Monkeys Behind the Wheel: Diddy Kong Racing DS Drives Fans Wils

REDMOND, Wash., Feb. 7, 2007 - An array of cute monkeys, tigers, turtles and crocodiles (who were somehow granted licenses to drive) populate Nintendo's newest Wi-Fi-enabled game for Nintendo DS Lite, Diddy Kong Racing DS. The racing adventure further revs the engines of Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, which already has connected more than 3.5 million unique users worldwide for more than 100 million online game-play connections. Diddy Kong Racing DS adds another classic to this portable wireless community, complete with new tracks, upgradeable vehicles and a course-design mode.

Racing games have always been a popular choice for competitive gamers, particularly for Nintendo fans. From Mario Kart DS, which has sold more than 1.5 million units in the United States to date, to the original Diddy Kong Racing for Nintendo 64, which was one of the best-selling racing video games for N64, Nintendo's racing games are ranked among the top. The newest addition to this genre of games, Diddy Kong Racing DS, available Feb. 7, is expected to race to the top of the charts as well. With its new characters, gamer tags and Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection capabilities, this DS version will re-energize fans who remember the original, while attracting new ones to join in.

"Nintendo does mass-appeal racing games better than anyone," says George Harrison, Nintendo of America's senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications. "Diddy Kong Racing's irresistible combination of characters, vehicles and adventures is sure to drive fans wild."

Diddy Kong Racing DS takes place on Timber's Island, which has been invaded by an evil space pig. Unlike traditional racing-only games, the game is a true adventure. Players explore the island and complete a series of racing challenges while piloting cars, hovercrafts and planes. The game features 38 different tracks and upgradeable vehicles with improvements in speed, durability and looks. Players can even create their own tracks using touch-screen controls and share them with others wirelessly. Up to six players can compete online via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, and eight can race via local DS Download Play, even if only one player has a game card.

Diddy Kong Racing DS, Rated E for Everyone, is available Feb. 7. For more information about the game, visit DiddyKongRacing.com.

The worldwide innovator in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii, Nintendo DS, Game Boy Advance and Nintendo GameCube systems. Since 1983, Nintendo has sold nearly 2.2 billion video games and more than 387 million hardware units globally, and has created industry icons like Mario, Donkey Kong, Metroid, Zelda and Pokémon. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo's operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, visit the company's Web site at www.nintendo.com.