E - reader info

[Steerforth]

Does anyone here own or have you owned an erader (gba)?

If so,

What do you think of it?

Was it worth getting?

Will it plug into a Nintendo DS?

And do you think it is odd the time Nintendo spends making all of these strange little peripheals for their systems?

They just seem to get such limited support and die quick deaths. But I admit I am somewhat intrigued by the ereader and am not sure why.

[Zenzerotron]

I own the E-Reader and a complete set of the "NES series" cards.

At the time, it was cool, because it combined the childhood hobby of card collecting(I was into Garbage Pail Kids myself) and old school gaming.

If cards were released for it today, I'd still probly buy them.

However, since then, I've acquired an actual NES system, and bought most NES carts to replace the games featured for E-Reader.

It was a pain in butt, you had to scan 5 cards twice, for a total of 10 scans, to play something as simple as Donkey Kong.

Also, the E-Reader version of Excitebike was missing the custom-track maker and 2-player action.

In the here and now, I can say, E-Reader is NOT worth it, just buy an actual NES system(or a Yobo clone) and get those games that way. This is soely because it was discontinued so early, there's not enough cards/games to make it worthwhile.

[Adamant1]

Yeah, I got one.

What do you think of it?
Pretty shameless money-sucker. Buy collectible cards to unlock new stuff in games that should've been there in the first place. Also, actually playing games on it requires scanning cards for way too long, and few of the NES games released were very good in the first place anyway.

Was it worth getting?
I got to play the secret levels in SMA4, so... uh...  no, not really.

Will it plug into a Nintendo DS?
No. It plugs into the game link hole in addition to the cartridge slot, and since there's no hole for that in the DS, it won't go in.

And do you think it is odd the time Nintendo spends making all of these strange little peripheals for their systems?
Nah, innovation is cool. It's just that the e-reader was pretty awful.

[m0zart1]

I liked the two sets of eReader cards for Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3.  Those cards really opened that game up, even adding about ten new levels ot the original SMB3 game experience.  The Japanese game and cards actually added 25 levels.  Those guys get everything we don't.

Other than that, I just didn't see much use for the eReader.

[Steerforth]

It is innovative, and yet so crazy. The Critic should dedicate a page just to all the little experiments Nintendo and other companies have come up with over the years. I would imagine collectors go nuts over things like the ereader. It is a shame that the people who supported it could not count on at least a few years of support, or origional games for it. Oh, well.

Anyone know of any good videogame history/museum web sites?

[Cody]

I got one for $10 at an EB Games store a year ago and have Donkey Kong Jr. for it, some electronic stores have had some cards on clearance for about $2-3 in my area. For the most part though Ebay is required for rarer cards.

[Adamant1]

Should be noted that the thing got a whole lot more support in Japan, and most of the Pokemon games got some rather cool cards for custom challenges.

[a1]

I owned an e-reader and every NES game on it, as well as the Animal Crossing, and Super Mario Bros. 3 (Super Mario Bros. Advance 4) packs. The games were pretty cheap, but they were mainly the very first NES titles, like Donkey Kong, Mario Bros., Tennis, and that kind of stuff. Still there are a few classics in the bunch. The extra Mario Bros. 3 levels were great (there are ten, there is clearly room for more, but the E-Reader died too quickly), but you need two GBAs to get them.

I'd recommend getting Animal Crossing and a memory card with all of the NES games instead. Assuming you have a Gamecube, and don't have those titles. Animal Crossing is a fun game anyway, and it's worth the $20 for a memory card to get the NES games, which include a few not on the E-Reader. The Animal Crossing NES games are also missing a couple from the E-Reader, but who the hell cares about Donkey Kong 3 anyway? You get all of the decent games.

The E-Reader does not plug into the DS, but not for the reason Adamant states. The original DS has the plug that the E-Reader uses on the original GBA, just not in the same spot. However, the E-Reader only used that plug to be held in place; it didn't actually require it to be used. It does work on the GBA SP and the expanision plug doesn't even plug in on that. The E-Reader probably doesn't work on the DS for the same reason GB and GBC games don't work; Nintendo just didn't bother to include the function. The E-Reader wasn't popular enough for them to bother.

[Steerforth]

a

I just bought Animal Crossing and I love it. I bought it for the NES games and got a loaded memory card, and I am very satisfied. I hadn't played Punch Out in forever, and having Mario Bros and Zelda on a big screen was a great change from the GBA screen. I have a generic NES, but the decent NES games run you $10 - $20 so this was the ticket, also no fooling and jostling with the carts to get them to work.

Ironicly, I am more addicted to the main game now, and I did not think I would like it. It is fun when you have a couple of (human) people in your village to mess with, and very satisfing to find all of the items. Fishing is kind of fun, and I am working to fill up my museum. Strange, beguiling little game, talk about an antithesis to GTA! THe music is top notch, as well.

[a1]

Yeah, I was just as surprised when I found myself enjoying Animal Crossing. Here's me playing it, "Okay, just a little more and I pay off the house. Oh, sweet, a new couch. Why am I enjoying this!!!!!!!?"