DRAGON QUEST IX: SENTINELS OF THE STARRY SKIES LAUNCHES ON JULY 11, 2010

Character Customization, Cooperative Multiplayer Adventuring and an Epic Story Make for a One-of-a-Kind Nintendo DS Experience

REDMOND, Wash., May 19, 2010 - Launching in the United States on July 11, DRAGON QUEST® IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies™ for the Nintendo DS™ family of systems lets players enjoy an adventure that is entirely their own, yet can be shared with others anywhere, anytime. Developed by Square Enix Co., Ltd., this game has already become a phenomenon with players of all ages and backgrounds in Japan, with more than 4.2 million units sold.

Before setting off on their adventure, players can create their own heroes, deciding how they would like their face, hair and clothing to look. As the story unfolds, players become stronger, smarter and more powerful, and can customize companions who join their group. Players will have fun discovering more than 1,000 pieces of clothing, armor, weapons and other items that will provide them with a unique appearance and special abilities. Players can also change the class of their character at any time, choosing from a variety of vocations that will affect their abilities and strengths in the game.

In DRAGON QUEST IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies, players begin their adventure as a city guardian who is sent to retrieve a sacred tree's fruits, which have the power to grant wishes. Players travel the world, conquer fearsome monsters and unravel an epic storyline. During their journey, players will encounter mighty opponents in fast-paced battles, and also interact with a colorful cast of characters.

In DRAGON QUEST IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies, players begin their adventure as a city guardian who is sent to retrieve a sacred tree's fruits, which have the power to grant wishes. Players travel the world, conquer fearsome monsters and unravel an epic storyline. During their journey, players will encounter mighty opponents in fast-paced battles, and also interact with a colorful cast of characters.

DRAGON QUEST IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies contains special modes that let players share their adventure with others, allowing up to four players to team up via a local wireless connection and experience the fun of tackling challenging monsters and dungeons cooperatively with their own characters. Players can even leave the game active in their backpacks, pockets or purses and still interact with other players via an interactive "Tag Mode." Information about players' characters can be wirelessly transmitted to others, and treasure maps and customized greetings can be exchanged automatically by players who come within range of one another when their games are set to Tag Mode.

Players looking to enjoy a variety of different game activities can take on special side quests. Some of these quests will be earned by progressing through the game, while additional quests will be made available for free download for players with broadband Internet access after the game launches, providing hours of additional content for virtual adventurers to enjoy either on their own or with friends. Some downloadable quests will continue the main storyline of the game, while others offer standalone missions.

"DRAGON QUEST IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies is one of the biggest games ever to hit Nintendo DS, with an incredible amount of content for every kind of player to enjoy," said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "This new game has all of the elements of an instant classic: customization options, a great story, and the ability to share a nearly limitless experience with friends."

For more information about DRAGON QUEST IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies, please visit dragonquest.nintendo.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™ home console and Nintendo DS™ family of portable systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System™, Nintendo has sold more than 3.4 billion video games and more than 565 million hardware units globally, including the current-generation Wii, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi™ and Nintendo DSi XL™, as well as the Game Boy™, Game Boy Advance, Super NES™, Nintendo 64™ and Nintendo GameCube™ systems. It has also created industry icons that have become well-known, household names such as 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, please visit the company's website at www.nintendo.com.

AHA AND NINTENDO JOIN FORCES TO PROMOTE HEALTHY LIVING THROUGH ACTIVE-PLAY VIDEO GAMES

Consumers Motivated to 'Get Informed, Get Empowered, Get Active'

NEW YORK, May 17, 2010 – The American Heart Association and Nintendo of America today announced a first-of-its-kind, multifaceted strategic relationship aimed at helping people create healthy lifestyles through physically active play. The two organizations will work together on multiple fronts to help consumers discover how active-play video games contribute to healthy living. Their joint efforts will arm consumers with information, provide people with hands-on experiences and arrange a summit of representatives from different backgrounds to discuss the benefits of active-play video games.

"Our two organizations come from different worlds, but we share a common goal," said Clyde Yancy, M.D., president of the American Heart Association. "Showing people accessible ways to stay active has been a part of our mission for decades, but our research tells us nearly 70 percent of Americans are getting no regular physical activity. As an organization we are looking for ways to change this. Nintendo has demonstrated clear leadership in active-play video games with the popularity of the Wii system, and I'm confident that together we can encourage Americans to become more physically active."

