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October,
2004
10/25
Update
Nintendo DS Media Blitz
NINTENDO LAUNCHES MASSIVE MEDIA BLITZ FOR DEBUT
OF NINTENDO DS
'Touching is Good' Campaign Features Provocative Spots
REDMOND, Wash., Oct. 25, 2004 - Do not adjust your TV sets. The sultry
voice you hear emanating amid the static heralds Nintendo's massive,
multimillion-dollar "Touching is good" campaign to spread the word
about the innovative, touch- and dual-screened Nintendo DS™. The new
hand-held video game and communications system launches Nov. 21, and
will be backed by the largest launch program ever for a Nintendo
product.
Since childhood, we've been told "please do not touch" - don't
touch that lamp, stop touching your food and don't touch
anything in this store. Nintendo DS changes those rules. The
"Touching is good" multimedia campaign creatively touts the unique
features of the dual-screened Nintendo DS, which include a touch
screen, a built-in chat function, wireless communication and voice
recognition.
Intriguing pre-launch television ads begin airing on Oct. 25. The
series of three ads presents a static-filled screen with a female
voice-over that encourages viewers to interact with two blue boxes
that appear on the screen. The sultry requests for interaction
coincide with the special features of Nintendo DS.
To support this pre-launch effort, Nintendo has aligned itself
with powerful media partners that target a hip, male demographic.
MTV produced a custom ad for Nintendo DS featuring the stars of
Wildboyz using Nintendo DS to play a wireless multiplayer game
while engaging in one of their exciting trademark adventures.
Nintendo will offer a video with behind-the-scenes footage of the
making of this commercial on Nintendo.com. In addition, custom
advertorials will run exclusively in Dennis Publishing's Maxim,
Blender and Stuff magazines, instructing readers
"How to Score." The ads relate to readers and viewers of these
popular media brands by speaking their language.
During the launch phase for Nintendo DS, three new television ads
will showcase the unit's unique features. This engaging and surreal
campaign will demonstrate the appeal of Nintendo DS to a wide range
of ages and demographics. Consumers will not be identified simply by
age, but rather by the kinds of lifestyles they lead. Nintendo will
market Nintendo DS to the full spectrum of hipsters, budding
enthusiasts and hard-core gamers.
In December, Nintendo will run ads on more than 5,000 movie
screens across the country. Print ads in gaming magazines will
support the launch, along with a full range of Internet and
broadband efforts. There will be unique program integration with
major TV networks. In addition, Nintendo DS is being featured on the
Nintendo Fusion Tour, a multi-city tour that presents the best in
music and video games.
"The campaign for Nintendo DS marks a different, bolder approach
for Nintendo," says George Harrison, Nintendo of America's senior
vice president of marketing and corporate communications. "We think
such a radically different and creative device like Nintendo DS
deserves the backing of an equally innovative and provocative
marketing campaign."
Nintendo's media agency of record, Starcom U.S.A., and its
specialist division, Starcom Entertainment, negotiated media
placement and branded integration with MTV and Dennis Publishing.
Nintendo of America's advertising agency, Leo Burnett USA, created
the pre-launch and launch television ads.
Nintendo DS will sell at an MSRP of $149.99. In addition to the
built-in
PictoChat™ chat function, Nintendo DS will come bundled
with a playable demo of
Metroid
Prime® Hunters: First Hunt, the latest installment in an
extremely popular first-person shooter franchise.
Before the end of the year, Nintendo DS users will be able to
enjoy games of all kinds, from
Super Mario®
64 DS from Nintendo, Madden NFL 2005, Tiger
Woods PGA TOUR® 2005 and The Urbz™: Sims in the City™
from EA, and Spider-Man 2™ from Activision. Other
third-party titles available during the launch window include
Ping Pals from THQ, Feel the Magic™: XY/XX from SEGA,
Rayman® DS and Asphalt Urban GT™ from Ubisoft and
Ridge Racer® DS and Mr. DRILLER®: Drill Spirits™
from Namco. More than 120 games remain in development for Nintendo
DS around the world.
