Raving Toy Maniac

K'NEX® BRANDS WELCOMES MARIO KART™ 7 TO ITS LINE OF MARIO KART BUILDING SETS

Officially-Licensed Toys Allow Kids to Build their Favorite Mario Kart Characters

(RTM note: scroll to the bottom for many more pictures.)

Hatfield, PA, February 2013 – K'NEX, the only US construction toy company focused on Building Worlds Kids Love®, is pleased to welcome Mario Kart 7 to its successful line of officially licensed Nintendo® building sets. Mario Kart 7 joins the ever-popular Mario Kart™ Wii Building Set line in the construction aisle this fall!

The new sets are designed for young Nintendo® fans ages 6+, bringing the fun of Mario Kart 7 and Mario Kart Wii to a new generation and expanding its appeal through a rewarding, age-appropriate K'NEX building experience. In addition, the interchangeable track system rods, bricks, and connectors used in these building sets are American made.

K'NEX® BRANDS UNVEILS A NEW ADDITION TO ITS LINE OF NINTENDO® BUILDING SETS: SUPER MARIO®

Officially-Licensed Toys Inspired by the Super Mario Franchise Allows Kids to Bring their Favorite Mario Characters to Life!

Hatfield, PA, February 2013 – K'NEX, the only US construction toy company focused on Building Worlds Kids Love®, is pleased to announce a new addition to its successful line of Nintendo building sets: SUPER MARIO. New, officially licensed building sets are inspired by the most popular Super Mario game titles such as New Super Mario Bros. Wii™, Super Mario 3DLand™ and New Super Mario Bros. 2™.

The new Super Mario building sets join the ever-popular K'NEX Mario Kart Wii building set line and are designed for young Nintendo fans ages 6+, bringing the fun of Mario and his friends to a new generation and expanding its appeal through a rewarding, age-appropriate K'NEX building experience.

Mario's Brother Gets Top Billing: Nintendo Introduces The 'Year of Luigi'

REDMOND, Wash., Feb. 14, 2013 -- After decades of playing second fiddle to the No. 1 video game hero, Luigi is getting some love from Nintendo. Nintendo has named 2013 the "Year of Luigi," thanks to the numerous appearances that Mario's timid, green-clad twin brother will be making in games this year. In a Nintendo Direct video, Nintendo provided details about games on the way that feature Luigi, as well as information about more than two dozen upcoming games, including content for Wii U and Nintendo 3DS across packaged and digital formats.

"Luigi is just the green tip of the iceberg of all the great news we have to share with Nintendo fans this year and beyond," said Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo of America's president and COO. "We're showing how Nintendo 3DS and Wii U continue to be a source of fun, entertainment and great surprises."

To view the Nintendo Direct in its entirety, visit http://www.nintendo.com/nintendo-direct. Today's announcements included:

The Year of Luigi

November 26, 2012, MILWAUKIE, OR - Dark Horse Books and Nintendo® team up to bring you the limited collector's edition of The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, containing an unparalleled collection of historical information on the Legend of Zelda™ franchise.

The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia Collector's Edition is limited to only 4,000 copies and contains an introduction by Shigeru Miyamoto, the full history of the Legend of Zelda™ franchise, and the official timeline of the Legend of Zelda™ games. This stunning hardcover also collects the Legend of Zelda™ manga and never-before-seen concept art, in-depth information on the making of The Legend of Zelda™, and art by some of the most storied concept artists in video games!

Goldie Renews With Nintendo® for Another Three Years

MELBOURNE, Victoria, May 14, 2012 -- Goldie Marketing Pty. Ltd. of Australia and Nintendo of America Inc. will continue their business association for another three years, following the signing of an extension to their current merchandise licensing agreement.

The renewal of Goldie Marketing's licensing agreement will ensure that the company can carry out long-term plans and create a broader range of toys based on Nintendo's Super Mario Bros.™, Mario Kart™ Wii, and Nintendogs™ franchises.

Goldie Marketing will continue to produce Super Mario Bros. themed collectible figures, plush, and general toy lines, as well as expand the range of their internationally successful radio-controlled Mario Kart Wii themed karts. An exciting new line of Nintendogs themed toys is being developed that will include figurines and playsets.