Recent research indicates that the average person spends more than eight hours of each day sitting down*. The American Heart Association has been conducting its own studies to investigate the reasons why many Americans aren't more physically active. In a recent survey, more than half of respondents identified lack of time as one of the main obstacles preventing them from enjoying regular physical activity. Of those who almost never exercise, nearly 40 percent said that "exercise is not fun." The American Heart Association and Nintendo aim to help eliminate these common barriers with a call to action that motivates people to "Get Informed," "Get Empowered" and "Get Active."

American Heart Association-Nintendo Relationship

"Nintendo has been helping people get up off the couch and get playing since the Wii system launched in 2006," said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "By joining forces with the American Heart Association, we further our commitment to bringing fun and accessible active-play video games to a broader audience."

To "Get Informed" about products that can be used to create a more physically active lifestyle, consumers will see the iconic American Heart Association brand on boxes for the Wii Fit™ Plus and Wii Sports Resort™ software and for the Wii™ system itself beginning this summer. Nintendo and the American Heart Association will also launch an online information center at www.activeplaynow.com, where visitors can read about the benefits of physically active play, conduct personal assessments and learn more about living a more physically active lifestyle.

Additionally, later this year Nintendo and the American Heart Association will convene a multidisciplinary summit of representatives from areas such as science, health care, research, physical activity, fitness and video gaming. The goal will be to bring together thought leaders, each with a unique perspective, to take a closer look at the synergies and potential benefits of active-play video games and physically active lifestyles. Some of the people involved in the development of the summit include Dr. Timothy Church, exercise physiologist and chair of the American Heart Association's Physical Activity Committee; Hank Wasiak, a communications industry leader and self-help author; and Michael D. Gallagher, president and chief executive officer of the Entertainment Software Association, the trade association representing U.S. computer and video game publishers.

"Video games' remarkable ability to inspire and motivate are keys to reaching new audiences. This alliance between Nintendo and the American Heart Association marks an extraordinary opportunity, not only for both groups but for the interactive entertainment software industry at large," Gallagher said. "At a time when most Americans could benefit from more regular physical exercise, these high-profile efforts to promote healthy entertainment help to make active-play video games even more appealing to consumers of all kinds."

In this photo provided by the American Heart Association and Nintendo of America, consumer Erica Maynard of Newport News, Va., demonstrates how active-play video games like Wii Fit Plus can be a part of a healthy lifestyle. At a May 17, 2010, event in New York, the American Heart Association and Nintendo of America announced they were joining forces to promote physically active play. (David Goldberg/AP Images for American Heart Association and Nintendo of America)

The American Heart Association and Nintendo also will help people to "Get Empowered" by making personal choices about creating a healthy lifestyle. People can find fun new ways to incorporate physical activity into their lives, such as participating in Start! Heart Walk events and using the American Heart Association's My Life Check test to evaluate their lifestyles. The relationship is also designed to help people "Get Active" through active-play video games like Nintendo's Wii Fit Plus and Wii Sports Resort, which also will be showcased at select Start! Heart Walk events around the country.

Separate from this strategic relationship, the American Heart Association has recognized Nintendo of America as one of its Start! Fit-Friendly Companies, a designation for employers who go above and beyond when it comes to their employees' health and provide opportunities for wellness in the workplace.

For more information about Nintendo, visit www.nintendo.com. For more information about the American Heart Association, visit americanheart.org.

*According to a December 2009 poll by the Institute for Medicine and Public Health.

NINTENDO DOWNLOAD: NEW DOWNLOADABLE GAMES WILL BLOW YOUR MIND, NOT YOUR BUDGET

May 17, 2010 - Just because Nintendo offers a rich selection of downloadable games doesn't mean you have to be rich to enjoy them. Available for just 500 Nintendo DSi Points™ apiece, Looksley's Line Up™ and Frogger Returns for the Nintendo DSiWare™ service offer immersive virtual world fun and arcade-inspired thrills, respectively, at a budget-friendly price. Check out the complete lineup of incredible titles for the hand-held Nintendo DSi™ system, and while you're at it, be sure to download the hilarious new Photo Dojo™ game, available for zero Nintendo DSi Points through June 10 (the game will require 200 Nintendo DSi Points for download as of June 11).

