Nintendo today announce two major sponsorship deals with MTV Europe and Burton Snowboards for events in the European winter sports period of January to March 2003.

The sponsorship deals will be focused to support Nintendo's GameCube and the first person action adventure game Metroid Prime, that is set for release across Europe in March 2003. This sponsorship opportunity will see key Nintendo brands promoted to youth lifestyle audiences with an interest in both music and extreme sports events.

As the main headline sponsor of the Burton European Open 2003, the GameCube will bring added entertainment to this high profile event with widespread sampling for the riders and spectators, plus a specially designed Nintendo GameCube obstacle at the Night Shoot Out event and the inclusion of the 'Best Trick on a giant Nintendo GameCube' contest within the main event.

The GameCube obstacle will be in the same shape as the GameCube console itself, offering riders the opportunity to 'grind' on the obstacle to perform tricks, with the riders competing for the best trick.

MTV Winterjam 2003, held in Davos Switzerland in March, will be sponsored by the GameCube title, Metroid Prime. A first person action adventure game, Metroid Prime was hugely well received in America following launch, selling a quarter of a million units in its first week of availability. The sponsorship will see MTV's annual winter music event take on the sci-fi theme of the game, featuring the bounty hunter heroine of the game Samus, plus a giant gaming competition with contenders fighting it out on a grand scale as the game-play is projected on to a huge 'ice wall'. There will also be great opportunities for Winterjam to sample the game first hand.

David Gosen, Managing Director of Nintendo of Europe says:
"The Nintendo sponsorship of the Burton European Open 2003 in addition to the ever popular MTV Winterjam offers us a unique opportunity to reach a key audience. Nintendo has a long-standing commitment to gaming and entertainment, and the promotion of Nintendo to youth lifestyle audiences with an interest in both music and extreme sports events is a natural and exciting progression for us."