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 and portable
video game systems. Each year, hundreds of all-new titles for the
best-selling Game Boy® Advance, Nintendo DS™ and Nintendo GameCube™
systems extend Nintendo's vast game library and continue the
tradition of delivering a rich, diverse mix of quality video games
for players of all ages. Since the release of its first home video
game system in 1983, Nintendo has sold more than 1.9 billion video
games and more than 170 million hardware units globally, creating
enduring industry icons such as Mario™ and Donkey Kong® and
launching popular culture franchise phenomena such as 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. |
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10/14
Update
Zelda: Four Swords DS
Release Information!
At the Gamer's Summit in Seattle, Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo's Executive Vice
President of Sales and Marketing mentioned that not only is Zelda DS in
development, but it will be out early next year. A specific release date
has not been given, but barring delay the game will probably be out by June.
Ganon's Tower will bring you more information on Four Swords DS as it
becomes available!
10/13
Update
Nintendo
Software for Nintendo DS™
Available at Launch:
Super Mario®
64 DS
Super Mario® 64, the genre-defining Nintendo®
64 classic, arrives on the Nintendo DS with all-new features that take full
advantage of the new portable system’s dual screens, touch screen and wireless
multiplayer capability. New characters, stages and puzzles await. In addition to
Mario™, players will be able to play as Yoshi®, Luigi and
even Wario™, each of whom has different abilities integral to
collecting every last one of the 150 Power Stars hidden in the castle and
grounds. Play through Adventure mode, try your hand at tons of new
touch-sensitive mini-games or battle up to three friends in Wireless Versus
mode, which you can play with only one DS Game Card.
Metroid®
Prime Hunters: First Hunt
Experience the ferocious
first-person action of the Metroid Prime universe on the Nintendo DS in
the playable demo, Metroid Prime Hunters: First Hunt. Hone your skills
against a slew of enemies in single-player training modes like Regulator,
Survival and Morph Ball, then put them to the test when you compete in Death
Match arenas with your friends over a wireless connection. Multiple control
schemes take full advantage of the touch screen, giving all gamers an ideal way
to play.
PictoChat™
Keep in constant contact with
your friends with PictoChat – a wireless chat program that’s built into
the Nintendo DS. With PictoChat, up to 16 people per chat room can link
over a wireless connection and chat and swap drawings all they want. Simply
hand-write words or draw pictures on the Nintendo DS touch screen, and then send
them to your friends. You can even copy someone else’s message, edit it, add to
it and send it back. Draw, doodle, share ideas or do anything else you can think
of – dreaming up new ways to use PictoChat is half the fun. Anyone with a
Nintendo DS can play with PictoChat – no Game Card is required.
Software in
Development:
Advance Wars®
DS (temporary title)
Armchair strategists rejoice
– Advance Wars is coming to the Nintendo DS. The latest game in the
vaunted military tactics series features a new battle system that takes full
advantage of the system’s two screens. New missions will have you commanding air
forces in the sky on the top screen and ground forces below on the touch screen.
Not only that, but you can take the fight to the enemy in all-new Survival and
Combat game modes. In addition to leading your army to victory with a slew of
original COs, you can also clash with your friends over a wireless connection.
Another (temporary
title)
Uncover clues to a family’s
painful mystery in Another, the first true adventure game on the Nintendo
DS. Featuring a riveting plot and unique puzzles that must be solved using the
touch screen and microphone, Another breaks new ground in adventure
gaming. Players can expect to encounter detailed environments populated with
gritty characters. During play, one screen displays conversations while the
other screen displays character actions.
Jam With The Band
(temporary title)
Jam With the Band
gives you the chance to rock out on your Nintendo DS. To make sweet music, all
you have to do is grab the stylus, choose your favorite instrument and a song
and cue the scrolling dots on the touch screen with perfect timing. If your solo
career isn’t flying, you can always join a band. An unlimited number of people
can link up and form a massive jam session, as long as all players are in
wireless range and have their own Game Cards. Plus, up to eight people can jam
together over a wireless connection with just one Game Card. If you aren’t in
the mood to play one of the included songs, you can create original compositions
just by humming into the microphone.
