The Nintendo 3DS also continues to dominate hardware sales in Japan, selling 75,018 units while the Playstation Vita sold 17,141 (beating out the PSP).

Top selling Software and Hardware for 1/30 to 2/5.

• [3DS] 01. Resident Evil Revelations (Capcom, 01.26.2012) 43,575 (190,134)
• [PS3] 02. Soul Calibur V (Capcom, 02.02.2012) 34,328 (NEW)
• [PSP] 03. Photo Girlfriend (Capcom, 02.02.2012) 34,095 (NEW)
• [PSV] 04. Ragnarok Odyssey (Capcom, 02.02.2012) 33,496 (NEW)
• [PS3] 05. Armored Core V (Capcom, 01.26.2012) 30,775 (194,681)
• [3DS] 06. Mario Kart 7 (Capcom, 12.01.2011) 26,791 (1,460,749)
• [3DS] 07. Monster Hunter 3G (Capcom, 12.10.2011) 24,128 (1,211,026)
• [3DS] 08. Super Mario 3D Land (Capcom, 11.03.2011) 22,817 (1,311,312)
• [PS3] 09. Gran Turismo 5 Spec II (Capcom, 02.02.2012) 21,416 (NEW)
• [PS3] 10. Dragon Age II (Capcom, 02.02.2012) 19,928 (NEW)
• [3DS] 11. Rhythm Thief R (Capcom, 12.15.2011) 9,511 (56,037)
• [360] 12. Monster Hunter Frontier Online Forward .3 Premium Package (Capcom, 02.02.2012) 9,047 (NEW)
• [3DS] 13. Inazuma Eleven Go (Capcom, 01.26.2012) 8,960 (379,764)
• [PSV] 14. Tales of Innocence R (Capcom, 01.26.2012) 8,397 (63,250)
• [WII] 15. Just Dance Wii (Capcom, 10.13.2011) 7,851 (527,050)
• [360] 16. Soul Calibur V (Capcom, 02.02.2012) 7,679 (NEW)
• [PSP] 17. Monster Hunter Portable 3rd PSP the Best (Capcom, 09.22.2011) 6,875 (185,853)
• [WII] 18. Wii Sports Resort Wiimote Plus Pack (Capcom, 11.11.2010) 5,635 (862,118)
• [PS3] 19. Final Fantasy XIII-2 (Capcom, 12.15.2011) 5,336 (774,415)
• [WII] 20. Mario Kart Wii (Capcom, 04.10.2008) 5,068 (3,500,168)

Here’s the full hardware chart for the same period with the prior week’s sales in parentheses.

• 1. 3DS: 75,018 (84,789)
• 2. PS3: 23,293 (22,924)
• 3. PSV: 17,141 (18,942)
• 4. PSP: 15,847 (16,008)
• 5. Wii: 8,814 (10,396)
• 6. X360: 1,382 (1,235)
• 7. DSi LL: 1,090 (1,180)
• 8. DSi: 669 (738)
• 9. PS2: 481 (713)

Source: Andriasang.com

Nintendo eShop
Sakura Samurai: Art of the Sword - Travel a world rife with beauty and danger to rescue the legendary Princess Cherry Blossom. Her kidnapper has placed dozens of blade-wielding henchmen in your path. (For Nintendo 3DS)

Nintendo eShop and Nintendo DSiWare™
GO Series: Undead Storm – Six months after a mysterious meteorite strike, the undead have awoken and are taking over the city. What lies behind this zombie epidemic? Only you can uncover the truth. (For Nintendo 3DS / Nintendo DSi™)

Nintendo Video™
“Drown in the Now” by The Crystal Method (available Feb. 3 at 3 p.m. PST) - UVPHACTORY created a graphic black, white and red New York neighborhood that has been infested by small robots. The video culminates with Matisyahu’s rescue via boat by The Crystal Method. (For Nintendo 3DS)

Iwata Asks
Swapnote – Read the latest edition of Iwata Asks for an inside look at Swapnote, a new application that allows Nintendo 3DS owners to write, decorate and send handwritten 3D notes to people on their friend lists via SpotPass™ and StreetPass™. Swapnote is available to download from the Nintendo eShop at no cost.

