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Source: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/April2005/27/c1070.html

04/27/05

136 Million and counting -- The Pokémon(R) phenomenon continues Pokémon Emerald - the latest and most challenging edition to one of the world's most popular video game franchises

VANCOUVER, April 27 /CNW/ - With more than 136-million copies sold worldwide since its introduction in 1996, the Pokémon craze continues with the launch of Pokémon Emerald on May 1 for Game Boy Advance. Pokémon Emerald is the tenth, and most challenging, title in Nintendo's Pokémon series, one of the world's most popular video game franchises.

The Pokémon franchise, including the video game series, trading card games, comic books and television show, has topped more than US $15-billion in worldwide retail sales. Last year's releases of Pokémon FireRed and Pokémon LeafGreen proved once again the franchise's enduring popularity, with sales of 2.5-million copies in North America alone.

"Pokémon fans don't just play the games, they live them." says Ron Bertram, general manager, Nintendo of Canada. "Today's kids have grown-up with Pokémon. By introducing more difficult challenges and battles with Pokémon Emerald, kids will realize they haven't out-grown or out-mastered the game. Their quest to become a Master Trainer becomes more intense starting May 1."

Pokémon Emerald becomes the first of the series to target an older, more accomplished Pokémon player. It is an extension of Pokémon Ruby and Pokémon Sapphire, and shares the ultimate goal of stopping the expansion of either the Team Magma or Team Aqua realm in the world of Hoenn. Trainers will need to muster all their best combat skills, as Pokémon Emerald offers the most challenging Battle Fields ever presented in a Pokémon game. Seven new Frontier Brain competitors must be overcome to obtain all the symbols in the Battle Frontier. Pokémon Emerald also features wireless multiplayer trading and battling with up to four players using a wireless adapter.

Pokémon, which began as a Game Boy(R) video game in 1996, quickly became a cultural phenomenon and spawned comic books, a television series, movies, toys and trading cards. Today, the official Pokémon website receives nearly six-million page views per week. Pokémon's most popular character, Pikachu, was named by TV Guide as one of the "50 Greatest Cartoon Characters of All Time" alongside animated icons like Mickey Mouse, Charlie Brown and Bugs Bunny.

Pokémon is the first video game ever to combine the adventure of role-playing with the elements of toy and card collecting, card trading and two-player strategy and interaction. Pokémon was the brainchild of independent video game developer, Game Freak, in Japan in 1996. Originally called Pocket Monster in Japanese, Pokémon are a unique group of characters that sprang from its creator's childhood fascination with collecting insects. Today, fans are obsessed with finding, capturing, training, swapping, collecting and battling the more than 380 Pokémon characters against one's rival in the quest to become a Pokémon Master. Since the game's launch, Pokémon's players have lived by the game's mantra - 'Gotta Collect 'Em All'.

To help kids keep their battling brains in shape this summer, Nintendo of Canada is launching a Pokémon Train Your Brain contest this spring.

Students 16 years of age and younger can mail their five most creative brain training strategies for keeping their brains fit this summer to Nintendo (see www.nintendo.ca - What's Going On) for a chance at being one of five winners awarded their own Game Boy Advance SP and a copy of Pokémon Emerald. Deadline for entries is May 29, 2005.

Pokémon Emerald is rated E for Everyone and will be available on Game Boy Advance SP, May 1, 2005, for an MSRP of $49.95 CDN. Pokémon fans are in for a treat at select retailers when they purchase a copy of Pokémon Emerald: each will receive a Pokémon Emerald Frontier Battle Pass guide book and much sought-after Pokémon Deoxys Trading Cards, while supplies last.