Over the last 15 years, home console owners have most enjoyed the exploits of characters like Mario, Sonic and Zelda. Maybe it’s more than coincidence that when you look at the top-selling Game Boy software thus far in 2002, whose names should pop up but Mario, Sonic and Zelda? Younger players are discovering these games for the first time because after all, they’re brand new to them. The easy-to-play, character-based challenge of these adventures is every bit as attractive to a pre-teen today as it was a decade ago. It’s just available now on a different device. So, we have no intention of changing this recipe.
A huge splash will come in December with the introduction of The Legend of Zelda that includes Zelda: Four Swords. This single SKU marks the first four-person Zelda game in history. Also, our pink puffball Kirby, now a certified star in the worlds of Saturday morning cartoons and licensed merchandise, returns in a new Game Boy Advance title next month. Game Boy is also where Pokémon sprang to life and where Pokémon returns early next year with Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire.
Additionally, to further appeal to the young gamer's appetite for low cost, easy-to-play games, we recently launched an exciting new Game Boy Advance accessory. Our exclusive e-Reader swipes optical data right off the edges of traditional collectable trading cards and transforms it into a brand new entertainment experience. For example, complete classic NES games are available to e-Reader owners for under $5.
We believe this is the holiday season in which many Game Boy Advance owners will acquire their very first console. We also strongly believe Nintendo is uniquely positioned to be their system of choice. With Nintendo GameCube offering a line-up of character-based games so familiar to them, the chance to see these characters play out on the bigger screen will be a compelling proposition. We also provide another unique reason to buy our console, the ability to connect Nintendo GameCube and Game Boy Advance.
For example, in the hugely popular Animal Crossing Nintendo GameCube game, connecting the two platforms opens up new game environments. For e-Reader owners swiping the Animal Crossing card further enhances the game play experience. The step from Game Boy Advance ownership to Nintendo GameCube play should be an easy one. But I don't want to fool you into thinking Game Boy Advance is just for kids; quite the contrary. You might be surprised to find out how many members of the audience here today spend down time in airplanes or even on subways enjoying Game Boy.
The big news this fall includes hit titles like Minority Report, Turok Evolution and Castlevania, and to add to that, Metroid Fusion is fully connectable to our Metroid Prime console software.