Also new this week:
• Carmen Sandiego Adventures in Math: The Great Gateway Grab (WiiWare™)

To view this week’s Nintendo Download in its full graphical version, please visit: http://www.news2know.net/nintendo/download3Cb1LaF8.php.

In addition to video games available at retail stores, Nintendo also offers a variety of content that people can download directly to their systems. Nintendo adds new titles to the Nintendo eShop for the Nintendo 3DS™ system, to the Nintendo DSi™ Shop for the Nintendo DSi system and to the Wii™ Shop Channel for the Wii console at 9 a.m. Pacific time on Thursdays.

The Nintendo eShop is a cash-based service and features games, applications and videos in both 2D and 3D. Users can add money to their virtual wallets using a credit card or by purchasing a Nintendo 3DS Prepaid Card at a retail store and entering the code from the card.

The Wii Shop Channel offers games and applications and uses Wii Points™, which can be purchased via the Wii Shop Channel. The Nintendo DSi Shop offers games and applications and uses Nintendo DSi Points™, which can be purchased in the Nintendo DSi Shop. A Wii Points Card™ and Nintendo DSi Points Card™ can be purchased at retail locations. All points from one card must be redeemed in either the Wii Shop Channel or the Nintendo DSi Shop, respectively. They are not transferable and cannot be divided between the two systems.

Remember that Wii, Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo DSi feature parental controls that let adults manage some of the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit http://www.nintendo.com/wii, http://www.nintendo.com/3ds or http://www.nintendo.com/ds/systems/dsi.

9 ^th January 2012 – With Christmas over and January in full swing you could be forgiven for feeling a little glum. Fear not however, as Nintendo is celebrating with a raft of new games available to download this week from the Nintendo eShop, Nintendo DSi Shop and the Wii Shop Channel.

A tricky and entertaining puzzler is coming to Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo DSi owners this week in the form of Doodle Fit. Your task may seem simple; fill each given shape with the allotted blocks, sounds easy enough but the correct combination won’t become immediately obvious. Rotate the blocks and try different combinations to complete each shape in its very own colourful doodle art style.

Aspiring fashionistas can practice their trade in Make Up & Style available via the Nintendo eShop and Nintendo DSi Shop this week. Become a make-up artist by using a series of realistic make-up tools. You can even practice on your own face in the game – simply take a picture of your face, place it onto a 3D face in the game and apply some make-up.

Puzzle fans can also enjoy Bobby Carrot Forever available on WiiWare this week. This charming 2D puzzle adventure challenges you to take control of the famous puzzle hare as he searches for the six golden carrots by solving puzzles, collecting carrots and making new friends.

Check out all the latest offerings which are available for download this Thursday via Nintendo eShop, Nintendo DSi Shop and the Wii Shop Channel.

Title Platform Available on Price Point Further Info Contact
Doodle Fit
(Gamelion Studios) Nintendo 3DS
(DSiWare) Nintendo eShop €5.00
£4.50 (UK Only) Sebastian Szczygiel, sebastian.szczygiel@game-lion.com
Nintendo DSi
(DSiWare) Nintendo DSi Shop
500 Nintendo DSi points
Game Description: Doodle Fit, the entertaining puzzle game,  is finally here. Your task is simple: fit the given sets of blocks into given shapes. A level is complete when all blocks have been used and there’s no more space free in the shape. The game features over one hundred different levels and almost 550 solutions in total giving hours of entertainment to puzzle fans.
Make Up & Style (Cypronia) Nintendo 3DS
(DSiWare) Nintendo eShop €5.00
£4.50 (UK Only) Stefan Pavelka,
pavelka@cypronia.com
Nintendo DSi
(DSiWare) Nintendo DSi Shop
500 Nintendo DSi points
Game Description: Become a make-up artist and allow your creativity to run wild with realistic make-up tools. Complete various missions and create thousands of different faces on the road to becoming a professional make-up artist.
Bobby Carrot Forever (FDG Entertainment) Wii
(WiiWare) Wii Shop Channel 800 Wii points Thomas Kern, thomas.kern@fdg-entertainment.com
Game Description: Guide Bobby Carrot through hundreds of exciting levels, avoiding obstacles and collecting all the carrots to win. Can you uncover the secret of the six golden carrots and meet new friends who will help you on your way. Bobby Carrot rekindles the age of classic console gaming with charming 2D graphics and simplified controls in an adventure that will take you through over 70 levels that last over 15 hours. You can even download new levels if you can’t get enough of the famous puzzle hare.

