MARIO SUPER SLUGGERS HITS ONE OUT OF THE PARK

New Wii Game Features 40+ Characters, Raucous Baseball Action

REDMOND, Wash., Aug. 25, 2008 - Today Nintendo is calling on its star player to step into the batter's box and hit one out of the park with the launch of Mario Super Sluggers. The new baseball game for the Wii™ console lets players use the Wii Remote™ controller to mimic motions they might experience on a real baseball diamond. Just swing the Wii Remote like a bat or make a pitching motion to throw a pitch. This wild, Mario-styled take on baseball includes more than 40 playable characters from the Nintendo universe, and players can even use their Mii? characters in some modes.

"Mario Super Sluggers has enough depth for core gamers but also offers controls that are instantly accessible to everyone," said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "Mario Super Sluggers takes the fun into extra innings with cool characters, baseball-themed challenges and different control options for novice and experienced gamers."

The single-player mode lets players visit Baseball Kingdom, where they encounter characters with different baseball skills. Players must defeat them in a variety of challenges to persuade the characters to join their team - and the characters that people choose are important. Team captains can perform special moves on the field. For example, Mario can pitch a wicked fireball, while Luigi can turn infield hits into a tornado. Just as in the real world, some players play better together than others: Different character combinations result in good chemistry for a team. In the world of Mario Super Sluggers, this could result in amazing catches in the outfield or the ability to interfere with fielders.

Screenshot of the newly released game Mario Super Sluggers

Multiplayer modes let up to four people compete at once. In Toy Field mode, for example, up to four players compete in a hitting and fielding extravaganza. Or just choose your players and play an exhibition game against friends.

To celebrate the launch of Mario Super Sluggers, Nintendo is giving the characters in the game the big-league treatment by creating a series of special baseball cards. These online cards can be found on a variety of Web sites and collected by users on a special album site. Pairing some players together creates a "Double Play" that unlocks bonuses like game videos and screensavers. Just as with real-life baseball cards, fans can collect multiple versions of the same card and trade them online for other cards they need. The more cards a person collects, the more bonuses and secrets they can unlock.

Remember that Wii features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other Wii features, visit www.Wii.com.

For more information about Mario Super Sluggers, visit www.MarioSuperSluggers.com.

About Nintendo: The worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii, Nintendo DS, Game Boy® Advance and Nintendo GameCube systems. Since 1983, Nintendo has sold nearly 2.7 billion video games and more than 470 million hardware units globally, and has created industry icons like Mario, Donkey Kong®, Metroid®, Zelda™ and Pokémon®. 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.

WII-KLY UPDATE: ONE WIIWARE GAME AND TWO VIRTUAL CONSOLE GAMES ADDED TO WII SHOP CHANNEL

Aug. 25, 2008 - Hollywood packs its share of excitement, but video games can deliver just as many mind-blowing thrills as the biggest summer blockbuster. For proof, look no further than this week's powerhouse additions to the Wii™ Shop Channel. With a mesmerizing new WiiWare? title and two action-packed classics for the Virtual Console?, you'll find captivating visuals, memorable characters and richly interactive tales that impress on screens of all sizes. With or without popcorn, the fun is yours to savor.

Nintendo adds new and classic games to the Wii Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time every Monday. Wii™ owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at retail outlets. This week's new games are:

WiiWare

Helix (Ghostfire Games, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone, 1,000 Wii Points): Helix is one of the most innovative music-rhythm games ever designed for the Wii console. Use the Wii Remote™ controller to do dozens of exciting moves, including punches, circles, back fists, hooks and more. Be mesmerized by the eye-popping background visuals, which pulse to the beat of the music. Enjoy incredible replay value with 26 songs to play and three difficulty levels. Try to unlock all of the songs. This game is great for getting exercise plus having fun. No buttons are required, so it's easy for anyone to pick up but difficult for even the best players to master.

Virtual Console

Ys Book I & II (TurboGrafx16 CD-ROM, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone-Mild Fantasy Violence, 800 Wii Points): Ys Book I & II chronicles the first adventures of Adol Christin, a young, red-haired swordsman on a quest to unlock the secrets of an ancient kingdom. As Adol, you search the island of Esteria, gathering clues to unravel the mystery of Ys. Fight monsters that lurk in caves and towers with physical or magical attacks, and use your brain to make your way through dangerous areas filled with traps.
In Ys Book I & II, the first titles in the Ys series were put together as a single TurboGrafx CD-ROM. They awed players with their gripping story lines accompanied by fully orchestrated soundtracks, wonderful voice acting and amazing special effects. Don't miss out on your chance to experience this wonderful piece of gaming history.

SAMURAI SHODOWN 2 (NEOGEO, 1-2 players, Rated T for Teen-Blood, Language, Tobacco Reference, Violence, 900 Wii Points): First released in 1994, this fighting game follows 15 samurai in their individual quests. The rage system, which was popular in the first game, has been further enhanced. Not only does attack power rise when the gauge is full, but the player can also use a special technique that can break the opponent's weapon and force the opponent to fight unarmed. The game also allows for more movement techniques such as back-stepping, rushing forward and ducking, allowing for even more strategies. A fun and important detail of this game: One of the new characters, Cham Cham, was voiced by voice actress Reiko Chiba, an idol in the gaming community.

