GameBoy Advance hits UK million mark

GameBoy Advance was launched in 2001

Nintendo is celebrating selling one million GameBoy Advance consoles in the UK.

The Japanese hand-held computer games system was launched in the UK in June 2001, with pre-order sales put at 500,000.

Since then the amount in circulation has doubled as the number of games available increases.

This news will give a boost to Nintendo ahead of the much-anticipated launch of its new computer game console, the GameCube.

Already 25,000 people have placed orders for the GameCube ahead of its launch in May, with numbers expected to rise.

The GameCube will be officially launched in Europe in May

A special feature being trumpeted by Nintendo is the ability for users to connect the GameBoy Advance and GameCube together.

Although they have different capabilities, users will be able continue playing some GameCube games on their handheld, developing gameplay and characters and then downloading progress back into the GameCube.

Enhanced features

The first crossover games will be Sonic Advance on the GameBoy Advance and Sonic Adventure 2 Battle on the GameCube.

Nintendo believes it will be able to showcase 100 Advance titles during the next few years, including new games and established brands with enhanced features, such as Tony Hawks Pro Skater 3 and Crash Bandicoot XS.

The GameCube will compete with its rivals, Microsoft's Xbox and Sony's PlayStation 2, when it is released in the UK on 3 May.

There have been mixed reports about how well the Xbox has been selling in Europe, Japan and the US, but Microsoft insists it will meets its worldwide targets.

Nintendo also made the GameBoy

In the UK, the GameCube console will cost about £150, compared with about £200 for a PlayStation 2 and £300 for an Xbox.

The GameCube is expected to attract a younger fan base than its rivals, and will have an emphasis on gameplay instead of the technical excellence or added extras like the facility to play CDs or DVDs.