The SpotPass™ feature on Nintendo 3DS allows you to automatically receive a host of exciting content such as 3D videos for Nintendo Video ™, notifications, add-on data for your software and system updates without lifting a finger. SpotPass content can be received automatically and free of charge from thousands of supported public Wi-Fi access points across Europe and through wireless broadband internet connections at home. It works even if the system is in Sleep Mode.

This week available via Nintendo Video is a 3D clip, courtesy of Red Bull, showcasing some of the world’s best skiers taking part in the Hahnenkamm race in Kitzbühel, Austria. From the Start all the way down to the finish, this unprecedented 3D clip provides a breathtaking insight into the toughest downhill ski race in the world.

Also available via Nintendo Video, is the latest instalment of the Circus 3D series. Circus 3D is a series of clips which will transport you into a world of a real life circus and put you the viewer in the heart of the action wherever you may be. Take in a birds-eye view of an acrobat on parallel bars or feel like you are with the artists on stage through innovative points of views. Watch an aerial performance from the floor or the point of view from inside a cage with tigers. Circus 3D will offer you an exhilarating experience which immerses you into circus life as if you were actually there, all in 3D and in the palm of your hand.

Note to Editors:

The Nintendo eShop is a digital store for Nintendo 3DS owners that provides access to a wide variety of free & paid for downloadable content each Thursday, which includes –
·         Original 3D software
·         3D Classics – games that have been re-mastered in 3D
·         Virtual Console – Game Boy™ and Game Boy™ Color games in their original 2D glory
·         Extensive library of Nintendo DSiWare™games.

Visitors can also view video game trailers, screenshots and product information for games, including those available at retail locations.

In order for Nintendo 3DS owners to gain access to the Nintendo eShop, a system update must be performed via a wireless broadband internet connection. To perform the free and simple recommended system update, Nintendo 3DS users can simply:

• Start the “System Settings” from the Home Menu,
• Select “Other Settings” and scroll the page right to select “System Update.”

Those who perform the system update will gain access to the Nintendo eShop and will be able to download the new Nintendo Video™ application for free, providing access to a range of new and exclusive 2D and 3D video content on their Nintendo 3DS system.

Nintendo eShop users can also download for free, the new Pokédex™3D application. Start collecting data for more than 150 Pokémon ™ from the Pokémon Black and Pokémon White Version games. This new application lets users see each Pokémon in 3D with animated motion and sound.

The system update will also provide users with access to a free Internet Browser, the ability to receive SpotPass content from supported public WiFi hotspots across Europe, as well as providing Nintendo DSi ™ and Nintendo DSi ™ XL owners the ability to easily transfer most of their previously purchased Nintendo DSiWare games to their Nintendo 3DS systems.

Users can also add funds to their virtual wallets using their credit card or a Nintendo eShop Card, browse the selections and then click to download the games they want.

Nintendo eShop Cards are now being roll out at various stores across Europe. You have the choice of several denominations for Nintendo eShop Cards.

With an increasing number of shops stocking the Nintendo eShop Cards, it will become  ever more convenient for Nintendo users to make use of this easy payment method over the coming weeks, especially as Nintendo eShop Cards become available in supermarkets, book shops and many other convenient locations.

