1992 · Epoch Co. · Crossover · Strategy

Barcode World

Nintendo exclusive

A strategy game released in Japan on December 18th, 1992.

Released: 18 December 1992
Platforms: NES
Genres: Crossover Strategy
Developers: Epoch Co.
Publishers: Sunsoft
Modes: Single-player
Country: Japan
Languages: Japanese

About

Barcode World (バーコードワールド) is a video game developed by Epoch and published by Sunsoft for the Famicom in 1992.

Keywords

barcode battler enhanced

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Legacy

The use of the Barcode Battler unit in conjunction with the Famicom was made possible using the Famicom-Barcode Battler interface – a connector cable that came with the Barcode World cassette. In this way, the Famicom was given the capacity to scan external barcodes to expand gameplay for the game to include all manner of household consumer products. Soon books were released by third parties that listed in detail which consumer products had the strongest barcodes. Today, the setup has been seen as a precursor to the 2001 Nintendo e-Reader for the Game Boy Advance.

The two devices are very similar in that they serve the same purpose: to scan specially designed cards with barcodes imprinted on them as the primary means of using the device. The game continues to be played today often in emulated form, and modern emulators like FCEUX feature support specifically for the unusual Barcode World setup.