MARIO, MADDEN NFL, THE URBZ AND
MORE READY FOR NINTENDO DS LAUNCH
DS Changes the Rules: Players
Control Games with Touch or Voice, Monitor Two-Screen Action, Compete Wirelessly
with Others
REDMOND, Wash.–Oct. 7,
2004–Imagine using the touch screen of Nintendo DS(TM) to call a secret audible
at the line of scrimmage when your wireless opponent threatens a blitz. Is your
Sim feeling blue? Redesign her apartment or create a pet with the touch of the
screen. Can’t find that last star? Use the second screen to track down your
nemesis in the vast worlds of Super Mario(R) 64 DS.
From Mario(TM) to Madden and The
Urbz(TM), familiar characters and dynamic franchises will dominate the launch
season for Nintendo DS, while allowing fans to play their favorites in entirely
new ways. In the first 30 days of system availability, thanks to unprecedented
support from third-party publishers, players can enjoy 10 to 12 DS games
covering all genres. By the end of the first quarter of 2005, the Nintendo DS
library will grow to 20 to 25 games.
Nintendo DS will launch in the
United States on Nov. 21 at an MSRP of $149.99.
"DS provides the road map to the
future of video games," says Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo of America’s executive
vice president of sales & marketing. "The overwhelming support of strong
third-party titles, combined with Nintendo’s flagship franchise, makes this the
strongest software support for any Nintendo system in more than a decade."
As part of an incredibly strong
launch offering, players will receive a free playable demo of Nintendo’s
upcoming Metroid Prime Hunters game, titled Metroid Prime(R) Hunters: First
Hunt. Each system also offers a built-in PictoChat(TM) feature, which lets users
type text or draw pictures and transmit them wirelessly to up to 15 other
Nintendo DS users nearby.
In all, more than 120 games are
currently in development for Nintendo DS around the world. Titles available in
the launch window include Super Mario 64 DS from Nintendo, Madden NFL 2005,
Tiger Woods PGA TOUR(R) Golf and The Urbz(TM): Sims in the City(TM) from EA, and
a major title from Activision. Other third-party titles available during the
launch period include Ping Pals from THQ, Feel the Magic: XY/XX from SEGA,
Rayman DS and Asphalt Urban GT from Ubisoft and Ridge Racer DS and Mr. DRILLER:
Drill Spirits from Namco.
Players can expect
Nintendo-published games to retail for as low as $29.99.
In the coming months, publishers
will release a wide range of novel software. Nintendo’s list of DS-specific
first-party franchises includes a multiplayer Mario Kart, as well as Metroid
Prime Hunters, WarioWare, Inc.(TM) DS, Animal Crossing, Yoshi’s Touch & Go,
Advance Wars(R) DS and a new Super Mario Bros., among others.
Third-party publishers will add
GoldenEye: Rogue Agent(TM) and Need for Speed(TM) Underground from EA, Viewtiful
Joe from Capcom, Bomberman from Hudson Soft, Frogger from Konami, a Final
Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles title from Square Enix, and many more.
The dual-screened Nintendo DS is a
portable video game and communication system that opens up new possibilities for
both software developers and game players. Each dual-screened unit, which
features a sharp, angular, silver-and-black design, has a built-in stylus for
use on the touch screen, a built-in microphone for voice recognition and
wireless capabilities via both local area network and Wi-Fi connections.
Nintendo DS represents a third, distinct hardware line for Nintendo, along with
Nintendo GameCube(TM) and Game Boy(R) Advance SP.
Each title takes advantage of the
unique Nintendo DS features. For example, in Madden NFL 2005, one screen will
show all 22 players on the field, while the other will display the key action.
Players also will be able to compete head-to-head wirelessly. In Super Mario 64
DS, players choose one of four characters as they experience the groundbreaking
Mario game in completely news ways exclusive to Nintendo DS, such as
head-to-head wireless battling, new touch-sensitive mini-games and innovative
control options. In Metroid Prime Hunters: First Hunt, up to four players can
compete wirelessly. Multiple control schemes take full advantage of the touch
screen, giving all gamers an ideal way to play.
In addition to these upcoming
titles, Nintendo DS already features compatibility with more than 550 games. Its
second game port allows users to play single-player modes of games made for Game
Boy Advance SP.
The worldwide leader and innovator
in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto,
Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its popular home and
portable video game systems. Each year, hundreds of all-new titles for the
best-selling Game Boy(R) Advance, Nintendo DS(TM) and Nintendo GameCube(TM)
systems extend Nintendo’s vast game library and continue the tradition of
delivering a rich, diverse mix of quality video games for players of all ages.
Since the release of its first home video game system in 1983, Nintendo has sold
more than 1.9 billion video games and more than 170 million hardware units
globally, creating enduring industry icons such as Mario(TM) and Donkey Kong(R)
and launching popular culture franchise phenomena such as Metroid(R), Zelda(TM)
and Pokemon(R). A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in
Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in the Western
Hemisphere.
For more information about Nintendo,
visit the company’s Web site at
www.nintendo.com