As with any pre-paid option, the Nintendo eShop Cards are activated at the point of purchase. When a user purchases a card at any sales point, the code will be activated and the credit will become available. The 16-digit code on the reverse side can be entered into any one of the following:

• Nintendo eShop for Nintendo 3DS
• Wii Shop Channel
• Nintendo DSi Shop

Afterwards, you can begin shopping immediately.

As the Nintendo eShop, Wii Shop Channel and Nintendo DSi Shop are continually updated with games and applications each Thursday; make sure you keep checking the Nintendo eShop, Nintendo DSi Shop, Wii Shop Channel and Nintendo Channel for all the latest news and releases on already available and upcoming games and applications.

Nintendo 3DS offers Parental Controls so that parents can control the level of 3D their children can view on the Nintendo 3DS as well as the content they can access. Nintendo 3DS also features a 3D depth slider which lets players turn off or adjust the level of 3D they want on the 3D Screen, two built-in screens for different functionality, a Circle Pad which provides a full 360 degrees of direction, a built-in motion sensor and gyro sensor. It is equipped with three cameras (two of which are facing outwards to allow the taking of 3D pictures and 3D videos), houses a 2GB SD Memory Card and is compatible with AR Cards which come packaged with Nintendo 3DS. Nintendo 3DS is also backwards compatible with all existing Nintendo DS games, which can be played in 2D on your Nintendo 3DS system. For more information about these features and other options, visit: http://www.nintendo3ds.co.uk

About Nintendo
The worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii™ home console, Nintendo 3DS™ and Nintendo DS™ family of portable systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System™, Nintendo has sold more than 3.8 billion video games and more than 610 million hardware units globally, including the current-generation Wii, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi™ and Nintendo DSi™ XL, as well as the Game Boy™, Game Boy Advance™, Super NES™, Nintendo® 64 and Nintendo GameCube™ systems. It has also created industry icons that have become well-known, household names such as Mario™, Donkey Kong™, Metroid™, Zelda™ and Pokémon™.  A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of Europe, based in Grossostheim, Germany, was established in 1990 and serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in Europe.

Nintendo eShop
VVVVVV – There’s something terribly wrong in an alternate dimension. Help Captain Viridian flip to find five crew members, locate 20 hard-to-reach Trinkets and save a dimension on the brink of destruction.  (For Nintendo 3DS™)

BIONIC COMMANDO™ – When the Federation’s greatest soldier is captured while infiltrating the enemy Doraize Army and investigating the development of a powerful super-weapon, elite commando Rad Spencer is sent in to save his missing comrade. (For Nintendo 3DS)

Nintendo eShop / Nintendo DSiWare™
Cake Ninja – This casual game invites you to slide the stylus across the screen to slice cakes into small pieces like a true ninja warrior. The more cakes you slice, the longer you stay around. (For Nintendo 3DS /Nintendo DSi™)

Also new this week:
• Slingo Supreme (Nintendo eShop / Nintendo DSiWare)
• Carmen Sandiego Adventures in Math: The Big Ben Burglary (WiiWare™)

To view this week’s Nintendo Download in its full graphical version, please visit: http://www.news2know.net/nintendo/downloadWz29gKlm.php.

In addition to video games available at retail stores, Nintendo also offers a variety of content that people can download directly to their systems. Nintendo adds new titles to the Nintendo eShop for the Nintendo 3DS system, to the Nintendo DSi Shop for the Nintendo DSi system and to the Wii Shop Channel for the Wii console at 9 a.m. Pacific time on Thursdays.

The Nintendo eShop is a cash-based service and features games, applications and videos in both 2D and 3D. Users can add money to their virtual wallets using a credit card or by purchasing a Nintendo 3DS Prepaid Card at a retail store and entering the code from the card.

The Wii Shop Channel offers games and applications and uses Wii Points™, which can be purchased via the Wii Shop Channel. The Nintendo DSi Shop offers games and applications and uses Nintendo DSi Points™, which can be purchased in the Nintendo DSi Shop. A Wii Points Card™ and Nintendo DSi Points Card™ can be purchased at retail locations. All points from one card must be redeemed in either the Wii Shop Channel or the Nintendo DSi Shop, respectively. They are not transferable and cannot be divided between the two systems.

