Citing the continued popularity of Pokemon Stadium Nintendo announced today that its N64 console has claimed the top spot for US console sales for March 2000. The announcement coincides with the introduction of the so-called "Funtastic" multicolored system casings. According to independent sales data from the NPD Group, which represents sell-through numbers for 85 percent of all retail sales, the Nintendo 64 outsold both the Sony PlayStation and Sega Dreamcast for the month, capturing forty-six percent of all console sales in the US.

　　"During March, sales of the Nintendo 64 jumped 30 percent from the same month a year ago, while those of our nearest competitor plunged 32 percent," said Peter Main, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of sales and marketing. "Based on current trends and our past experience with preceding video game console generations, we expect another five to 10 million pieces of N64 hardware to be sold."

　　The transparent "Funtastic" N64 consoles, which sold in alternative colors such as smoke, ice, watermelon, grape, jungle, and fire, accounted for 50 percent of all N64 systems sold, while top-selling Pokemon Stadium outsold the second most popular game by 70 percent, according to TRSTS (Toy Retail Sales Tracking System) data.

　　Taking its handheld, console, software sales, and other retail properties into account, Nintendo sees March marking the end of the most successful fiscal sales period in the company's history. With its Game Boy Color continuing its stranglehold on the handheld gaming market, the company can now lay claim to both of the top-selling video game systems in the market.