BIT.TRIP RUNNER marks a fresh installment in one of the WiiWare™ service's most acclaimed game series, while the Super NES™ classic Kirby Super Star™ arrives on the Virtual Console™ service, each available to download for only 800 Wii Points™. Also, fans of Band Hero for the Wii™ system can be among the first to play the new Band Hero 1 Track Pack, featuring music from Miley Cyrus ("7 Things"), Selena Gomez ("Falling Down") and Demi Lovato ("Here We Go Again"). This pack will be exclusive to Wii for one week starting May 18, 2010.

This week also brings new additions to the "Big Name Games" section of the WarioWare™: D.I.Y. series, featuring downloadable microgames from some of the industry's most talented figures. Gary and Allison, hosts of the Nintendo Channel's "Nintendo Week" program, have each created an original microgame to add to the series' wild mix. New "Big Name Games" will be added every Monday through July 26, all available to download for zero Nintendo DSi Points to anyone with broadband Internet access and a copy of either WarioWare: D.I.Y. for the Nintendo DS™ family of systems or WarioWare: D.I.Y. Showcase software for the WiiWare service. Visit the Nintendo Channel on your Wii™ system today to learn more about these games and to get a look at Gary and Allison's imaginative creations.

Nintendo DSiWare

Looksley's Line Up
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Looksley the rabbit needs your assistance to finish the story he's writing. Guide him through a world based on famous fairy tales and folk stories from around the globe, helping him to gather inspiration by finding hidden items along the way. In this unique take on hidden-picture games, you'll move the Nintendo DSi system to change your view of various 3-D dioramas. Peer deeply into the scene as you shift the system, watching as layers within the diorama move to reveal previously unseen letters and objects. As you collect these letters and objects, you'll meet new characters and spell words that will open additional stages with more sets of hidden items to find. Particular stages contain secret pictures, testing your observation skills even further. Scour each scene's incredible depth and detail as you lend Looksley a hand in completing his masterpiece. Players of all ages will love this visual puzzle challenge and be amazed to see that even the same spot can look different from another angle.

img src="http://www.a4at.com/blog/media/blogs/b/frogger_returns2.jpg" class="weeklyupdate" alt="Frogger Returns" title="Frogger Returns" width="180" height="136" />Frogger Returns
Publisher: Konami Digital Entertainment
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Frogger is coming to a Nintendo DSi system near you! Frogger Returns takes the heart-pounding challenge of arcade Frogger and moves it into the next dimension. Classic top-down 2-D game play is updated with colorful 3-D graphics, a new perspective, new levels, new enemies and game-changing power-ups to dodge and use. Four stages take the original journey of Frogger from highway to home through a new adventure. Use multiple modes to attack your top scores, race against the clock or just get Frogger to his home pad.

A Topsy Turvy Life: Turvy Drops™
Publisher: TECMO KOEI GAMES
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Turn the Nintendo DSi system upside down and draw blocks on the touch screen to fill spaces in this topsy-turvy take on puzzle games. Play "Endless Mode" to see just how many points you can get as the blocks on the bottom screen fill faster and faster. The more blocks you clear at once, the higher your score. Play "Puzzle Mode" to test your brain against 30 mind-bending puzzles. Clear all the blocks within the specified time and turn limits. Can you solve the puzzles before time is up?

Flips: More Bloody Horowitz
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Players: 1
Price: 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Description: Anthony Horowitz, the best-selling creator of Alex Rider, gives horror a whole new look in this mischievous collection of macabre tales, exclusive to the Flips series. Including three new stories – each with its own unique feature, such as illustrations and sound effects – Flips: More Bloody Horowitz finds Horowitz at his most wicked. The Flips series brings modern classics to the Nintendo DSiWare service, allowing readers to collect, solve, interact and learn as they progress through the various stories and challenges.