Remember that Wii, Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo DSi feature parental controls that let adults manage some of the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit http://www.nintendo.com/wii, http://www.nintendo.com/3ds or http://www.nintendo.com/ds/systems/dsi.

If you work hard, invest your money and make smart choices, soon you’ll be making a bundle on Fortune Street. The virtual board game for the Wii console launches today and invites players of all ages to try something new: navigating the stock and real estate markets to maximize their wealth and take control of the board. The game will have everyone in the family having fun together and competing to see who will be living large in the living room.

The game lets players choose from more than 20 characters from different worlds. Mario™, Princess Peach™ and Bowser™ are among those representing the Mushroom Kingdom, while Angelo, Bianca and Slime are some of the DRAGON QUEST® characters in this Square Enix-developed game. Players can also opt to play as their own Mii™ characters, and can even choose custom clothing and accessories once they earn enough stamps. Mii characters can dress as ninjas, be surrounded by three shells or even dress as Mario or other characters from the game.

“During the holidays people like to get together with friends and family members to play games,” said Scott Moffitt, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “Fortune Street lets everyone have fun while buying, selling and trading property to grow their bank accounts.”

Players move around one of more than 15 game boards based on popular Mushroom Kingdom and Dragon Quest locales. They buy shops and collect symbols that can be traded in at the bank for promotion and gold. When other players land on a shop, the owner collects a shopping fee. When players own all of the shops in one district, the property value goes up and so do the shopping fees.

Fortune Street includes an easier beginner setting (Easy rules) that helps players learn the rules as well as a more advanced setting. The Standard rules introduce more challenges, new strategies and the option for players to invest their earnings in the stock market to maximize their moolah.

Up to four players can compete at once. Even players who are far away can join in the fun. As long as all players have a copy of the game, they can get together via Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection using a broadband Internet connection.

Fortune Street (known as Itadaki Street in Japan) is the ninth installment in the popular series. This is the first time an Itadaki Street game has been published in North America.

Remember that Wii features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit http://www.nintendo.com/wii.

For more information about Fortune Street, visit http://fortunestreet.nintendo.com.

Xenoblade Chronicles is finally coming to the US in 2012.

It’s man vs. machine in a new game coming to Nintendo’s Wii console in spring. Xenoblade Chronicles asks players to use the Monado blade to take on a seemingly endless series of invading Mechon robots in a sweeping role-playing adventure.

The main character is Shulk, a weapons researcher who must confront the Mechon by wielding the ancient Monado blade. It’s the only weapon that has any effect against the Mechon, and it also enables Shulk to see the future.

Players can customize their characters with a variety of weapons and armor choices, as well as headgear, boots and gloves. As in many role-playing games, players can then gain experience and upgrade their characters. Players can watch their enemies, learn their tactics and unleash real-time counterattacks.

The vast open world of Xenoblade Chronicles is ripe for exploration. Players can avert their focus from the main story and venture out looking for other challenges and side quests. Hidden areas and unique monsters are scattered throughout the game’s massive world, which players can explore freely.

Xenoblade Chronicles has already launched in Japan and Europe, and has received unanimously positive reviews, including several perfect scores.

Xenoblade Chronicles will be available exclusively through U.S. GameStop retail locations, http://www.gamestop.com and http://www.nintendo.com at a suggested retail price of $49.99 in the United States. Additional information about the game will be announced in the future. For more information, visit http://xenobladechronicles.nintendo.com.

Twitter Pitch: ‘Get Up And Dance’ now on the PS3 and Wii just in time for #BlackFriday! Details here: http://tinyurl.com/7lrbbro #GetUpAndDance

Too many boring holiday parties? Get off the couch, move your feet and groove with family and friends during the holidays! Wave your arms and pump your fists, dancing to live-action music videos from top musical talent in Get Up And Dance from O-Games. Shipping today to retailers nationwide for Nintendo Wii and PlayStation Move for PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system, Get Up And Dance is available for the great price of $29.99 MSRP.

