Nintendo Suit Says Rival’s Device Makes Its Games Too Easy

Nintendo Co. Ltd. said today it has filed suit against a rival toy maker, alleging the competitor infringed its copyrights with a device that allows even novices to master the popular Nintendo video games within minutes instead of hours.

Nintendo seeks to prevent Lewis Galoob Toys Inc., one of the nation’s 10 biggest toy makers, from bringing Game Genie to market.

Japan’s Nintendo, which has the lion’s share of the fast-growing multibillion-dollar video games market, claims that when Galoob’s Game Genie is connected to a Nintendo video game cartridge, essential features in the games are changed.

“By substantially changing the play of our game, Galoob’s product directly compromises the depth of play and challenge of Nintendo’s games,” Nintendo said.

The suit was filed in federal court in San Francisco, where Galoob is headquartered.