Pokemon and Nintendo Debut Pokemon Mini Handheld Game System

Nov. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Gotta catch 'em "small!" Pokemon USA, Inc. and Nintendo introduce Pokemon(R) mini, the newest, smallest addition to the Pokemon game play collection. Available exclusively at the Pokemon Center in New York City's Rockefeller Center and www.PokemonCenter.com just in time for the holidays, the cartridge-based Pokemon mini is the ultimate micro-sized handheld game system for young Pokemon fans everywhere. The pager-sized Pokemon mini makes an ideal stocking stuffer for every Pokemon enthusiast, and fits into any available corner of a crowded backpack. The tiny game system weighs less than three ounces and can be played with friends in the schoolyard or single-handedly at home and works exclusively with miniature Pokemon game cartridges.

Pokemon mini uses special mini-cartridge versions of entertaining games featuring characters beloved by millions of Pokemon fans worldwide. The system comes complete with the Pokemon Party Mini, where players run, jump, dance and play with their favorite Pokemon. Three additional Pokemon mini Game Paks -- Pokemon Pinball mini, the mini version of the popular Game Boy software with a built-in rumble feature; Pokemon Puzzle Collection, a Pokemon classic that lets players catch and store up to 80 Pokemon in the exclusive MINI DEX by solving four different types of puzzles; and Pokemon Zany Cards, the ultimate playing card game -- are available November 2001.

"Pokemon mini is the perfect product to introduce a whole new generation of young fans to the Pokemon phenomenon," says Bruce Loeb, vice president of marketing, Pokemon USA, Inc. "Pokemon mini provides interactive fun on the go, is perfect for long car rides and is small enough to fit into the most stuffed stocking."

Pokemon mini is perfect for little hands, and incorporates state-of-the-art infrared technology that allows players to compete with others in wireless head-to-head competitions. Players can connect with up to five other Pokemon minis at a distance of up to three feet.

Additional features make for the most realistic, interactive Pokemon game play experience available in a compact game system -- the rumble motor vibrates, adding realism to game play, while the shock sensor detects movement and responds accordingly. Available in Wooper Blue, Chikorita Green and Smoochum Purple, Pokemon mini uses a tiny battery to its maximum potential -- a single AAA offers 60 hours of continuous play. Pokemon mini retails for $39.99; additional Game Paks retail for $11.95. Pokemon mini products are available exclusively at the Pokemon Center or online at www.PokemonCenter.com.

About Pokemon USA, Inc.
Pokemon USA, Inc., a New York-based subsidiary of The Pokemon Company (TPC) in Japan, was established to manage and oversee the Pokemon franchise and the upcoming Pokemon Center, a multi-sensory entertainment destination, in New York's Rockefeller Center. The Pokemon creators, along with Nintendo, first launched Pokemon for the world's best-selling Game Boy video game system in Japan in 1996 and watched the original 150 creatures evolve into a global cultural phenomenon. The franchise arrived in North America in September 1998 and has grown into a multi-billion dollar industry worldwide.

About Nintendo Co. Ltd.
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 the upcoming NINTENDO GAMECUBE(TM). Since the release of its first home video game system in 1985, 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.

SOURCE Pokemon USA, Inc.