In 1991, the Barcode Battler was released in Japan. It was a handheld console for which the gamer could scan certain barcodes to insert characters into the game -- different barcodes produced different characters. Then, because the original Barcode Battler was a success, the Barcode Battler II was released the next year.

The gameplay of the Barcode Battler II remained similar to the first, but new additions, such as an output port, were included. The output port was used to connect two Barcode Battler IIs together. The Barcode Battler II Interface could be used to connect the system to the Super Famicom for use with such games as Barcode Battler Senki released the May 14, 1993.

Barcode World was released on December 18, 1992, as a game for the Famicom. Along with the manual in the box, the game included some cards and a lead to connect the Barcode Battler II to the Famicom.

Essentially, the game used the Barcode Battler II as a barcode scanner to allow characters (and the cards from the box) to be scanned in. Barcodes could be scanned in, and the gamers could then see what that barcode produced on the television screen.