NEW YORK -- Jan. 7, 2003 -- The biggest star in the history of video games is getting even brighter.

Nintendo of America Inc. today announces the introduction of Game Boy® Advance SP, a redesigned version of the wildly popular Game Boy Advance. The system has a new illumination feature and sleek flip-screen design making it the most distinctively stylish, compact and portable Game Boy system ever.

The Game Boy Advance SP will become an instant "must-have" gadget when it launches in North America March 23, 2003, for an estimated retail price of $99.95. It will launch in two colors: cobalt (metallic) and platinum.

Building on the significant improvements and refinements already introduced in the current Game Boy Advance, the new Game Boy Advance SP features a revolutionary Front Light Screen making game play easy in any lighting condition. The system is powered by a rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery good for about 10 hours of game play and takes only three hours to recharge. Amazingly, the battery life increases to approximately 18 hours of continuous play when the Front Light Screen is turned off.

All current and future Game Boy Advance games are compatible with the new system. And, similarly, Game Boy Advance SP is backward compatible, allowing use with virtually all games and accessories previously released in the Game Boy line.

"Both Game Boy Advance and Game Boy Advance SP reflect the best the video game market has ever seen in hand-held gaming," says Peter MacDougall, executive vice president, sales and marketing, Nintendo of America Inc. "For those who must have the latest in technology and edgy design, Game Boy Advance SP delivers the ultimate in portable gaming."

Nintendo will continue to manufacture and market its current, successful Game Boy Advance system, which has now sold-through more than 11.5 million units in North America alone since its launch a little more than a year ago.

Since its introduction in 1989, Nintendo's portable Game Boy line has sold more than one-half billion games worldwide, delivering a depth and quality of game play far beyond that offered by any other portable electronics device, such as Personal Digital Assistants (PDA's) or mobile phones.

As the worldwide leader and innovator in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co. Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its popular home video game systems. The systems include Game Boy®, Nintendo® 64, Game Boy Advance and Nintendo GameCube(TM). Since the release of its first home video game system in 1983, Nintendo has sold more than 1.6 billion video games worldwide, creating enduring industry icons such as Mario(TM) and Donkey Kong® and launching such franchises as Zelda(TM) and Pokemon®. As 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 Game Boy Advance SP or any other Nintendo product visit the company's Web sites, www.nintendo.com, www.gameboy.com.