LADYDRAGON.COM - Nintendo annouces the New Gameboy Advance SP

Tuesday January 07, 2003

Nintendo annouces the New Gameboy Advance SP

The biggest star in the history of video games is getting even brighter. Nintendo of Canada Ltd. today announces the introduction of Game Boy^® Advance SP, a redesigned version of the wildly popular Game Boy Advance. The system has a new illumination feature and sleek flip-screen design making it the most distinctively stylish, compact and portable Game Boy system ever.

The Game Boy Advance SP will become an instant “must-have” gadget when it arrives in stores in Canada on Saturday, March 22, 2003, for an estimated retail price of $149.95. It will launch in two colours: cobalt (metallic) and platinum.

Building on the significant improvements and refinements already introduced in the current Game Boy Advance, the new Game Boy Advance SP features a revolutionary Front Light Screen making game play easy in any lighting condition. The system is powered by a rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery good for about 10 hours of game play and takes only three hours to recharge. Amazingly, the battery life increases to approximately 18 hours of continuous play when the Front Light Screen is turned off.

All current and future Game Boy Advance games are compatible with the new system. And, similarly, Game Boy Advance SP is backward compatible, allowing use with virtually all games and accessories previously released in the Game Boy line.

“Both Game Boy Advance and Game Boy Advance SP reflect the best the video game market has ever seen in hand-held gaming,” says Ron Bertram, general manager, Nintendo of Canada Ltd. “For those who want the latest in technology and edgy design, Game Boy Advance SP delivers the ultimate in portable gaming.”

Nintendo will continue to manufacture and market its current, successful Game Boy Advance system, which has now sold-through more than 11.5 million units in North America alone since its launch a little more than a year ago.

Since its introduction in 1989, Nintendo’s portable Game Boy line has sold more than one-half billion games worldwide, delivering a depth and quality of game play far beyond that offered by any other portable electronics device, such as Personal Digital Assistants (PDA’s) or mobile phones.

As a wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of Canada Ltd., based in Vancouver, British Columbia, is a leader and innovator in the $1 billion video game industry in Canada. Nintendo of Canada markets hardware and software for 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®. Nintendo is dedicated to the long-term development of the interactive entertainment industry, devoting its resources towards maximizing the latest technology to create the most innovative, interactive entertainment products in the world.

GAME BOY^® ADVANCE SP HARDWARE SPECIFICS

Street Date and Estimated Retail Price:

March 22, 2003 in Canada ($149.95)

March 23, 2003 in U.S. ($99.95)

February 14, 2003 in Japan (12,500 yen)

March 28, 2003 in Europe (129.99 euros)

March 28, 2003 in Australia (AU$199.99)

Size: Approximate Height (closed) 3.33” / Width 3.23” / Depth 0.96”

CPU: 32-bit RISC-CPU with embedded memory

Screen: 2.9” Reflective TFT Colour LCD

Light Source: Front lights have been integrated with existing reflective LCD

Display Size: 1.61” x 2.41” (identical to Game Boy Advance)

Resolution: 240 x 160 pixels (identical to Game Boy Advance)

Colour: Simultaneously displays more than 32,000 colours (identical to Game Boy Advance)

Weight: Approximately 5 ounces

Power Supply: Rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery

Battery Life: 10 hours continuous play with three hour recharging

18 hours continuous play with light function disabled

Hardware Colour: Platinum and Cobalt (metallic)

Software: More than 300 Game Boy Advance software titles, in addition to virtually all titles available for Game Boy and Game Boy Colour.

Peripheral Devices: e-Reader^™, Game Boy Advance Game Link cable, Nintendo

(Sold Separately) GameCube^™ Game Boy Advance cable, Game Boy Advance SP headphone jack adapter

Additional Facts:

The unit also can connect to the Nintendo GameCube™ console via the Nintendo GameCube Game Boy Advance cable. Games compatible with this cable can offer a variety of ground-breaking features from exchanging data or unlocking new game levels to allowing the Game Boy Advance to be used as a supplemental game screen or input device.