More than 1 million copies of Nintendogs sold in Europe

Nintendo has announced that more than 1 million copies of puppy sim Nintendogs have been sold across Europe since the game launched on October 7th.

The Nintendo DS also continues to sell well, with more than 2 million units already shifted. According to Nintendo, weekly sales have topped 100,000 for the past three weeks - with 120,000 units sold last week alone.

The handheld's success is likely to continue with the release of Mario Kart DS, which hit European stores today. It's the first game that allows DS owners to play online via Nintendo's Wi-Fi Connection service. A Mario Kart DS bundle - which includes a handheld and a copy of the game - is currently retailing for GBP 99.

The announcement follows the earlier publication of Nintendo's half-yearly financial report, which revealed a fall in profits of 21.1 per cent. Nintendo attributed the drop to extra research and development costs and lower sales of GameCube consoles and software.

The company is predicting a further boost in sales of DS hardware and games as Christmas draws nearer, with titles such as Nintendogs and Mario Kart DS expected to sell well throughout the holiday period.