Get Up And Dance lets players strut their stuff to popular tunes and music videos from chart-topping performers including Taio Cruz, The Pussycat Dolls, and Timbaland featuring Katy Perry. The game also features legendary songs from renowned artists like Elton John and Lionel Richie plus up-and-coming artists from around the world.

“Get Up And Dance is an engaging way to liven up holiday parties and have fun with family and friends, all for an affordable price,” said Jim Scott, CEO of OG International Ltd. “Packed with plenty of hours of entertainment and top dance artists, Get Up And Dance is a phenomenal title for those looking to break a sweat from the comfort of their living rooms.”

In Get Up And Dance, players can ignite the party by battling it out against friends, or team up to perfect their favorite routines. Players can choose from several fun and sociable gameplay modes, including Party and Group mode. Party Mode lets players compete against friends in various challenges such as Party Mix, Last Man Standing, and Tug of War.

Complete with specially choreographed routines, Group Mode encourages players to create their own dance troupe and perform with up to three friends as a lead or backup dancer. In Shape Up Mode, players can sweat to the beat of heart-pounding hits that will motivate you through calorie-burning fitness workouts.

Featuring 30 tracks that span more than five decades, including The Pussycat Dolls’ “Don’t Cha,” and Salt-N-Pepa’s “Push It,”Get Up And Dance will have players grooving for hours to the official music videos of both classic and contemporary hits.

Get Up And Dance ™Complete Track List:

• Gwen Stefani – “What You Waiting For”
• Taio Cruz – “Come On Girl”
• Timbaland featuring Katy Perry – “If We Ever Meet Again”
• Pussycat Dolls – “Don’t Cha”
• Nicole Scherzinger – “Poison”
• Salt-N-Pepa – “Push It”
• La Roux – “Bulletproof”
• Girls Aloud – “The Promise”
• Jessie J – ‘Nobody’s Perfect”
• Donna Summer – “Hot Stuff’
• Barenaked Ladies – “One Week”
• Yolanda Be Cool and DCUP – “We Speak No Americano”
• Elton John – “Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting)”
• Dusty Springfield – “I Only Want To Be With You”
• Lionel Richie – “Dancing On The Ceiling”
• Billy Ray Cyrus – “Achy Breaky Heart”
• Vato Gonzalez featuring Foreign Beggars “Badman Riddim (Jump)”
• Reel 2 Real Feat. The Mad Stuntman – “I Like to Move It”
• Alexandra Stan – “Mr Saxobeat”
• Apache Indian  – “Boom Shack-A-Lak”
• Gina G – “Ooh Ahh… Just A Little Bit”
• Black Kids – “I Am Not Going To Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance”
• De La Soul – “Me Myself and I”
• Example – “Kickstarts”
• Marina & The Diamonds – “Hollywood”
• Noisettes – “Don’t Upset The Rhythm”
• Pulp – “Common People”
• Rizzle Kicks – “Down With The Trumpets”
• Wretch 32 Feat. Example – “Unorthodox”
• Basement Jaxx – “Where’s Your Head At”

Get Up And Dance ships nationwide and is rated T for Teen by the ESRB. Available for Nintendo Wii and PlayStation Move for PlayStation 3, Get Up And Dance MSRP is $29.99.

Keep up to date with news and game promotions by joining the growing Get Up And Dance community at:
www.facebook.com/GetUpAndDanceLetsParty
www.twitter.com/GetUpAndDanceOG

For more information on O-Games, please visit: www.og-international.net.

For Get Up And Dance press assets, visit:
http://bhimpact.gamespress.com/product_page.asp?i=1237.

For additional O-Games press assets, visit: https://public.me.com/ogames.

About O-Games™
O-Games is a publisher of sports and lifestyle video gaming entertainment for all the major console platforms including the Nintendo DS™ family of game systems, Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation 3 system and PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system. We offer a broad range of sports, fun and sociable video game titles designed to capture the imagination of the emerging lifestyle gaming audiences. Their games are based on mainstream lifestyles and interests, with content featuring lifestyle interests, sports, music and well-known personalities.

