Nintendo e-Reader
| Manufacturer | Nintendo |
|---|---|
| Type | Add-on |
| Release date | JP: December 1, 2001 NA: September 16, 2002 AU: October 31, 2003 |
| Discontinued | NA: Early 2004 JP: September 2008 |
The Nintendo e-Reader, commonly abbreviated as e-Reader, is an add-on manufactured by Nintendo for its Game Boy Advance handheld video game console. It was released in Japan in December 2001, with a North American release following in September 2002. It has an LED scanner that reads "e-Reader cards", paper cards with specially encoded data printed on them.
Depending on the card and associated game, the e-cards are typically used in a key-like function to unlock secret items, levels, or play mini-games when swiped through the reader. The cards themselves contain data, as opposed to unlocking data already on the device itself.