Two new card decks will be released for use with the Barcode Battler, a mega-obscure handheld console released in 1990. According to an interview with Time Extension, the project is being led by industry veteran Keith Webb and longtime hardware archivist Tony Black of the Barcode Battler Museum.
The new card deck, titled Riot Gunheads – Hyper World Injustice Fighters, contains 36 cards and can operate in two different ways: a new “Dice Mode” and the original campaign-style “C2 Mode”. Each uses the original system’s method of calculating statistics based on the player inputted information.
The previous Barcode Battler product was criticized for poor documentation and unclear rule-sets. This new deck aims to resolve the problem of documentation by providing users with clear strategies and real decision-making options instead of merely random results.
The original Barcode Battler (released in 1991 by Epoch Co.) was generally seen as “a glorified Top Trumps” and ultimately overshadowed by other handheld systems such as the Game Boy. However, the group behind the resurrection effort believes that there is a compelling foundation at the center of the barcode gimmick, a stat-based system that allows for spell-casting, job classes, and numerous hidden interactions. The goal of Webb and Black is to make these hidden interactions visible and accessible to users and move the system from a cult phenomenon to one that is actually enjoyable.
The release date of the new deck is scheduled for late November 2025 and will cost approximately £15 for the initial UK online release, with potential distribution later in the United States and Japan. The deck will be packaged in a nostalgic manner (cassette case, premium cardstock, early ’90s design language). Webb notes that the artwork and mechanics were originally from an unreleased Dreamcast project and adapted to card format.
What was once a novelty gimmick is receiving a new lease on life thanks to modern indie ethos, historical appreciation, and a small but dedicated fanbase. If you currently possess a functioning Barcode Battler or are interested in a niche corner of gaming history, it may be worthwhile to follow the progress of this new deck.
Source: Time Extension
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