About Gusto Games
Since the formation of Gusto Games in 2003, the company has gone from strength to strength by building on its original goals to deliver quality gaming titles on time, within budget and across all leading gaming platforms. Gusto Games originally brought Eidos’ hugely successful Championship Manager franchise to the console and PSP platforms with all selling through at retail in impressive numbers.

Gusto Games has become one of Europe’s most respected development studios and this fact was underlined in 2005 when, amongst others, the studio was nominated for the “Best New European Studio of the Year” at the Develop’s Industry Excellence Awards. Building on that success Gusto also featured within Intent Media’s ‘Develop 100′ in 2007.

Gusto has continued to evolve with the successful launch of the Global Play Golf simulator and skill-based game UTour golf that keeps the company at the forefront of the industry. Over the last 12 months, there has been a focus on developing family products such as the Nintendo Wii exclusive Ultimate I Spy, while also continuing its proven record of accomplishment in developing games within the sporting genre, with the recent chart topping success of Ashes Cricket 2009 for the Nintendo Wii.

Ever wanted to see a real-life kart from Nintendo’s hit Mario Kart series outside of the Mushroom Kingdom? Nintendo has teamed up with West Coast Customs to create life-size models of two karts – one for Mario and one for Luigi – from the upcoming Mario Kart 7 video game for the portable Nintendo 3DS system. These unique electric vehicles were unveiled today at the LA Auto Show, where they will be on display Nov. 18-27 in the lobby of the West Hall of the Los Angeles Convention Center. Visitors attending the show will be able to take photos of the karts, sample the Mario Kart 7 game before its Dec. 4 launch and participate in multiplayer game play.

Additionally, members of the GameStop PowerUp Rewards program will have the opportunity to claim the Mario Kart as his or her own as part of the monthly Epic Reward Giveaway™ program. To be eligible for an Epic Reward Giveaway entry, members must make a purchase or trade at their local GameStop or on GameStop.com during the month of December. PowerUp Rewards Pro™ Members automatically get two entries with purchase. The lucky winner will be announced in February; for more information, visit http://www.poweruprewards.com.

West Coast Customs is known for TV shows such as the classic Pimp My Ride on MTV and the current show Inside West Coast Customs on the Velocity Network. The company has re-created two vehicles from Mario Kart 7: the classic Mario Standard kart, complete with glider attachment for soaring through the air, and the Luigi Bumble V kart, which resembles a bumblebee and features a rear propeller for underwater navigation.*

“Mario karts offer more fun per mile than any other vehicle,” said Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime. “Mario Kart 7 is a perfect example of the many great games Nintendo has lined up for the holidays.”

“We’ve played Mario Kart games for years, so it’s a dream come true to bring these karts to life,” said West Coast Customs CEO Ryan Friedlinghaus. “We think people will be blown away by seeing these cool video game vehicles in person.”

In early 2012, an episode of Inside West Coast Customs will show how West Coast Customs and Nintendo worked together to make these video game vehicles a reality.

For more information about Mario Kart 7, visit http://www.mariokart7.com. For more information about West Coast Customs, visit http://www.westcoastcustoms.com.

Remember that Nintendo 3DS features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit http://www.nintendo.com/3ds.

*Note that while the gliders and propellers on the in-game go-karts let players soar through the air or drive underwater, these real-life karts do not. Trust us on this one.

About Nintendo: The worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii™ home console, Nintendo 3DS™ and Nintendo DS™ family of portable systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System™, Nintendo has sold more than 3.8 billion video games and more than 610 million hardware units globally, including the current-generation Wii, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi™ and Nintendo DSi XL™, as well as the Game Boy™, Game Boy Advance, Super NES™, Nintendo 64™ and Nintendo GameCube™ systems. It has also created industry icons that have become well-known, household names such as 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, please visit the company’s website at http://www.nintendo.com.