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For Immediate Release

This Pokémon was made for walking

Nintendo Introduces A Virtual Companion With Pokémon Pikachu

ATLANTA, May 27, 1998 - It's a virtual pet. It's a walking companion. It's an alarm clock. It's a digital mini-game. And, it's coming to the United States. This fall, Pokémon Pikachu will be available in one fun, convenient, portable product from Nintendo of America Inc.

Pokémon Pikachu stars Pikachu, the cutest and most popular character from the Japanese phenomenon known as Pokémon, as a truly interactive pet. Pokémon is a multi-faceted game for Game Boy, that combines an adventure/role-playing game with raising virtual pet monsters, trading, collecting and two-player battling. Along with the game and Pokémon Pikachu, the Pokémon wave will hit North America in September with a dedicated animated television series and a multitude of licensed products.

Pokémon Pikachu is the only virtual pet in the world that can be taken out for a walk... literally. The electronic pet monster features a built-in meter that tallies the distance the owner travels. The more steps the owner takes, the better the relationship between Pikachu and his owner.

"From the moment the owner sets the clock on Pokémon Pikachu and is greeted by Pikachu, they'll immediately want to start moving and fostering the relationship with this unique virtual companion,", says Peter Main, Nintendo of America's executive vice-president, sales and marketing. "Pokémon Pikachu is the only virtual pet that actually requires its owner to exercise."

As the owner walks, he or she will accrue electrical watts (points). Pikachu likes watts. To build the owner-Pikachu relationship, the watts need to be given to Pikachu in small increments over a vast period of time. The owner can use the watts to buy on-screen gifts for Pikachu. The more presents Pikachu receives, the friendlier it becomes to its owner. Conversely, the more Pikachu is ignored, the more negative it becomes. There are five levels of friendliness for owners to discover and continually nurture.

In addition to walking, Pikachu performs a variety of other activities, such as brushing its teeth, taking a bath and riding a tricycle. Like a real pet, Pikachu goes to sleep at night and wakes up in the morning. Pikachu can't be bothered when it's sleeping. Pikachu's activities are determined by the clock set by the owner, but may happen at various times each day.

The activities of Pikachu are displayed in the center of the digital screen. Other on-screen displays include the meter with the total number of steps taken and icons that will access the alarm clock screen, the gift screen and a mini-game screen. In addition to giving watts to Pikachu, the user can use the watts collected to play an electronic slot machine. If lucky, the machine will increase the owner's watts exponentially.

The Pokémon Pikachu hardware easily attaches to a belt or a handbag, or can be conveniently carried as a pendant. The unit is powered by a single lithium battery.

Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, is the leader in the worldwide $15 billion retail video game industry. Nintendo manufactures and markets hardware and software for its best-selling home video game systems, including the hand-held Game Boy, the 16-bit Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and the 64-bit Nintendo 64, the fastest-selling video game system in history. As a wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Washington, serves as headquarters for Nintendo's operations in the Western Hemisphere where more than 40 percent of American households own a Nintendo game system.

For more information about Pokémon Pikachu or any other Nintendo product, visit Nintendo's web site on the Internet, www.nintendo.com.