One-Line Puzzle
(temporary title)
One-Line Puzzle is an
elegantly simple and stylish puzzle game designed to be played entirely with the
Nintendo DS touch screen and a stylus. To play, you’ve got to use the stylus to
draw a stroke, flipping black and white tiles to change and match their color.
Three game modes and scores of puzzles will put your puzzle-solving abilities
and stylus skills to the test. You can even challenge a friend to a duel over a
wireless connection!
Puppy Times
(temporary title)
Puppies are invading the
Nintendo DS. In Puppy Times, you can raise up to three adorable puppies
and play with them to your heart’s content. You can also teach your pups new
tricks – just speak into the built-in microphone and they’ll respond to the
voice commands you’ve taught them. Not only that, but you can even play Puppy
Times over a wireless connection!
WarioWare, Inc.™
DS (temporary title)
Wario makes his mad debut on
the Nintendo DS with 180 all-new, factory-fresh microgames! WarioWare, Inc.
DS features all of the frantic five-second microgame action of the previous
games, but with a touching new twist. You can play every microgame with the
Nintendo DS touch screen, making it the perfect game for the system’s unique
touch-screen technology. Not only that, but you can even play some microgames
with the Nintendo DS built-in microphone.
Yoshi’s Touch & Go
(temporary title)
Yoshi and Baby Mario are
about to embark on another wild adventure – this time on the Nintendo DS. Using
the Nintendo DS system’s two screens and touch screen capability, you’ll have to
help Yoshi guard Baby Mario and guide him to safety. On vertical-action levels,
players must use the stylus to draw clouds on the touch screen to protect Baby
Mario from enemies and lead him to Yoshi. On horizontal side-scrolling levels,
players must use the stylus to look out for Yoshi as he gallops across the
countryside. On top of all that, Yoshi’s Touch & Go also features
two-player wireless play.
10/12
Update
Minish Cap Information!
IGN has provided us with some Minish Cap information from Nintendo's Gamer's
Summit in Seattle. First off, Zelda: The Minish Cap is a prequel of some
sort, although we don't know what game it is a prequel to yet. Based on
some storyline tidbits, it's possible the game might be a prequel to Four Swords
Adventures, but this has not been confirmed yet. We know that Link starts
the game out without his green cap, and a big part of the beginning of the game
is finding the cap. When Link finds it, the cap is being attacked by
Octoroks and Link must battle them in order to get his cap. This cap turns
out to be the Minish Cap, named Elzo, and the cap can talk to Link much like
Navi did in Ocarina of Time. It also has the ability to shrink Link down
to a very small size.
The evil sorcerer Vaati has put a curse on Princess Zelda (remind anybody of
Adventure of Link?), and along with Elzo, Link must find the Minish people, who
have the ability to lift the curse. The Minish people are extremely small,
so Link must use the cap to shrink down to their size and continue with his
quest. While shrunk down, things that were harmless in previous Zelda
games, such as lakes, or bugs are now deadly to the shrunken down Link.
One of the new items in the game is called the Gust Jar, which has the ability
to create gusts of wind to remove spider webs from doors, shooting at enemies,
inhaling items, or enemies that have been damaged. In addition to the Gust
Jar, another new item is the Mole Mitts, which allow link to dig through terrain
and certain obsticles.
Similar to finding the Golden Skulltulas in Ocarina of time, The Minish Cap has
a side quest of finding the Kinstones. You find these at various locations
in the world, and a character in the game will having a matching Kinstone, and
when combined, they will cause changes in the world. Ganon's Tower
will continue to bring you all the latest Minish Cap information as it becomes
available!
Source: IGN
10/7
Update
Nintendo DS Launch
Information!