WiiWare

BIT.TRIP RUNNER
Publisher: Aksys Games
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: Discover the fastest, most exhilarating action-platformer to hit the WiiWare service. Race across the moon, kicking down crystal walls and sliding under chomping moon-slugs. Bound through the Robotic Mines and face off against the MinerMech. Dash through the Big City on a quest to find friends and defeat the final boss together. RUNNER is the fourth entry in the award-winning and critically acclaimed BIT.TRIP series. You control CommanderVideo as he runs, jumps, slides and kicks. With exciting modern and retro challenges, you can move through more than 50 levels of addictive game play. Chiptune supergroup Anamanaguchi makes a guest appearance. Join CommanderVideo on his most epic journey yet!

Blood Beach
Publisher: Coresoft Inc.
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) – Blood, Violence
Price: 1,000 Wii Points
Description: You are hopelessly outnumbered and have no choice but to fight and win. Just you, your guns and the thin stretch of Blood Beach stand between you and the entire Japanese Imperial Navy. You have an impressive arsenal of weapons, including the M2 BMG, 40mm M1 and, of course, your Thompson SMG. But the Imperial Japanese Navy will hit you with everything they can muster – "Zeros," "Bettys" and even Takao-class battleships – in their methodical and relentless push to recapture the Solomon Islands. High scores can be saved for Easy, Normal and Hard levels of difficulty.

Virtual Console

Kirby Super Star
Original platform: Super NES
Publisher: Nintendo
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 800 Wii Points
Description: That awful King Dedede is at it again – he's stolen all the food in Dream Land. It's up to Kirby™ to get it back and ultimately save Pop Star from being overtaken. In what may be the most diverse adventure yet for the round, pink hero, Kirby journeys through six main games and two minigames, finishing with the ultimate showdown in The Arena. Each game offers its own story and style of platforming action, as well as unique environments and an assortment of enemies. Swallowing an enemy allows Kirby to copy the abilities of that enemy, granting him the power to perform special attacks and giving him a new hat to don. In a strategic twist, Kirby can now give up an acquired ability and use it to turn an enemy into a helper. The helper will follow Kirby around and automatically fight as his ally or offer a second player the chance to join in the game by controlling it. There's never a dull moment as Kirby dashes, flies and swallows enemies in his battle against King Dedede, Dyna Blade and Meta Knight.

Nintendo adds new titles to the Nintendo DSi Shop and the Wii Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time on Mondays. Users with broadband Internet access can redeem Wii Points or Nintendo DSi Points to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel. Nintendo DSi Points can be purchased in the Nintendo DSi Shop. A Nintendo Points Card™ can be purchased at retail locations. All points from one Nintendo Points Card must be redeemed in either the Nintendo DSi Shop or the Wii Shop Channel. They are not transferable and cannot be divided between the two systems.

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

NINTENDO NEWS: NINTENDO TOPS U.S. VIDEO GAME HARDWARE SALES IN APRIL

May 14, 2010 - According to the independent NPD Group, Nintendo's Wii™ system and Nintendo DS™ family of systems outsold all other gaming hardware in the United States during the month of April. Even before the announcement of the new Wii hardware package, U.S. sales of the Wii console topped 277,000 for the month. Meanwhile, the Nintendo DS family of hand-held systems sold more than 440,000 units nationwide. Together, Nintendo video game system sales represented 60 percent of all hardware sold in the United States in April.

"Consumers recognize the unprecedented combination of value and fun offered by Nintendo game systems," said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "But including even more hardware and software with every Wii system should drive consumer interest even higher."

New additions to the basic Wii package in North America went on sale May 9. In addition to a Wii console, one Wii Remote™ controller, one Nunchuk™ controller and a copy of the Wii Sports™ game, each system now comes bundled with a copy of Wii Sports Resort™ and a Wii MotionPlus™ accessory. Consumers can also choose between two hardware color schemes: white or black. The suggested retail price of the system remains unchanged at $199.99.

Six of the top 10 best-selling games of April play on Nintendo systems. These include Pokémon™ SoulSilver Version at No. 2 with nearly 243,000 sold, New Super Mario Bros.™ Wii at No. 3 with more than 200,000 sold, Pokémon HeartGold Version at No. 4 with more than 192,000 sold, Wii Sports Resort™ with Wii MotionPlus at No. 5 with more than 179,000 sold, Just Dance by Ubisoft at No. 8 with more than 144,000 sold and Wii Fit™ Plus with the Wii Balance Board™ accessory at No. 10 with more than 130,000 sold.

