Pokémon Black Version and Pokémon White Version Launches

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Details: Created on Monday, March 7, 2011 01:15 PM PST; Written by King Mika

Latest Pokémon Video Games for Hand-Held Nintendo DS Systems Debut Never-Before-Seen Pokémon, New Ways to Connect with Friends and Enhanced Battles

REDMOND, Wash., March 7, 2011 – The vast, wildly imaginative world of Pokémon™ just got bigger and more immersive than ever before. The new Pokémon Black Version and Pokémon White Version video games for the Nintendo DS™ family of systems are now available in stores across the United States, inviting players of any age or experience level to discover more than 150 new Pokémon to catch, train and battle, as well as new battle systems, new wireless features and a new world to explore. For longtime Pokémon fans, the games offer a rich and expansive new chapter in the popular series. For newcomers, they provide a fresh and exciting entry point to one of the best-selling video game series of all time.

Pokémon Black Version and Pokémon White Version transport players to the never-before-seen Unova region, a place unlike any other. Until the main story of the game is complete, every Pokémon that players encounter – more than 150 in total – will have never been seen before in previous Pokémon video games.

For the first time in the series, in-game environments will change with the four seasons, during which select Pokémon will show up more or less frequently. The games also debut Triple Battles and Rotation Battles, giving players even more choices when battling with their customized team of Pokémon. Other new features include enhanced communication tools via a local wireless connection or Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection (broadband Internet access required) and infrared communication features that allow players to set up battles and trades and exchange Friend Codes with friends faster than ever before.

"Pokémon Black Version and Pokémon White Version update the key elements that have made the series so popular for more than a decade, resulting in a game experience that is exciting and fresh," said Marc Franklin, Nintendo of America’s director of Public Relations. "Featuring more than 150 never-before-seen Pokémon, the games allow all players to experience the thrill of discovering and catching new Pokémon for the very first time."

For players with a broadband Internet connection, Pokémon Black Version and Pokémon White Version will provide access to the Pokémon Global Link website. Set to launch this spring, this new online service will offer three main components that enhance the Pokémon video game experience. The Pokémon Dream World features new ways to interact with Pokémon in a customizable Web-only setting, featuring minigames that enable Pokémon and items to be transferred back into the Pokémon Black Version or Pokémon White Version video game. The Global Battle Union allows players to keep track of their battle record against other players around the world and assigns players a Worldwide Rating. In some countries, it also provides an opportunity to compete in live events. Pokémon Global Link will also house the Pokémon Global Trade Station, giving players the ability to track Pokémon trades all over the world.

For more information about Pokémon Black Version and Pokémon White Version, visit http://www.pokemonblackwhite.com.

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 and Nintendo DS™ family of portable systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System™, Nintendo has sold more than 3.5 billion video games and more than 577 million hardware units globally, including the current-generation Wii, 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.

About Pokémon
The Pokémon Company International, a subsidiary of The Pokémon Company in Japan, manages the property outside of Asia and is responsible for brand management, licensing, marketing, the Pokémon Trading Card Game, the animated TV series, home entertainment, and the official Pokémon website. Pokémon was launched in Japan in 1996 and today is one of the most popular children’s entertainment properties in the world. For more information, visit http://www.pokemon.com.