104:. 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.
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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
209:
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
127:, 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.
107:
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.
250:, 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:
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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.
146:, 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
230:. 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.
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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.
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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.
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154:, and many others. They had their own barcodes and unique stats and powers. Nintendo-licensed special edition cards were produced for both the
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The popularity of the
Barcode Battler was such that in 1992, a follow-up handheld called the
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Outside Japan, it was a massive flop; it was hyped up, and sold in shops alongside the
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The console at retail was supplied with a number of cards, each of which had a
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series. Other special edition versions were commissioned by
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Barcode
Battler Senki: Super Senshi Shutsugeki Seyo!
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130:However, the release of devices such as Nintendo's
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218:(via an adapter) consoles similar to the way the
206:was designed to provide enhanced functionality.
1354:Palmtex Portable Videogame System / Super Micro
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283:Hatayama Hatch no Pro Yakyuu News! Jitsumei Han
638:Conveni Wars Barcode Battler Manuals バーコードバトラー
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242:Due to the professional relationship between
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752:"Conveni Wars Barcode Battler II Interface"
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722:"Conveni Wars Barcode Battler II boxart"
305:Doraemon 3: Nobita and the Jewel of Time
623:Conveni Barcode Battler box translation
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409:
821:Combat King's Barcode Battler Website
756:Combat King's Barcode Battler Website
726:Combat King's Barcode Battler Website
7:
1571:Discontinued handheld game consoles
322:The Amazing Spider-Man: Lethal Foes
783:. Gamers Graveyard. Archived from
651:"Handheld Classics: Retro Roundup"
313:Lupin III: Densetsu no Hihō wo Oe!
16:Handheld game console by Epoch Co.
14:
872:
1586:Video games developed in Japan
847:"『バーコードファイター 上・下（小野敏洋）』 販売ページ"
222:allows for interfacing of the
1:
653:. Pocket Gamer. 12 March 2009
338:Donald Duck no Mahō no Bōshi
1581:Products introduced in 1991
1349:Children's Discovery System
640:. Epoch, Co. pp.1-14. 1991.
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1591:Video games using barcodes
1008:Epoch Game Pocket Computer
373:Epoch Game Pocket Computer
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398:§ Monster generation
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817:"Barcode Battler: Games"
346:Alice no Paint Adventure
1319:Other handheld consoles
781:The Nintendo Repository
777:"Super Barcode Battler"
471:バーコードバトラー戦記 スーパー戦士出撃せよ!
1576:Handheld game consoles
1467:Nvidia Shield Portable
915:Handheld game consoles
881:at Wikimedia Commons
368:List of barcode games
87:handheld game console
48:Handheld game console
1596:Comics based on toys
1282:PlayStation Portable
1259:Neo Geo Pocket Color
962:Design Master Senshi
510:ドラえもん2 のび太のトイズランド大冒険
732:on 17 February 2014
703:on January 14, 2009
678:on January 13, 2009
497:はた山ハッチのパロ野球ニュース！実名版
163:The Legend of Zelda
152:The Legend of Zelda
21:
1395:Watara Supervision
1359:Romtec Colorvision
697:"Zelda Card Image"
672:"Mario Card Image"
625:. Epoch, Co. 1991.
203:Barcode Battler II
196:Barcode Battler II
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1119:Leapster Explorer
877:Media related to
378:Nintendo e-Reader
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58:Handheld LCD game
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1566:1991 video games
1513:Retroid Pocket 2
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1287:PlayStation Vita
1152:Game Boy Advance
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562:スパイダーマン リーサルフォーズ
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549:ルパン三世 伝説の秘宝を追え!
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536:ドラえもん3 のび太と時の宝玉
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787:on 17 May 2008
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588:ドナルドダックの魔法のぼうし
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985:Select-A-Game
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827:on 2009-04-20
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815:Combat King.
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430:Bākōdo Batorā
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1196:Nintendo 3DS
1174:Pokémon Mini
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854:. Retrieved
850:
841:
831:29 September
829:. Retrieved
825:the original
820:
791:29 September
789:. Retrieved
785:the original
780:
771:
761:29 September
759:. Retrieved
755:
746:
736:29 September
734:. Retrieved
730:the original
725:
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705:. Retrieved
701:the original
691:
680:. Retrieved
676:the original
666:
655:. Retrieved
645:
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349:(SNES, 1995)
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341:(SNES, 1995)
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333:(SNES, 1995)
330:J-League '95
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325:(SNES, 1995)
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317:(SNES, 1994)
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307:(SNES, 1994)
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301:(SNES, 1994)
298:J-League '94
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269:(SNES, 1993)
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89:released by
82:
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34:Manufacturer
1540:Early units
1477:Game Gadget
1462:JXD devices
1385:Game Master
1333:Microvision
1179:Nintendo DS
1044:GPD Win Max
484:ドラゴンスレイヤーII
446:バーコードバトラーII
293:(SNES 1993)
285:(SNES 1993)
261:(NES, 1992)
148:Super Mario
1560:Categories
1523:Steam Deck
1364:Atari Lynx
967:WonderSwan
957:Digi Casse
707:2010-11-24
682:2010-11-24
657:2010-11-24
611:References
123:, and the
112:Popularity
54:Generation
1400:Mega Duck
1264:Neo Geo X
1231:Game Gear
1059:Game Park
1049:GPD Win 3
1039:GPD Win 2
458:バーコードワールド
421:バーコードバトラー
244:Epoch Co.
226:with the
192:series).
186:(for the
125:Game Gear
93:in March
91:Epoch Co.
67:1991–1995
38:Epoch Co.
1508:Playdate
1503:Evercade
1498:Ayn Odin
1472:GCW Zero
1431:Gizmondo
1421:GameKing
1310:Game.com
1142:Game Boy
1129:Nintendo
1114:Leapster
1101:LeapFrog
1081:GP2X Wiz
1063:Holdings
939:RG35XXSP
922:Anbernic
442:Japanese
417:Japanese
390:Skannerz
362:See also
248:Nintendo
228:e-Reader
224:GameCube
189:Doraemon
132:e-Reader
121:Game Boy
64:Lifespan
1457:Arduboy
1452:Pandora
1206:New 3DS
1034:GPD Win
856:21 July
425:Hepburn
212:Famicom
102:barcode
1518:Thumby
1436:Dingoo
1426:N-Gage
1390:Gamate
1305:R-Zone
1213:Switch
1086:Caanoo
1029:GPD XD
949:Bandai
851:fukkan
575:Jリーグ95
523:Jリーグ94
182:) and
168:Falcom
1486:2020s
1445:2010s
1409:2000s
1373:1990s
1342:1980s
1326:1970s
1297:Tiger
1236:Nomad
1162:Micro
1000:Epoch
977:Entex
934:RG552
929:RG351
404:Notes
354:Manga
170:(for
157:Mario
85:is a
72:Media
1545:List
1274:Sony
1223:Sega
1184:Lite
1109:Didj
1076:GP2X
1071:GP32
858:2022
833:2014
793:2014
763:2014
738:2014
246:and
214:and
160:and
140:and
95:1991
81:The
44:Type
1246:SNK
1201:2DS
1189:DSi
1092:XGP
184:NTV
75:N/A
1562::
1157:SP
849:.
819:.
801:^
779:.
754:.
724:.
630:^
444::
427::
423:,
419::
150:,
97:.
1061:/
907:e
900:t
893:v
860:.
835:.
795:.
765:.
740:.
710:.
685:.
660:.
176:/
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