Nintendo announced today that its previously announced JoySpot service goes live in less than two weeks. Consisting of wireless base stations—also known as hot spots—at retail locations around the country, JoySpot acts as a miniature server and hub for GBA games supporting the wireless adapter.

Pokémon Fire Red & Leaf Green is currently the only game on the market supporting the wireless adapter, bundled with every copy of Fire/Green. Players can download news from the JoySpot station in Pokémon Fire/Leaf via the virtual JoySpot kiosks in most of the game’s stores (though it requires a four-word password). Players can also take part in special JoySpot challenge battles among other gamers within the station’s range by talking to them in the union room. Screenshots and details of how to connect can be found on Nintendo’s official Japanese Pokémon site. Mario Golf: Advance Tour, scheduled for an April 22nd release in Japan, will be the second compatible Game Boy Advance game.

Nintendo’s current JoySpot service could be the beginning of a bigger plan—at least for Japan. Upcoming wireless technology may drastically increase the range of Nintendo’s JoySpot stations, making it possible to connect without leaving one’s house. This would create, in essence, an online gaming network independent of a household’s Internet access! Such an alternative to traditional network connections would be unlikely outside of Japan’s densely populated locales; NOA and NOE would have to create equivalent internet-based alternatives for their respective territories.