For more information about Nintendo, please visit www.nintendo.com.

NINTENDO FILES LAWSUIT AGAINST REPEAT PIRACY OFFENDER

Legal Action Reflects Global Efforts to Combat Video Game Piracy

REDMOND, Wash., May 13, 2010 - In the ongoing fight against video game piracy worldwide, Nintendo of America Inc. has filed a civil lawsuit against the owner of multiple websites that sell illegal video game copiers. Nintendo filed suit on May 11 in the Western District of Washington against the owner of NXPGAME of Queens, New York.

Nintendo investigated a website owned by NXPGAME and found that it was selling illegal video game copiers that enable the user to download, play and distribute illegal copies of Nintendo DS™ and Nintendo DSi™ video game software. After multiple letters and telephone calls from Nintendo's legal counsel, the owner agreed to cease selling game copiers and closed his website. Shortly thereafter, the owner launched an identical business at a different website address, and redirected people who visited his old site to the new one to purchase illegal game copiers.

Despite the repeated attempts to get NXPGAME Inc. to cease its illegal activities, the company and its owner continue to operate multiple websites that sell illegal game copiers. Nintendo asserts that NXPGAME is willfully infringing on the company's intellectual property rights. Additionally, one of the company's websites uses Nintendo registered trademarks and violates Nintendo's copyrights.

"Using game copiers to play unauthorized downloaded games is illegal and it's wrong," said Jodi Daugherty, Nintendo of America's senior director of Anti-Piracy. "Piracy is especially harmful to smaller developers. When their creative works are stolen and copied illegally, some companies find it difficult to survive economically."

Internet piracy hurts Nintendo, as well as the businesses of more than 1,400 video game-development companies that depend on legitimate sales of games for their survival.

"I love gaming and I spent years of hard work and a significant personal financial investment to make my video game dream a reality," said Alex Neuse, CEO of Gaijin Games, the developer of the BIT.TRIP series of games available on the WiiWare™ service. "But I estimate that more than 70 percent of our games that are in the hands of the public have been copied illegally. Every download that is made illegally is another blow against new and original games. Put simply, if you enjoy a company's games, paying for them helps to ensure that they will continue to make products you'll like. Piracy especially hurts small independent developers who don't command the sales figures/profits that the bigger companies do; and that ultimately hurts not only developers but all gamers."

This lawsuit follows the 2009 Nintendo v. Chan case, in which a U.S. District Court in Los Angeles confirmed that game copiers violate the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and are deemed illegal in the United States. The U.S. District Court ruled that devices such as the R4 copier infringe on Nintendo's intellectual property rights. In that case, the court ordered Chan and the three major websites that he operated to stop selling the illegal devices immediately.

Game copiers are designed to connect to the Nintendo DS, Nintendo DS Lite and Nintendo DSi hand-held systems and circumvent the technological protection measures embedded in the system. This infringes on Nintendo's intellectual property rights. These game copiers are then used to copy and play illegal Nintendo game files offered unlawfully via the Internet.

Illegal copying of video game software is an international problem that continues to plague the video game industry. Companies such as Nintendo, various law-enforcement authorities and trade organizations like the Entertainment Software Association continue to take aggressive steps to prevent the proliferation of these devices on a global scale, and similar results are being achieved in many countries. Since 2009, Nintendo has supported almost 1,500 legal actions (including customs seizures, law-enforcement actions and civil proceedings) in more than 20 countries that have resulted in the confiscation of more than 422,000 video game copiers.

To report game copiers, illegal Nintendo software or other piracy-related activities, please contact Nintendo at 1-800-255-3700 or piracyscene@noa.nintendo.com.

For more information about Nintendo's fight against piracy, visit http://ap.nintendo.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™ home console and Nintendo DS™ family of portable systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System™, Nintendo has sold more than 3.4 billion video games and more than 565 million hardware units globally, including the current-generation Wii, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi™ and Nintendo DSi XL™, as well as the Game Boy™, Game Boy Advance, Super NES™, Nintendo 64™ and Nintendo GameCube™ systems. It has also created industry icons that have become well-known, household names such as 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, please visit the company's website at www.nintendo.com.