Nintendo's Highly Anticipated ``Animal Crossing'' Spreads across United States; Revolutionary Communication Game Creates Virtual Life in Actual Time

Business Wire, Sept 19, 2002

Business Editors/Entertainment Editors/High-Tech Writers

NOTE TO MEDIA: Multimedia Assets Available

REDMOND, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 19, 2002

Nintendo of America's groundbreaking new game, Animal Crossing(TM), exclusively for NINTENDO GAMECUBE(TM), is now available on store shelves.

An exciting new genre gaining worldwide momentum, Animal Crossing is a virtual existence in actual time which extends for the next 30 years. In this pioneering game, time progresses parallel with the real world giving players a daily reason to play and allowing them to experience the compelling game play in any way they choose. The game, for one to four alternating players, is available at an MSRP of $49.95 and includes one memory card.

"Animal Crossing is redefining video games," explains Peter MacDougall, executive vice president, sales and marketing, Nintendo of America Inc. "Players can fish, garden, design furnishings, collect great works of art, cooperate with or play tricks on their neighbors. It's all up to them, and with the real time clock, they can continue to cultivate or compete against their friends and in-game characters until 2032!"

Players of Animal Crossing design a virtual life that unfolds more each day as they build relationships with other players and the animals of their village by talking with them, exchanging gifts, completing tasks, and sending letters. The other occupants of the town carry on their lives whether the game is being played or not and will respond to players based not only on the type of interaction but the amount of it. Players even need to be careful not to be gone too long as weeds will grow and villagers may decide to move away, leaving few acquaintances.

The life the player builds can be shared within the game by up to four other players who each can buy a home and become a member of the community. By saving a personalized village on a memory card, players can travel via a train to a friend's hometown to collect rare items, meet other villagers, and possibly convince some of the townsfolk to move back to their hometown. This form of travel allows players to interact outside the game with an unlimited number of other players.

Animal Crossing also delivers connectivity between multiple systems. By linking Animal Crossing with the Game Boy Advance(R) using the NINTENDO GAMECUBE Game Boy Advance cable, players visit a special island, meet a new companion and download classic 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment System(R) (NES) games for portable gaming fun. The cable link also allows players to download a tool for creating designs in the NINTENDO GAMECUBE game.

Additionally, players can attach the exclusive e-Reader(TM) accessory right into the game slot on their Game Boy Advance. Then, by swiping exclusive Animal Crossing-e cards through the e-Reader, players get special letters from animal friends and more opportunities to collect classic NES games. E-Reader is on sale now at an MSRP of $39.95; Animal Crossing-e cards will be available on October 28th at an MSRP of $3.29.

As 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 video game systems. The systems include Game Boy(R), Nintendo(R) 64, Game Boy Advance(R) and NINTENDO GAMECUBE(TM). Since the release of its first home video game system in 1983, Nintendo has sold more than 1.6 billion video games worldwide, creating enduring industry icons such as Mario(TM) and Donkey Kong(R) and launching such franchises as Zelda(TM) and Pokemon(R). As 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 GAMECUBE or any other Nintendo product visit the company's Web site www.nintendo.com.

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