Nintendo Announces Global Price Drop for Game Boy Advance

The World's Best Video Game System Just Got Better

REDMOND, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 28, 2002--Nintendo today

announced a global price drop for its best-selling, hand-held video

game wonder Game Boy(R) Advance, effective February 1, 2002.

In the U.S., the new suggested retail price is $79.95,

representing a 20-percent decrease. This simultaneous global price

drop is the result of production efficiencies and decreased component

costs.

The U.S. video game industry generated a record-breaking $9.4

billion in 2001, and Game Boy Advance was responsible for more than 20

percent of total hardware units sold. Since its release in June 2001,

Game Boy Advance has sold nearly 5 million hardware units in North

America. To stay ahead of the game, Nintendo remains on track to ship

23.5 million Game Boy Advance and Game Boy Color units to retail

outlets worldwide during its current fiscal year, ending March 2002.

"The new price point truly positions Game Boy Advance as a video

game system for the mass market," says Peter Main, executive vice

president, sales and marketing, Nintendo of America Inc. "Coupled with

an explosive amount of incredible software scheduled for the year,

Game Boy Advance is positioned to become the best-selling video game

hardware system of all time."

This year will see the release of more than 200 games for Game Boy

Advance, including Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2(TM),

launching on February 11th. Nintendo will also introduce innovative

new game play formats to take advantage of the new Nintendo

GameCube(TM)Game Boy Advance cable. The first games to feature this

game play synergy are Sonic Advance(TM)from THQ for Game Boy Advance

and Sonic(TM) Adventure 2: Battle from Sega for NINTENDO GAMECUBE,

both launching in February. Using this new device, players can

transfer data between the two systems, giving gamers a brand new level

of game play never before experienced.

"The enormous success of Game Boy Advance has made publishing

games for the system a clear triumph for us," says Brian Farrell,

President and CEO, THQ Inc. "With this price drop our products will

now reach even more consumers."

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, Nintendo(R) 64, Game

Boy Advance and NINTENDO GAMECUBE(TM). Since the release of its first

home video game system in 1983, Nintendo has sold more than 1.4

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 Game Boy Advance or other Nintendo

products, visit the company's Web sites, www.nintendo.com or

www.gameboyadvance.com.