Nintendo DS U.S. Launch Details

Nintendo DS U.S. Launch Details Nintendo DS U.S. Launch Details

Fans at Special Midnight Sales Event Will Be First in the World to Experience Eagerly Awaited New System Offering Advanced Interactive Game Play

EB Games will be the first national retailer to officially launch the highly anticipated new Nintendo DS at midnight on Saturday, November 20th. The new system has been described by many in the video game industry to be the most innovative and advanced game platform to launch in more than a decade. The premiere national launch event will take place at midnight at EB Games new flagship store at Universal CityWalk in Los Angeles.

Scheduled for release just in time for the holiday shopping season, the system will try to inject new life to handheld gameplay, a field in which the Japanese gaming giant has excelled this far. Nintendo plans to ship more than one million units by the end of the year in North America. Offering accelerated and sophisticated game play options, Nintendo fans will be able to experience new and classic game titles such as Mario, Metroid, Madden, The Sims, and Spider-Man for the Nintendo DS system in a whole new way.

The Nintendo DS features the most advanced cutting-edge portable play options for fans of any genre. It also boasts dual LCD screens and a touch screen technology that allows players to interact with game content -- and other players -- like never before. With the Nintendo DS wireless communication capability and built-in PictoChat software players can draw, send messages, and experience the most electrifying real-time, multi-player game play available in the industry.

The Nintendo DS national launch celebration at EB Games' Universal CityWalk store, considered by diehard gamers to be the interactive hub of the West Coast, is expected to attract the core of the dedicated game fan community that has long awaited the release of this landmark system. Pre-order customers and fans, expected to attend in the hundreds in anticipation of the midnight launch, will be able to enjoy the spirit of the local video game community and mix with peers and mutual fans. The EB Games event will feature live DJ music, spun by local artist DJ Rap, prize giveaways, and live Astrovision game play on the giant screens above the EB Games store.

According to EB Games, pre-orders for the handheld system have exceeded expectations and you can pre-order the device now by visiting the EB Games DS Pre-Order Page.

Nintendo DS will have a large library of titles to offer fans at launch time. The system will be bundled with a playable demo of the upcoming Metroid Prime Hunters. In addition, a dozen titles will be initially available spanning every game genre, including Super Mario 64 DS from Nintendo, Madden NFL 2005, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR Golf and The Urbz : Sims in the City from EA, Spider-Man 2 from Activision, Ping Pals from THQ, Feel the Magic : XY/XX from SEGA, Rayman DS and Asphalt Urban GT and Sprung from Ubisoft, and Ridge Racer DS and Mr. DRILLER Drill Spirits from Namco. By the end of March, the Nintendo DS game library will include 20 to 25 games. More than 125 games remain in development worldwide, from Nintendo as well as every major third-party developer. To accommodate existing Nintendo fans, Nintendo DS is also backward compatible with Game Boy Advance games, which has a library of more than 550 games.

The Nintendo DS system will retail for an MSRP of USD 149.99 at EB Games storefronts across the U.S. Standard add-ons include a built-in microphone port that enables players to interact more fully with their favorite games and rich stereo sound that delivers a virtual surround capability to enhance the energy of the system's immersive experience. System accessories such as an AC adaptor, Stylus set, and wrist strap will also be available and sold separately.