<s>
The	O
is	O
a	O
handheld	B-Application
game	I-Application
console	I-Application
released	O
by	O
Epoch	O
Co	O
.	O
in	O
March	O
1991	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
original	O
Barcode	B-Application
Battler	I-Application
was	O
released	O
by	O
Epoch	O
in	O
Japan	O
only	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
identical	O
in	O
shape	O
to	O
the	O
worldwide	O
released	O
Barcode	B-Application
Battler	I-Application
and	O
had	O
a	O
white	O
case	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1992	O
,	O
a	O
successor	O
unit	O
called	O
the	O
Barcode	B-Application
Battler	I-Application
II	O
(	O
see	O
below	O
)	O
was	O
released	O
worldwide	O
,	O
featuring	O
interface	O
capabilities	O
with	O
the	O
Famicom	O
and	O
Super	B-Application
Famicom	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Barcode	B-Application
Battler	I-Application
was	O
very	O
popular	O
in	O
Japan	O
—	O
the	O
idea	O
of	O
experimenting	O
with	O
and	O
collecting	O
barcodes	O
to	O
find	O
out	O
what	O
they	O
would	O
equate	O
to	O
in	O
the	O
gaming	O
world	O
fired	O
the	O
imaginations	O
of	O
many	O
people	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Outside	O
Japan	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
a	O
massive	O
flop	O
;	O
it	O
was	O
hyped	O
up	O
,	O
and	O
sold	O
in	O
shops	O
alongside	O
the	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
,	O
and	O
the	O
Game	O
Gear	O
,	O
to	O
which	O
it	O
bore	O
some	O
superficial	O
similarities	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
comparison	O
,	O
the	O
gameplay	O
of	O
the	O
Barcode	B-Application
Battler	I-Application
was	O
repetitive	O
and	O
featured	O
no	O
graphics	O
,	O
sound	O
effects	O
or	O
controls	O
,	O
and	O
it	O
was	O
quickly	O
forgotten	O
by	O
the	O
general	O
gaming	O
public	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
devices	O
such	O
as	O
Nintendo	O
's	O
e-Reader	B-Application
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
barcode	O
games	O
in	O
arcades	O
in	O
the	O
UK	O
such	O
as	O
Dinosaur	B-Application
King	I-Application
and	O
Love	B-Application
and	I-Application
Berry	I-Application
,	O
has	O
shown	O
that	O
there	O
is	O
now	O
an	O
interest	O
in	O
the	O
market	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Barcode	B-Application
Battler	I-Application
grew	O
in	O
popularity	O
in	O
Japan	O
so	O
much	O
that	O
special	O
edition	O
cards	O
were	O
created	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
cards	O
were	O
characters	O
from	O
Super	B-Application
Mario	I-Application
,	O
The	B-Application
Legend	I-Application
of	I-Application
Zelda	I-Application
,	O
and	O
many	O
others	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nintendo-licensed	O
special	O
edition	O
cards	O
were	O
produced	O
for	O
both	O
the	O
Mario	B-Application
series	I-Application
,	O
and	O
The	B-Application
Legend	I-Application
of	I-Application
Zelda	I-Application
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Other	O
special	O
edition	O
versions	O
were	O
commissioned	O
by	O
Falcom	O
(	O
for	O
Lord	O
Monarch/Dragon	O
Slayer	O
)	O
and	O
NTV	O
(	O
for	O
the	O
Doraemon	B-Application
series	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
popularity	O
of	O
the	O
Barcode	B-Application
Battler	I-Application
was	O
such	O
that	O
in	O
1992	O
,	O
a	O
follow-up	O
handheld	B-Application
called	O
the	O
was	O
designed	O
to	O
provide	O
enhanced	O
functionality	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
featured	O
an	O
extended	O
single	O
player	O
mode	O
,	O
a	O
wider	O
variety	O
of	O
game	O
elements	O
,	O
and	O
an	O
output	O
port	O
designed	O
with	O
interface	O
capabilities	O
-	O
a	O
feature	O
that	O
Nintendo	O
took	O
advantage	O
of	O
in	O
licensing	O
the	O
Barcode	B-Application
Battler	I-Application
II	O
Interface	O
unit	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
BBII	O
Interface	O
allowed	O
the	O
Barcode	B-Application
Battler	I-Application
to	O
be	O
attached	O
to	O
the	O
Famicom	O
and	O
Super	B-Application
Famicom	I-Application
(	O
via	O
an	O
adapter	O
)	O
consoles	O
similar	O
to	O
the	O
way	O
the	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
Player	I-Device
allows	O
for	O
interfacing	O
of	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Application
GameCube	I-Application
with	O
the	O
e-Reader	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
functionality	O
of	O
the	O
Barcode	B-Application
Battler	I-Application
II	O
while	O
on	O
this	O
connection	O
was	O
purely	O
as	O
a	O
barcode	O
reader	O
and	O
the	O
gameplay	O
depended	O
on	O
the	O
game	O
cartridge	O
in	O
the	O
machine	O
it	O
was	O
connected	O
to	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
time	O
in	O
1992/1993	O
,	O
Epoch	O
released	O
the	O
Barcode	B-Application
Battler	I-Application
II	O
across	O
the	O
world	O
,	O
under	O
the	O
name	O
of	O
Barcode	B-Application
Battler	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Due	O
to	O
the	O
professional	O
relationship	O
between	O
Epoch	O
Co	O
.	O
and	O
Nintendo	O
,	O
Epoch	O
designed	O
a	O
number	O
of	O
games	O
for	O
the	O
Famicom	O
and	O
Super	B-Application
Famicom	I-Application
that	O
required	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
the	O
Barcode	B-Application
Battler	I-Application
II	O
and	O
BBII	O
Interface	O
to	O
play	O
or	O
to	O
enjoy	O
enhanced	O
functions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
manga	O
was	O
produced	O
to	O
promote	O
the	O
Barcode	B-Application
Battler	I-Application
,	O
called	O
"	O
Barcode	O
Fighter	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
