REDMOND, Wash., Nov. 19, 2002 – The most successful video game system in history is finally ready for its debut on the big screen. Nintendo of America Inc. today announced it will introduce the NINTENDO GAMECUBE Game Boy Player in May 2003, allowing a library of more than 1,000 games designed for the original Game Boy®, Game Boy® Color and the current Game Boy® Advance to be displayed on home televisions through the NINTENDO GAMECUBE™ console.

The Game Boy Player, a one-inch platform connecting to the bottom of the NINTENDO GAMECUBE, will match the NINTENDO GAMECUBE footprint and allow players to use either their console controller or Game Boy Advance to direct action on screen.

“For several years, the video game industry has been pushing forward to new technical frontiers…while at the same time celebrating classic hit games of the past,” says Peter MacDougall, executive vice president, sales and marketing, Nintendo of America Inc. “This new Game Boy Player actually fulfills both desires: it instantly makes your current favorite Game Boy Advance game larger-than-life, and at the same time allows you to see your favorite portable title from a decade ago in an entirely new way.”

Since its introduction in 1989, Nintendo’s portable Game Boy line has been responsible for sales of more than half a billion games worldwide. And that total stands to jump substantially with the introductions of Metroid Fusion®, launched this week in North America; The Legend of Zelda®: A Link to the Past®, launching in North America on Dec. 2; and two new Pokémon games, Pokémon® Ruby and Pokémon® Sapphire, launching in Japan on Nov. 21 and in the U.S., first quarter of next year.

Indirectly, the Game Boy Player will also boost the game library for NINTENDO GAMECUBE from 180 by year-end to well over 1,000 with the inclusion of hundreds of Game Boy titles. Plus, with the ability to play all of your favorite Game Boy games on the road and on a big screen at home, it is even more reason to own both NINTENDO GAMECUBE and Game Boy Advance.

The Game Boy Player accommodates several novel forms of game play. With the Game Boy or Game Boy Advance game cartridge inserted in the Game Boy Player, a regular NINTENDO GAMECUBE controller or WaveBird™ wireless controller can direct the action. Or, using the Nintendo GameCube Game Boy Advance link cable (sold separately), the Game Boy Advance becomes the controller. The Game Boy Player also supports multiplayer action via Game Boy Advance Link Cables. Player one sees the action on the TV screen while other players view the screens on their linked Game Boy Advance systems.

The Game Boy Player will launch in Japan in March 2003. The manufacturer's suggested retail price has not yet been announced for the North American market.

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® 64, Game Boy® Advance and NINTENDO GAMECUBE™. 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™ and Donkey Kong® and launching such franchises as Zelda™ and Pokémon®. As a wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo's operations in the Western Hemisphere.