Nintendo Releases DS Lite In Europe

Following its recent, extremely successful launches in Japan and North America, officials from Nintendo announced that its Nintendo DS Lite handheld has launched in Europe. While only the Polar White color is currently available in North America, the European market received both white and black variations, each of which retail for around £100 in the UK (approximately $182). The new handheld will also soon be joined by Nintendo's New Super Mario Bros., a title which has enjoyed tremendous success in both Japan and North America, when it ships in the European territory on June 30. The console is an improved version of the original Nintendo DS, and features a smaller and lighter design than the original model, as well as a brighter screen display. The original model has already been bought by more than 4.5 million people across Europe since its launch. Nintendo has also confirmed that it is supporting the DS Lite launch with a £2.5 million marketing campaign. Two days after the launch of the Nintendo DS Lite in North America, the handheld had sold an impressive 136,500 units, with many major retailers reporting having sold out. Nintendo also reported that initial sales of the redesigned handheld have outperformed the 2003 launch of the Game Boy Advance SP by 12 percent. The console has also sold exceptionally well in Japan, with many stores reporting an inability to keep up with demand following its launch in March. The most recent Japanese charts saw the DS Lite selling around 140,000 units in the week ending June 18th, compared to around 25,000 units of Sony's PSP.