Mario Kart DS Launches With Wi-Fi Gaming
Service
Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection Begins a New Era of
Simple Online Play
REDMOND, Wash., Nov. 14 — That sound you hear is
the thunder of video gamers worldwide revving their engines for the launch of
Mario Kart(R) DS and Nintendo(R) Wi-Fi Connection. For the first time ever, the
online gaming service for Nintendo DS(TM) lets users connect wirelessly to race.
From the very start, users can log on easily to shoot shells and burn rubber
against opponents from all around the world.
"Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection removes the barriers
that have prevented many mainstream players from going online," says Reggie
Fils-Aime, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of sales & marketing.
"We have made the service incredibly simple to use and free at select hotspot
locations — but this is just the beginning."
The Mario Kart franchise has sold more than 11.1
million games in the United States alone. Mario Kart DS offers racers more than
30 courses, including classic tracks from Super Mario Kart(R), Mario Kart
64(TM), Mario Kart(TM): Super Circuit(TM) and Mario Kart(R): Double Dash!!(TM).
Favorite Nintendo characters cruise in dozens of classic and custom karts as
they use weapons like bananas, bombs, lightning and squid ink to gain a
competitive advantage.
When racing using a wireless local area
connection, up to eight players can play, even if only one of them has a Mario
Kart DS game card. When using Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, up to four players
across the world can join a race. Friends share their DS Friend Code to find one
another online using their friend roster.
Whether users are at home or out and about,
they have a variety of uncomplicated ways to connect to Nintendo Wi-Fi
Connection:
- If the user already has a Wi-Fi home network,
the Nintendo DS unit will connect directly with minimal setup procedures.
- Those who have a home high-speed Internet
connection such as cable or DSL, but no Wi-Fi home network, can either
purchase a compatible wireless router or the Nintendo Wi-Fi USB Connector,
which plugs into the USB port of a PC running Windows XP to create a wireless
access point to connect a DS to Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. The Nintendo Wi-Fi
USB Connector will be sold exclusively on
Nintendo.com at an MSRP
of $34.99. - Outside the home, when a user brings a
Nintendo DS unit and a Wi-Fi-enabled game into a Wayport-enabled McDonald’s
restaurant locations, the user simply launches the game in Nintendo Wi-Fi
Connection mode. No setup is required. - Nintendo DS owners who want to play games at
Wi-Fi locations outside McDonald’s restaurant locations or their homes can use
a laptop computer and the Nintendo Wi-Fi USB Connector to access Nintendo
Wi-Fi Connection. The Nintendo Wi-Fi USB Connector enables the Nintendo DS to
share an Internet connection established by a PC, providing a conduit to play
games via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. Regular Internet access fees may apply
from these locations. - Nintendo DS owners may also connect at a
number of other free hotspot locations with no additional hardware and minimal
setup. A complete list of these locations, along with the list of
participating McDonald’s restaurant locations, can be found on
www.nintendowifi.com
.
Mario Kart DS is the first title to use Nintendo
Wi-Fi Connection, along with multiple upcoming titles like Animal Crossing(R):
Wild World on Dec. 5 and Metroid(R) Prime Hunters on March 20. For more
information about Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, log onto
www.nintendowifi.com .