MARIO, MADDEN NFL, THE URBZ AND MORE READY FOR
NINTENDO DS LAUNCH
DS Changes the Rules: Players Control Games with Touch or Voice,
Monitor Two-Screen Action, Compete Wirelessly with Others
REDMOND, Wash., Oct. 7, 2004 - Imagine using the touch screen of
Nintendo DS™ to call a secret audible at the line of scrimmagewhen
your wireless opponent threatens a blitz. Is your Sim feeling blue?
Redesign her apartment or create a pet with the touch of the screen.
Can't find that last star? Use the second screen to track down your
nemesis in the vast worlds of Super Mario® 64 DS.
From Mario™ to Madden and The Urbz™, familiar characters
and dynamic franchises will dominate the launch season for Nintendo
DS, while allowing fans to play their favorites in entirely new
ways. In the first 30 days of system availability, thanks to
unprecedented support from third-party publishers, players can enjoy
10 to 12 DS games covering all genres. By the end of the first
quarter of 2005, the Nintendo DS library will grow to 20 to 25
games.
Nintendo DS will launch in the United States on Nov. 21 at an
MSRP of $149.99.
"DS provides the road map to the future of video games," says Reggie
Fils-Aime, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of sales &
marketing. "The overwhelming support of strong third-party titles,
combined with Nintendo's flagship franchise, makes this the
strongest software support for any Nintendo system in more than a
decade."
As part of an incredibly strong launch offering, players will
receive a free playable demo of Nintendo's upcoming Metroid
Prime Hunters game, titled Metroid Prime® Hunters: First
Hunt. Each system also offers a built-in PictoChat™
feature, which lets users type text or draw pictures and transmit
them wirelessly to up to 15 other Nintendo DS users nearby.
In all, more than 120 games are currently in development for
Nintendo DS around the world. Titles available in the launch window
include Super Mario 64 DS from Nintendo, Madden NFL
2005, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® Golf and The Urbz™:
Sims in the City™ from EA, and a major title from Activision.
Other third-party titles available during the launch period include
Ping Pals from THQ, Feel the Magic: XY/XX from
SEGA, Rayman DS and Asphalt Urban GT from Ubisoft
and Ridge Racer DS and Mr. DRILLER: Drill Spirits
from Namco.
Players can expect Nintendo-published games to retail for as low as
$29.99.
In the coming months, publishers will release a wide range of
novel software. Nintendo's list of DS-specific first-party
franchises includes a multiplayer Mario Kart, as well as
Metroid Prime Hunters, WarioWare, Inc.™ DS, Animal Crossing,
Yoshi's Touch & Go, Advance Wars® DS and a new Super Mario
Bros., among others.
Third-party publishers will add GoldenEye: Rogue Agent™
and Need for Speed™ Underground from EA, Viewtiful Joe
from Capcom, Bomberman from Hudson Soft, Frogger
from Konami, a Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles title from
Square Enix, and many more.
The dual-screened Nintendo DS is a portable video game and
communication system that opens up new possibilities for both
software developers and game players. Each dual-screened unit, which
features a sharp, angular, silver-and-black design, has a built-in
stylus for use on the touch screen, a built-in microphone for voice
recognition and wireless capabilities via both local area network
and Wi-Fi connections. Nintendo DS represents a third, distinct
hardware line for Nintendo, along with Nintendo GameCube™ and Game
Boy® Advance SP.
Each title takes advantage of the unique Nintendo DS features.
For example, in Madden NFL 2005, one screen will show all
22 players on the field, while the other will display the key
action. Players also will be able to compete head-to-head
wirelessly. In Super Mario 64 DS, players choose one of
four characters as they experience the groundbreaking Mario game in
completely news ways exclusive to Nintendo DS, such as head-to-head
wireless battling, new touch-sensitive mini-games and innovative
control options. In Metroid Prime Hunters: First Hunt, up
to four players can compete wirelessly. Multiple control schemes
take full advantage of the touch screen, giving all gamers an ideal
way to play.
In addition to these upcoming titles, Nintendo DS already
features compatibility with more than 550 games. Its second game
port allows users to play single-player modes of games made for Game
Boy Advance SP.
