Do you know whether Zigzagoon is an appropriate choice to defeat Regirock in a head-to-head Pokemon battle? If so, you're the kind of person that Nintendo is looking for. The brains of North American Pokemon fans will be put to the test as thousands compete to see who knows the most about the ever-popular Pokemon phenomenon.

To celebrate the upcoming launch of the new Pokemon Emerald video game for Game Boy(R) Advance SP, the Pokemon Emerald Frontier Battle Brain contest invites Pokemon experts in the United States and Canada to test their knowledge against their fellow Pokemon geniuses. The top 14 Pokemon competitors will travel to Seattle (the Emerald City) to engage in an all-out, winner-take-all competition to win the trip of a lifetime: a trip for two to the Pokemon Park in Nagoya, Japan. Visitors to the Pokemon Emerald Frontier Battle Brain contest site also can enter for a chance to win an all-expenses-paid trip to Seattle to watch the final battle at the famous Space Needle.

"Pokemon fans are proud of their collections, and proud of their knowledge," says George Harrison, Nintendo of America's senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications. "They don't just play the games, they live them. Now they can pre-order a copy of Pokemon Emerald and we'll give them VIP access to information that will help them hone their skills. We'll welcome the best and brightest to the Emerald City, where they can put their Pokemon learning to good use to win great prizes."

Pokemon Emerald, Rated E for Everyone, will be available on May 1. Starting March 20, when buyers place a deposit for Pokemon Emerald at a participating retailer, they will immediately receive their Battle Gear:

-- A VIP card that gives the user online access to an exclusive Web site with unique content

-- A special collector's tin case with enough room to hold important supplies like a Game Boy Advance SP and a Pokemon Emerald game pak

-- An official Frontier Battle Pass, a guide to the new, more challenging Battle Frontier of Pokemon Emerald

In addition to the pre-sell program, the Pokemon Emerald Frontier Battle Brain Contest will test fans' knowledge of all things Pokemon. The United States and Canada will be divided into seven competitive "Frontiers." Fans can find what regional Frontier they can compete in and enter online at www.pokemon-games.com starting today. The contest will run in the following four stages:

-- First Round: An online quiz will require entrants to identify the name and type of 30 Pokemon randomly selected from a pool of all Hoenn Pokemon. Prizes include a Pokemon Emerald wallpaper download, and the eight entrants from each region who identify the most Pokemon in the fastest times will move on to the next round.

-- Second Round: During this online round, participants will be presented with the image of a Pokemon. They must select a Pokemon type to counter that Pokemon. Participants must know the different types of Pokemon and their strengths. Prizes include Pokemon Box storage systems for the Nintendo GameCube, and the four entrants from each region who provide the most correct responses in the fastest times will move on to the next round.

-- Third Round: This online round will be in the same format as the second round. The top two winners from each region who provide the most correct responses in the fastest times will win a trip to Seattle to compete in the final round.

-- Final Round: The 14 finalists will compete in the Pokemon Emerald Frontier Battle Brain Contest at Seattle's Space Needle. The champion wins a trip for two to the Pokemon Park in Nagoya, Japan.

More than six years after introduction in the United States, the Pokemon craze rages unabated. Pokemon video games typically are million-plus sellers, and continue to rank among the top-selling games every year. Last year's Pokemon FireRed and Pokemon LeafGreen sold more than 2.4 million combined, and the Pokemon franchise has earned more than $15 billion worldwide.

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