Nintendo Rakes in the Accolades for Its Wii Console and Games

		Nintendo President Satoru Iwata explains details about Nintendo's upcoming Wii console during Nintendo's May 9, 2006, media briefing in advance of the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles. On May 31, the Game Critics Awards: Best of E3 2006 awarded Wii its Best of Show award, as well as the best hardware award. Nintendo won five Game Critics Awards from the independent group of North American video game journalists, more than any other company. (PRNewsFoto/Nintendo,Bob Riha, Jr.) REDMOND, WA UNITED STATES

		Nintendo logo. (PRNewsFoto) LOS ANGELES, CA USA

Independent Game Critics Name Wii Best of Show for E3 2006 REDMOND, Wash., June 1 /PRNewswire/ -- The Game Critics Awards: Best of E3 2006 has awarded Nintendo its highest honor. Nintendo's upcoming Wii(TM) console won the Best of Show award, as well as the best hardware award. Nintendo's Wii Sports title won the best sports category, Excite Truck(TM) for Wii won as the best racing game and The Legend of Zelda(R): Phantom Hourglass for Nintendo DS won as the best hand-held game of last month's Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060601/LATH108 ) (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050516/NINTENDOLOGO ) "It's extremely gratifying to hear independent confirmation that our approach resonates so dramatically with the people who know video games best," said Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime. "These multiple awards demonstrate which company has momentum and which products will be in the highest demand this holiday season." Nintendo won five Game Critics Awards, more than any other publisher or hardware manufacturer. The Game Critics Awards are issued annually by an independent group of journalists from 37 leading North American media outlets that cover the video game industry in newspapers, in magazines, online and on television. For more information about the Game Critics Awards, visit http://www.gamecriticsawards.com. The Game Critics Awards add to the long list of accolades Nintendo received after E3 from the video game media. A sampling is below: IGN.com Best Platform Game: Super Mario(R) Galaxy Best Puzzle Game: Mario vs. Donkey Kong(TM) 2: March of the Minis Most Innovative Design: Wii Remote Best Hardware/Peripheral: Wii Remote Best Hand-Held Game -- The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass GameSpot Best Hardware: Wii Best Platform Game: Super Mario Galaxy Best Puzzle/Rhythm Game: WarioWare(TM): Smooth Moves The GameTap broadband entertainment network: Best Adventure Game: The Legend of Zelda(R): Twilight Princess Best Platform Game: Super Mario Galaxy Best Sports Game: Wii Sports Best Portable: New Super Mario Bros.(R) Best Surprise: Wii Remote Best Announcement: Super Smash Bros.(R) Brawl Game Trailers Most Innovative: WarioWare: Smooth Moves Best Action/Adventure Game: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Best Sports Game: Wii Sports Advanced Media Network: Gadget of Show: Wii Remote Most Innovative: Super Mario Galaxy Booth of Show: Nintendo booth Best Trailer: Super Smash Bros. Brawl Best Surprise: Snake from Konami's Metal Gear Solid series in Super Smash Bros. Brawl Gamehelper.com: Best Adventure Game: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Best Platform Game: Super Mario Galaxy The worldwide innovator in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Nintendo DS(TM), Game Boy(R) Advance and Nintendo GameCube(TM) systems, and upcoming Wii(TM) console. Since 1983, Nintendo has sold nearly 2.2 billion video games and more than 375 million hardware units globally, and has created industry icons like Mario(TM), Donkey Kong(R), Metroid(R), Zelda(TM) and Pokemon(R). 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 http://www.nintendo.com.