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 and portable
video game systems. Each year, hundreds of all-new titles for the
best-selling Game Boy® Advance, Nintendo DS™ and Nintendo GameCube™
systems extend Nintendo's vast game library and continue the
tradition of delivering a rich, diverse mix of quality video games
for players of all ages. Since the release of its first home video
game system in 1983, Nintendo has sold more than 1.9 billion video
games and more than 170 million hardware units globally, creating
enduring industry icons such as Mario™ and Donkey Kong® and
launching popular culture franchise phenomena such as 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. |
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Walk of Game!
A walk of Game,
similar to Hollywood's Walk of Fame is being started up!
| Walk of Game is the
first-of-its-kind landmark honoring the icons and pioneers of the
videogame industry.
Every year, gamers worldwide will select six inductees to receive
a permanent star on the Walk of Game.
From October 1 (12:00 am PT) - October 31 (11:59 pm PT) 2004,
www.WalkOfGame.com will
accept votes in the categories of "Game/Character*" and "Lifetime
Achievement". The top four Games/Characters* and the top two
lifetime achievers will be inducted into Walk Of Game and have a
24"x 24", customized, brushed-steel star installed on the floors of
Metreon.
Registered visitors to
www.WalkOfGame.com will be able to vote once every 24 hours
through October 31 (11:59 pm PT).
The list of 2004 nominees was compiled from a survey of industry
members, and technology, entertainment, and gaming media. SCA
Interactive, a leader in online promotions, powers the Walk of Game
voting interface. All votes will be validated by SCA Interactive and
results will be announced in November 2004, with groundbreaking on
the landmark in 2005.
The physical Walk of Game landmark honoring inductees is located
inside Metreon, a 350,000 square-foot entertainment complex located
at Fourth and Mission Streets in the heart of downtown San
Francisco. Check
www.WalkofGame.com regularly to VOTE, check nominee ranking, and
keep informed about upcoming inductee events!
We welcome you to visit Walk of Game in 2005!
*If a game and a character from that game both
finish in the top four, the publisher will decide which receives a
star. The game/character not selected by the publisher will remain
eligible for future nominations, and the fifth place finisher will
receive the star.
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10/6
Update
Nintendo DS Wireless LAN
Information!
RF MICRO DEVICES ANNOUNCES PRODUCTION SHIPMENTS OF WIRELESS
LAN TRANSCEIVER FOR HANDHELD NINTENDO DS GAME SYSTEM
Greensboro, NC - October 6, 2004 - RF Micro Devices,
Inc. (Nasdaq: RFMD), a leading provider of proprietary radio
frequency integrated circuits (RFICs) for wireless communications
applications, today announced the Company has begun production
shipments of its 802.11 wireless local area network (WLAN)
transceiver for use in the new Nintendo DS™. Nintendo is a leading
provider of hardware systems and interactive video games for both
the home entertainment and handheld gaming environments.
By enabling wireless connectivity in the Nintendo DS, RFMD's WLAN
transceiver provides a wireless link to other Nintendo DS units
within range. Additionally, with its chat software and wireless
capabilities, Nintendo DS gamers are able to transmit text messages,
handwriting and even drawings to one another.
The Nintendo DS features dual screens providing two perspectives
on the action at once. Its touch-screen input enables users to
easily access items, move characters or navigate menus. The
Nintendo DS also contains a microphone, which could enable players
to control the system using voice commands.
"RFMD's energy-efficient wireless device enables Nintendo to
include wireless technology in the Nintendo DS handheld at a low
cost," said Satoru Okada, general manager, research and engineering
at Nintendo Co., Ltd. "The embedded wireless functionality will
enable developers to create rich game designs which were not
considered possible in the past, further expanding the fascinating
world of Nintendo DS."
Kris Rausch, product line director of wireless LAN products at RF
Micro Devices, said, "We are extremely excited to be working with
Nintendo, the world's leading name in the gaming industry.
