Fans in both Japan and America have been snapping up the games in their eagerness to be the best Pokémon Trainer ever, with more than 4.4 million copies of the games being shipped in Japan and more than 2.2 million games already shipped to North American retailers.

The Pokémon action escalates to new proportions in Pokémon Ruby and Pokémon Sapphire. Nintendo is throwing down the gauntlet to Pokémon Trainers old and new, to collect and train Pokémon and become the best Pokemon Trainers. There is the brand new Pokémon world of Hoenn to explore and over 100 new Pokémon to collect, all with their very own characteristics and special skills for budding Pokémon Trainers to nurture and develop.

The battling grows even more intense with the introduction of all-new 2-on-2 battling in Pokémon Ruby and Pokémon Sapphire ... Pokémon Trainers can now challenge their rivals and pit two of their Pokémon against two rival Pokémon. To be the victor in these battles will take all the strategy and cunning of the very best Pokémon Trainer - and the battling is even more exciting when players engage their Pokémon in multi-player battles by linking up to four players with a Game Boy Advance Game Link cable.

What's more, all new Pokémon contests allow players to groom their Pokémon to be the "Best in Show". Trainers can enter their Pokémon to compete in five categories - Cool, Beauty, Cute, Smart and Tough. Wise Pokémon Trainers will choose the category best suited to their Pokémon, and if they are successful will win a ribbon and qualify to participate in a higher ranked contest.

There are loads more new features in Pokémon Ruby & Pokémon Sapphire to surprise and delight Pokémon Trainers, and the technology of the Game Boy Advance ensures that the land of Hoenn is a more beautiful and enchanting place than ever before.

So grab your Game Boy Advance and take up the challenge to discover the secrets hidden in the world of Heonn and become the Pokémon Master.

And, look out for a whole host of new merchandise featuring characters from the Pokémon Ruby and Pokémon Sapphire games, plus a brand new TV series and a new blockbuster film, Pokémon 4ever.

Pokémon Ruby and Pokémon Sapphire will be available on 25th July 2003 priced at around 45 Euros each.