For more information about Wii, please visit www.wii.com.

WII-KLY UPDATE: ONE WIIWARE GAME AND TWO VIRTUAL CONSOLE GAMES ADDED TO WII SHOP CHANNEL

Aug. 18, 2008 - Fans of '80s platforming action have something to shout about this week-namely, the Virtual Console? debut of a true classic: Mega Man?. Whether you're experiencing this vintage robot adventure for the first time or reliving the fun of your NES® heyday, you'll find all of the game's side-scrolling thrills intact. Meanwhile, players with a passion for sinking the perfect shot can rule the table with a new WiiWare? pool title or conquer the links in a challenging, globetrotting golf game.

Nintendo adds new and classic games to the Wii? Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time every Monday. Wii? owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points? to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at retail outlets. This week's new games are:

WiiWare

Midnight Pool (Gameloft, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone-Mild Suggestive Themes, Simulated Gambling, 800 Wii Points): Take a trip across America to make your dreams come true in a pool tournament worth millions. Visit the most colorful bars and meet seven of the coolest players on the circuit, from country music star Travis to Alison the biologist and John the sheriff. Learn the tricks of the trade through tutorials along the way, while advanced players can take on challenges to show off their trick-shot abilities. Keep things interesting with three sets of rules.
For more information on Midnight Pool, visit http://www.gameloft.com/

Virtual Console

Mega Man (NES, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone-Mild Cartoon Violence, 500 Wii Points): Join the blue bomber in his first-ever adventure as he battles the evil Dr. Wily and his robotic henchmen to restore peace to a troubled world. Mega Man is a super-robot created by the genius scientist Dr. Light. When Dr. Wily goes rogue with an army of six of his own devious robot masters, it's up to Mega Man to put a stop to his nefarious plot by traversing a series of stages rife with enemies, traps and perilous platform challenges. At the end of each stage, conquer one of the robot masters and claim his weapon as your own, using it to your advantage in subsequent fights.

NEO TURF MASTERS (NEOGEO, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone, 900 Wii Points): This is a golf game that was first released in 1996. The player picks one of six available golfers and competes on a number of golf courses around the world, including Japan (Fujiyama Oriental Golf Club), America (Grand Canyon Golf Course), Australia (Blue Lagoon Golf Course) and Germany (Baden Golf Course). The game features two modes of play. The first is Stroke Play, in which the player attempts to get the best score by playing all 18 holes. The second is Match Play, in which two players compete to see who can win more of the 18 holes. Grab a friend and get ready to hit the fairway.

For more information about Wii, please visit www.wii.com.

NINTENDO NEWS: NPD DATA SHOWS NINTENDO'S SUMMER OF FUN ISN'T DONE

Aug. 14, 2008 - Nintendo products kept people entertained in July, whether they wanted to get fit, rock out or just play around. According to the independent NPD Group, which tracks video game sales in the United States, Nintendo DS and Wii again claimed the top two hardware spots for July, with more than 608,000 DS units and more than 555,000 Wii units sold. Wii claimed a 49 percent share of all console sales in July, and extended its lead as the best-selling console of this generation. Nintendo DS represented a 73 percent share of hand-held sales in July.

Five games made for Nintendo systems placed in the top 10 best-selling games of the month, including Wii Fit, with 369,603 units sold at No. 2; Guitar Hero®: On Tour for Nintendo DS, with 309,695 units sold at No. 3; Wii Play, with 284,035 units sold at No. 4; Mario Kart® Wii, with 174,464 units sold at No. 7; and Rock Band for Wii, with 162,886 units sold at No. 8.

"Great hardware goes hand-in-hand with great software," said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "Various types of games for the Nintendo systems are represented in the top 10, demonstrating how we continue to break down the barriers between veteran and new players."

Via official press release. For more information about Nintendo, please visit www.Nintendo.com.

NINTENDO THRILLS POKÉMON FANS WITH NEW DS LIMITED-EDITION POKÉMON PACK

Aug. 11, 2008 - Anyone who loves Pokémon® knows a rare treasure when they see one. A treasure that is sure to be sought after is Nintendo’s new Nintendo DS™ Limited Edition Pokémon Pack, which includes a Pokémon-themed Nintendo DS game system and exclusive Pokémon premiums.

Available on Aug. 17, 2008, the Nintendo DS Limited Edition Pokémon Pack features a custom Onyx Nintendo DS emblazoned with images of Dialga and Palkia, two of the most legendary characters from the Pokémon Diamond and Pokémon Pearl games. The set also includes a never-before-released animated special – Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Darkness (based on the story of the two newest Pokémon DS titles) – plus a cool Dialga and Palkia carrying case, and collectible mini-poster.

Nintendo DS™ Limited Edition Pokémon Pack available on Aug. 17, 2008, features a custom Onyx Nintendo DS emblazoned with images of Dialga and Palkia.

The Nintendo DS Limited Edition Pokémon Pack will be available at a suggested retail price of $129.99. For more information about Pokémon, visit www.Pokemon-Games.com.