. Today, they are prized collectibles.

CGC has graded hundreds of Nintendo e-Reader cards, including promos, Pokémon e-Battle cards, Animal Crossing cards and more. Here are some of our favorites.

Animal Crossing-e

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Animal Crossing was released in North America in 2002 for the GameCube. Shortly after the game’s release, Nintendo also released Animal Crossing-e, a series of e-Reader cards compatible with the GameCube title.

There are six types of Animal Crossing-e cards to collect: Character cards, Classic Game cards, Design cards, Game cards, Town Tune cards and Sibling cards. By scanning these cards on the e-Reader, players could access hidden content, such as passwords for in-game items, town tunes, clothing designs and more.

Interestingly, the Classic Game cards even allow players to unlock NES games in their Animal Crossing game. By scanning the bar code on the back of the card, an NES system would be mailed to the player in their game, pre-loaded with the ROM of the NES game described on the card. These Classic Game Cards were the only way to obtain Ice Climber or Mario Bros. in an Animal Crossing save file.

Animal Crossing-e cards were released across four series of packs. In total, there were 328 cards, including two promotional cards that were used to promote both Animal Crossing and the e-Reader’s release in North America. According to the CGC Cards Population Report, CGC has graded a total of 24 Animal Crossing-e cards, including series and promo cards.

Pokémon e-Reader Cards

Pokémon’s presence on the e-Reader was astronomical. Not only did Nintendo release a series of Pokémon-themed cards with extra content (similar to Animal Crossing-e), but Wizards of the Coast also released an entire series of Pokémon Trading Card Game cards that were compatible with the e-Reader.

Pokémon Battle-e

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When scanned into Pokémon Ruby Version or Pokémon Sapphire Version, Pokémon Battle-e cards allowed players to meet special trainers. Depending on the card scanned, the player could then either battle these trainers or receive items, including exclusive berries not normally obtainable in the game.

North America only received Battle-e cards compatible with Ruby and Sapphire. Japan, however, received further sets compatible with Pokémon Emerald Version, Pokémon FireRed Version and Pokémon LeafGreen Version. Because these cards were never released in North America, e-Reader functionality in these games was completely removed in international releases.

CGC has certified more than 1,600 Pokémon Battle-e cards across all languages, according to the CGC Cards Population Report. This number also includes cards included in series packs and promos.

Pokémon TCG: e-Series

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Starting with the release of Expedition in September 2002, Wizards of the Coast began releasing Pokémon TCG cards with e-Reader dot codes on the sides and bottom of the card’s edges. Unlike other e-Reader cards, these cards were not only usable with the e-Reader through the Game Boy Advance, but were also legal to use in Pokémon TCG matches, allowing for some creative deck building.

When scanned through the e-Reader, many Pokémon TCG cards provided several interesting mechanics. Many cards offered Pokédex information on the featured Pokémon, to be read on the Game Boy Advance. Some included minigames or playable songs. Others, when swiped, even revealed hidden attacks and abilities that could be used during Pokémon TCG matches.

e-Reader cards were available in several sets from 2002 until 2004, with e-Reader functionality being removed from the Pokémon TCG after the release of EX Team Magma vs. Team Aqua. By then, Wizards of the Coast was no longer producing the Pokémon TCG — production and distribution switched to The Pokémon Company — and popularity of the franchise had waned, resulting in limited print runs. Today, e-Reader cards are rare on the secondary market and demand higher prices.

CGC has certified more than 112,000 cards from the Pokémon TCG e-Series, according to the CGC Cards Population Report.

Other Nintendo e-Reader Cards

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Finally, Nintendo released other e-Reader cards compatible with other Game Boy Advance titles, including Mario, the Classic NES Series, Mega Man and more. Many of these cards unlocked hidden levels and features in their respective games. For example, cards meant for Super Mario Advance 4, when scanned, would unlock an extra stage, power-ups, projectiles and easter eggs from past Super Mario games.

One of the more popular Nintendo e-Reader card series was the Classic NES Series. Each pack in the Classic NES Series contained 5 cards, each containing data for one of 13 classic NES titles. By scanning the card twice (once on each side), players could load up classic titles on their Game Boy Advance, such as Balloon Fight, Donkey Kong, Excitebike, Ice Climber, Mario Bros. and more.

CGC has certified hundreds of Nintendo e-Reader cards, including six Classic NES Series cards, according to the CGC Cards Population Report.

Submit today!

e-Reader cards have become highly desirable in the card collecting community since their release in North America back in 2002. Are you ready to expand your e-Reader card collection? CGC is here to help! Learn how to submit by going here.