Retro Dot Cards Logo

Pixel Pup and the E-Reader

Pixel Pup is a nonogram (aka Picross) game for the Game Boy Advance. The original plan was for it to support the GBA e-Reader. At its initial release, there will be no e-Reader support.

Initial Release

We are expecting the game to be released soon, targeting late July 2026. At initial release, the game will have no e-Reader support.

e-Reader support might be added later

Once Pixel Pup is out, I will be starting work on another new GBA game. This game will have e-Reader support and the e-Reader will be core to the experience.

Depending on how this new game progresses and once I really learn how to integrate the e-Reader into a GBA game, I might go back and add e-Reader support to Pixel Pup.

But, I also might not. Pixel Pup was first developed without the e-Reader in mind. It turns out adding e-Reader support to a GBA game is fairly complex. If adding e-Reader support to Pixel Pup is really difficult, makes the game buggy, or some other downside emerges, I will probably abandon this idea. If I can add e-Reader support to Pixel Pup relatively smoothly, I will do so and put out a new release.

Will the new e-Reader version of Pixel Pup cost more money?

No, the new release will be free, just like if we discover a bug and cut a new release to fix that bug. You will be able to grab the new release from itch.io.

What will the e-Reader do for Pixel Pup?

At the very least, it will unlock bonus puzzles. For example if you scan in an Exo Attack card, you would unlock an Exo Attack themed puzzle. It may do more than that, I will have to see what is possible once I get there.

What would I need to use the e-Reader in Pixel Pup?

It will be mostly like any commercially released game in the early 2000s with e-Reader support:

  • Two Game Boy Advances
  • A link cable
  • Pixel Pup running on a flash cart
  • An e-Reader

That's a lot huh? Take that up with Nintendo :)

One difference (besides the flash cart requirement) is you will be able to use either a US e-Reader or a Japan e-Reader+. Commercial games enforced the region locking of e-Reader cards. Pixel Pup won't do that.