November 22^nd, 2005 (12:39pm) - In its first week of availability, a whopping 45 percent of people who bought the new Mario Kart DS have already have test driven its free Wi-Fi capabilities, setting a new industry standard. This remarkable play rate of Mario Kart DS demonstrates both the easy setup and access of Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, Nintendo’s new wireless gaming service, as well as the fun game play that has always characterized the Mario Kart series.

On Nov. 14, Mario Kart DS became the first game to use Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. Through the end of Sunday, more than 112,000 people in the United States had purchased the game. In the same time frame, nearly 52,000 unique users had logged onto Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection to play against people from all over the country.

Video game fans have high praise for the addictive fun of Mario Kart DS and the simplicity of Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. Many report that they can’t stop playing.

"From the user-end, this is the easiest way to get online in video games," writes popular video game blog Kotaku.com. "The Wi-Fi integration is seamless. It’s as easy as clicking multiplayer on the menu and joining the game."

Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection lets users easily connect to the service at no additional charge using both home wireless networks and select Wi-Fi hotspots, without any complicated setup procedures.

Upcoming titles that use Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection include Animal Crossing: Wild World on Dec. 5 and Metroid Prime Hunters on March 20. The buzz for Animal Crossing: Wild World already has reached a fevered pitch. Four notoriously difficult game raters at Weekly Famitsu, Japan’s leading video game magazine, scored it 37 out of a possible 40 points.