NINTENDO HANDHELD SALES UP OVER 200%!

Nintendo |

15th October 2004 - Nintendo's Game Boy Advance SP saw an increase of over 200% in its first two weeks of sales following its first ever European price drop to around £69.99. In addition, after only 2 days on sale, a staggering 250,000 Pokémon FireRed and Pokémon LeafGreen games were sold, following the games' launch on 1st October.

Jim Merrick, Senior Director of European Marketing for Nintendo of Europe, said,

"This is a record sales uplift for the handheld console that continues to lead the market, with a European installed base of almost 5 million. This recent price drop enables us to offer gamers everywhere the Game Boy Advance SP at its most affordable price ever and with so many great games available now and in the future, there has never been a better time to get into handheld gaming.

The phenomenal success of Pokémon FireRed and Pokémon LeafGreen in the first two days on sale proves that the franchise is still very much alive. For the first time ever in a Pokémon game, we have introduced wireless gameplay through the use of a Wireless Adaptor (bundled free with the game). We believe this, plus the host of new features in the game, have been key to its success."

In the run up to Christmas 2004 Nintendo will be launching more highly anticipated games including, The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap and Mario vs. Donkey Kong. Add to this a great list of third party games such as Need for Speed Underground 2 and The Lord of the Rings; The Third Age (EA), Tony Hawk's Underground 2 (Activision) and Disney Pixar's The Incredibles (THQ), and gamers have never had it so good!

Game Boy Advance SP is currently available in black, arctic blue, flame red, blue, silver, Limited Tribal Edition and Classic NES Edition. On the 29th October the Game Boy Advance SP Limited Pink Edition launches across the UK.

Click onto www.nintendo-europe-media.com for all the most up to date official information on Nintendo.

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For further information please contact Simon Watts or Rebecca Strickland at the Nintendo Press Office on 020 7307 3103. Or log onto the Nintendo Europe at www.nintendo-europe-media.com

About Nintendo

Nintendo Co., Ltd. of Kyoto, Japan, is the acknowledged worldwide leader in the creation of interactive entertainment. To date, Nintendo has sold more than 1.9 billion video games worldwide, created such industry icons as Mario^® and Donkey Kong and launched franchises like The Legend of Zelda^® and Pokémon˙. Nintendo manufactures and markets hardware and software for its popular home video game systems, including the Nintendo 64, NINTENDO GAMECUBE, Game Boy Advance and Game Boy - the world's best-selling video game system which has sold over 170 million units. As a wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of Europe, based in Grossostheim, Germany, was established in 1990 and serves as headquarters for Nintendo's operations in Europe.