Nintendo e-Reader

"A great piece of technology"

When Nintendo released this a while back I was skeptical.
A device that plugged into the Game Boy Advance cartridge slot and allowed you to play games off cards. But I soon learned that you could do more with this great piece of hardware than just play old games.

Graphics 7
The NES games you can play off the cards look just like the original NES games which is to say not that great when compared to today's graphical standards. However the menu looks pretty good and is full of color. The Animal Crossing and other link cards look pretty good as well.

Sound 8
The sound in the games sound like their NES counterparts too. I believe that all of the NES games were made by Nintendo so you don't have to worry about there being any bad music or sound effects. The e-Reader itself has a catchy tune on it's main menu complete with clearly spoken speech.

Control N/A
The e-Reader plugs into the back of the Game Boy Advance's cartridge slot, so if you like the way the GBA feels then you're in luck, if you don't however... The e-Reader makes the GBA a tad heavy and you also need a flat surface to scan on.

Games 8
The e-Reader has plenty of good games as long as you like games made by Nintendo. Some good ones are Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong J.R., Balloon Fight, Tennis, ExiteBike, Mario Bro's., Urban Champion (My favorite), and Ice Climbers,
who some might remember from Super Smash Bro's. Melee.
The e-Reader also has Game and Watch cards and Pokemon cards where you can play all sorts of mini-games.

Other Useful Features 8
The e-Reader has other uses than just being a portable NES. You can link up to the Nintendo Gamecube and unlock features in some games. The only game I know of that utilizes this is Animal Crossing, which they release new series of cards every couple of months.
Also the e-Reader can store one game in memory which is useful because you'll get tired of scanning card after card.
The e-Reader is also compatible with the Nintendo Game Boy Player so now those without a NES can play NES games on the big screen.

Pros
Games look as good as their NES cousins
Sounds good too
Uses the GBA as the controller
Works as a ''game enhancer''

Cons
Graphics and sound are out dated
Scanning Cards gets tire some
Almost destroys portability

Buy, Rent, Avoid?
IMO this isn't a must have until some more AAA titles come. However if you see a place that rents one, buy some games (4.99 a pack!) and give it a shot. The only reason to rush out and get one this moment is if you have Animal Crossing.

Overall score 7.75 rounded to 8.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 12/16/03