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Unravel Mystery, Secrets and Brainteasers in a New Nintendo DS Treasure Hunt

REDMOND, Wash., Feb. 11, 2008 - Move over, Sherlock Holmes! There’s a new Brit in town. The Feb. 10 launch of Professor Layton and the Curious Village™ brings a world of riddles, secrets and brainteasers to the portable Nintendo DS™. The puzzle-filled game provides hours of mind-bending game play, thick story plots, funny, eccentric characters and a double murder-mystery.

In the curious village of St. Mystere, a wealthy baron passes away. His will reveals that a treasure is hidden someplace inside the village. Unable to locate the treasure, the baron’s family calls upon renowned archaeologist and puzzle expert Professor Layton for help. Upon his arrival, the search for the treasure is interrupted by the suspicious death of another member of the family. Now with two mysteries on his hands, Professor Layton must work his way through the village’s many challenges to get to the truth.

“Professor Layton and the Curious Village combines a mix of clever storyline and brainy twists,” said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of sales & marketing. “Like the Brain Age titles before it, this new puzzle genre requires players to use their minds as much as their thumbs. The strong story, charming hand-drawn animation and fully voiced movies appeal to hard-core gamers and casual gamers alike.”

Players will tackle brain twisters ranging from mazes and riddles to logic and sliding puzzles as Professor Layton progresses through an engaging 19th century anime-styled mystery. Touch-screen controls make working through the game a snap for players of all skill levels. What’s more, for a limited time new puzzles will be available weekly for download via Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection for extended replay value. The Professor Layton series is already a smash hit in Japan, where each succeeding game outsold the one before it. For more information about the U.S. game, visit www.ProfessorLaytonDS.com.

About Nintendo: The worldwide innovator in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii™, Nintendo DS™, Game Boy® Advance and Nintendo GameCube™ systems. Since 1983, Nintendo has sold nearly 2.5 billion video games and more than 430 million hardware units globally, and has created industry icons like 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, visit the company’s Web site at www.nintendo.com.

New Adventure Game and Cool New DS Color to Share the Spotlight at Festive Feb. 10 EventWHAT:
Nintendo invites fans of all stripes to a release-day launch party for Professor Layton and the Curious Village™, an innovative new game for the top-selling Nintendo DS™. Combining a rich murder-mystery storyline with dozens of brainy puzzles and fully voiced animation scenes, this hand-held adventure puts veteran gamers and newcomers alike at the center of a captivating case where nothing is as it seems.

To double the excitement, Nintendo also celebrates the release of a new color scheme for the Nintendo DS itself. The sleek, fashion-forward Cobalt/Black DS is the seventh color to be made available to consumers, and fans of all ages are sure to line up early in hopes of adding this eye-catching system to their hand-held arsenal.

Energy will run high at the Feb. 10 event, offering fans a first look at the anticipated Professor Layton and the Curious Village, plus a chance to compete for cool prizes including the Cobalt/Black Nintendo DS.

WHO:
Video game enthusiasts of all ages

WHEN:
Sunday, Feb. 10
Event time: 1 - 3 p.m.

WHERE:
Nintendo World store
10 Rockefeller Plaza
New York, NY 10020
646-459-0800
www.nintendoworldstore.com

NEWS/VISUALS:

KEY INFORMATION
In the curious village of St. Mystere, townsfolk speak to each other in riddles, lock their doors with sliding puzzles and hide their secrets within brainteasers. When a wealthy baron passes away, his will reveals an elusive treasure hidden someplace inside the village. Now it’s up to Professor Layton to untangle St. Mystere’s riddles and puzzles, find the hidden treasure, and crack the case.

• As Professor Layton, players tackle more than 130 puzzles as they unravel the mysteries of the village. Challenges range from mazes and riddles to logic and sliding puzzles, many of which are new for the North American release. Touch-screen controls make working through puzzles a snap for players of all skill levels, and new puzzles are available weekly for download via Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection.
• Unlike other puzzle-driven titles, Professor Layton is the first to offer a story, cast of characters and style that are just as strong as the game play. Fully voiced animated scenes bring the story to life, while the funny and eccentric villagers and the classic, hand-drawn art provide a stylish charm that will appeal to gamers and non-gamers alike.

Game storyline: When the wealthy Baron Augustus Reinhold passes away, his will reveals a hidden treasure in the village of St. Mystere. Unable to locate the treasure themselves, the baron’s family calls upon renowned puzzle expert Professor Layton and his apprentice, Luke, for help. Upon the pair’s arrival, their search for the treasure is interrupted by the suspicious death of another member of the Reinhold family. Now with two mysteries on their hands, Professor Layton and Luke must work their way through the village’s many puzzles, riddles and brainteasers to find the truth.

How to progress through the game: The storyline and puzzles are tightly integrated, so that as you explore the world and progress through the adventure, you will encounter more and more puzzles. Many of the puzzles are new to the North American release.

Characters: Archaeologist and puzzle master Professor Layton, his wide-eyed apprentice, Luke, and a host of quirky townsfolk.

Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection Content: Each week for half a year, a new puzzle will be available for download via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.

Professor Layton and the Curious Village™