Supercross Challenger Brian Mason `Catches Air' With Excitebike 64

5 April 2000

Supercross Challenger Brian Mason `Catches Air' With Excitebike 64; Nintendo Sponsors Rising Supercross Rider

    REDMOND, Wash.--April 5, 2000--In the '80s, "Flyin' Brian" Mason was one of hundreds of thousands of kids across the country hooked on motocross by playing Nintendo's video game, Excitebike(R) for the Nintendo Entertainment System(R) (NES(R)).
    Today, Brian rides a real `excitebike' in five intense Supercross races backed by sponsorship from Nintendo and its new game, Excitebike 64, exclusively for the Nintendo(R) 64 video game system.
    At 20 years old, Mason is competing in his first full professional Supercross season this year. As part of this sponsorship, he's riding in the last five races of the season for Excitebike 64. This up-and-comer on the Edge Supercross team will do double duty by riding in both the 125cc and 250cc series, a feat that is rarely attempted.
    "Excitebike is one of the reasons I started riding, so it's unreal to have Nintendo as a sponsor," says Brian Mason. "Excitebike 64 has triple jumps and huge air -- just like racing on the circuit -- only the crashes don't hurt!"
    Excitebike 64 boasts more than 20 tracks to challenge players' motocross skills including indoor stadiums and massive outdoor environments, with plenty of jumps, bumps and stunts for up to four players. The accurately modeled physics engine maintains the realism of motocross action and tight bike control. Excitebike 64's realistic rider and detailed crash animations give players a sense of being part of the action.
    "This is a great opportunity for both Brian and Nintendo," says George Harrison, Nintendo's vice president, advertising and corporate communications. "Brian's ready to take it to the next level in the same way Excitebike 64 sets new standards in four-player action and custom track design."
    As part of the sponsorship, Brian will make personal appearances at local retail outlets in Dallas, New Orleans, Chicago and Las Vegas which are scheduled before the Supercross races this spring. He'll talk about his experiences on the racing circuit, give away Excitebike 64 premiums and challenge consumers to one-on-one races in Excitebike 64. For further details, visit www.nintendosports.com.
    "Brian's a hot property on the circuit," says Jim Sirko, manager Sirko Sports Marketing. "With the help of Excitebike 64 and a lot of hard work, "Flyin' Brian" hopes to one day join the likes of Nintendo's own Ken Griffey, Jr. and Kobe Bryant."
    Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, is the acknowledged worldwide leader in the creation of interactive entertainment. To date, Nintendo has sold more than one billion video games worldwide, has created such industry icons as Mario(R) and Donkey Kong(R) and launched franchises like The Legend of Zelda(R) and Pokemon(TM). Nintendo manufactures and markets hardware and software for its popular home video game systems, including the Nintendo 64 and Game Boy -- the world's best-selling video game system. As a wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo's operations in North America.
    For more information about Excitebike 64 or any other Nintendo products, visit the company's web site at www.nintendo.com.

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