Pokemon Diamond and Pearl are a little over a month away, and Nintendo has confirmed VoIP (voice over IP) support for players battling their bulbasaurs via a wireless internet connection for the North American version. According to the press release, players will be able to chat before, after, and even during the battle...so pretty much as long as they are connected together. VoIP will only be available to players who have exchanged friend codes, so your children will be perfectly safe, unless of course a pervert somehow finds them on the internet and convinces them to exchange friend codes with them. Like you'd ever find a middle-aged pervert on a Pokemon message board.

Children should never, ever use the internet. Ever.

It's a sad testament to my psyche that upon reading this news the first thing that came to mind was "How could this be used for porn?" The answer? "Just send us your credit card info and friend code, and prepare for the hottest, heaviest Pokemon Battle ever. Don't forget to bring your squirtle." WTB innocence. Michael Fahey

ON APRIL 22, TWO NEW POK MON JEWELS WILL HAVE PEOPLE TALKING

Wireless and Chat Abilities of Pok mon Diamond and Pok mon Pearl Act Like a Cell Phone for Kids

REDMOND, Wash., March 15, 2007 - For a decade, fans of Pok mon video games have been entertained by exciting adventures, dramatic battles and hundreds of new Pok mon. Now the record-setting franchise is evolving with Pok mon Diamond Version and Pok mon Pearl Version, two new games available April 22 for the top-selling Nintendo DS . The in-depth games feature enhanced graphics that make Pok mon jump off the screen like never before. In addition to the 380 Pok mon available in previous versions, players can collect, train and battle more than 100 new Pok mon. After completing certain objectives, they can also import Pok mon from their Game Boy Advance games. Starting March 18, fans who pre-order a copy of either game will receive one of two collectible Pok mon styluses (retailer may require pre-order deposit).

But the game's wireless abilities are what will have everyone talking - literally. Using a local wireless connection, up to eight trainers can connect and play. Both Pok mon Diamond and Pok mon Pearl are fully Wi-Fi compatible, meaning players can log onto Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, Nintendo's wireless gaming service, and compete with players all around the world. The microphone built into the Nintendo DS even lets players talk with friends before, during and after battles. Only players who have entered one another's Friend Codes can communicate using this Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, feature so players can control with whom they communicate. For kids, it's like having a cell phone that can only connect with their friends. The Nintendo DS Headset, sold separately, makes these conversations a breeze.

"The amazing wireless and voice chat features of Pok mon Diamond and Pok mon Pearl offer gamers something completely new," says George Harrison, Nintendo of America's senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications. "We make games for everybody, and these Pok mon titles are sure to be a hit with new and returning players."

Players can trade Pok mon or battle with players anywhere in the world, even without voice communication. The Global Trade Station allows players to post Pok mon they want to trade on a board and browse through Pok mon other players have posted. The Battle Tower allows players to battle with seven Trainers who have registered their player data in the Wi-Fi Battle Dome. After the battle, players can upload their data so other Trainers can battle them virtually. The more games a player wins, the higher his or her ranking.

Pok mon Diamond and Pok mon Pearl feature the ability for players to control their Pok dex using the touch screen controls of Nintendo DS. As time passes in the real world, the look of the games changes. The Pok mon characters that appear change, and the evolution of some Pok mon is affected.

More than 155 million Pok mon games have been sold worldwide. When Pok mon Diamond and Pok mon Pearl were released in Japan, they became the fastest-selling Pok mon games ever, with 5 million units shipped to retailers in their first three months of availability. For more information about these games, visit www.Pokemon.com.

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 2.2 billion video games and more than 387 million hardware units globally, and has created industry icons like Mario , Donkey Kong , Metroid , Zelda and Pok mon . 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.

Pok mon USA, Inc., a subsidiary of The Pok mon Company in Japan, manages the property outside of Asia which includes licensing, marketing, the Pok mon Trading Card Game, an animated TV series, home entertainment, the official Pok mon Web site and an online retail center www.pokemoncenter.com. Just coming off its 10th worldwide anniversary in 2006, Pok mon was launched in Japan in 1996 for play on Nintendo's Game Boy and has since evolved into a global cultural phenomenon. Pok mon was introduced in North America in September 1998 and today is one of the most popular toy and entertainment properties in the world. For more information, visit www.pokemon.com.

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