Additionally, we are pleased to build upon the success of our WLAN
transceiver products, which offer distinct advantages in bill of
materials (BOM) cost, size, performance and power consumption.
These competitive advantages are driving incremental customer
traction as an increasing number of electronic devices are being
designed to capitalize on consumer demand for wireless
connectivity."
Frank Morese, corporate vice president of the wireless
connectivity business unit at RF Micro Devices, said, "We are very
pleased to add Nintendo to our blue-chip customer base, which
features many of the world's leading manufacturers of high-volume
consumer electronic devices. As one of the world's leading video
game manufacturers, Nintendo provides RFMD a valuable growth
opportunity as we expand into the explosive video gaming market."
RFMD is a trusted supplier of high-volume, low-cost wireless
components to leading manufacturers in multiple high-volume markets,
including wireless networking, Bluetooth® technology and
cellular handsets. The cellular handset market is the world's
highest-volume consumer electronics market, with estimated handset
shipments in 2003 of 510 million units. The video gaming market had
estimated shipments in 2003 of 56 million units and is expected to
grow to 80 million units by 2007.
About Nintendo
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 and portable
video game systems. Each year, hundreds of all-new titles for the
best-selling Game Boy® Advance, Nintendo DS™ and Nintendo GameCube™
systems extend Nintendo's vast game library and continue the
tradition of delivering a rich, diverse mix of quality video games
for players of all ages. Since the release of its first home video
game system in 1983, Nintendo has sold more than 1.9 billion video
games and more than 170 million hardware units globally, creating
enduring industry icons such as Mario™ and Donkey Kong® and
launching popular culture franchise phenomena such as 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.
About RF Micro Devices
RF Micro Devices, Inc., an ISO 9001- and ISO
14001-certified manufacturer, designs, develops, manufactures and
markets proprietary radio frequency integrated circuits (RFICs) for
wireless communications products and applications. The Company is a
leading supplier of power amplifiers, one of the most critical radio
frequency (RF) components in cellular phones. The Company is also
the leading manufacturer of GaAs HBT, which offers distinct
advantages over other technologies for the manufacture of current-
and next-generation power amplifiers. The Company's products are
included primarily in cellular phones, base stations, wireless local
area networks (WLANs), cable television modems and global
positioning systems (GPS). The Company derives revenue from the
sale of standard and custom-designed products. The Company offers a
broad array of products including amplifiers, mixers,
modulators/demodulators and single-chip transmitters, Bluetooth®
products and receivers and transceivers that represent a substantial
majority of the RFICs required in wireless subscriber equipment.
The Company's goal is to be the premier supplier of low-cost,
high-performance integrated circuits and solutions for applications
that enable wireless connectivity. RF Micro Devices, Inc., is
traded on the Nasdaq National Market under the symbol RFMD. For more
information about RFMD, please visit
www.rfmd.com.
This press release contains forward-looking statements that
relate to RF Micro Devices' plans, objectives, estimates and goals.
Words such as "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans,"
"projects," "believes" and "estimates," and variations of these
words and similar expressions, identify these forward-looking
statements. RF Micro Devices' business is subject to numerous risks
and uncertainties, including variability in quarterly operating
results, the rate of growth and development of wireless markets,
risks associated with the operation of wafer fabrication, molecular
beam epitaxy and other foreign and domestic manufacturing
facilities, our ability to attract and retain skilled personnel and
develop leaders, variability in production yields, our ability to
reduce costs and improve gross margins by implementing innovative
technologies, our ability to bring new products to market, our
ability to increase production capacity quickly in response to
increases in demand for our products, dependence on a limited number
of customers and dependence on third parties. These and other risks
and uncertainties, which are described in more detail in RF Micro
Devices' most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, could cause actual results and
developments to be materially different from those expressed or
implied by any of these forward-looking statements.
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10/4
Update
Minish Cap Box Art!
We have the
European and Japanese box art for Zelda: The Minish Cap! The North
American box art hasn't been released yet, but when it is available, we will
post it.
European Minish Cap Box
Japanese Minish Cap Box
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