Nintendo says sales jump on 3DS console demand, but net profit falls

Nintendo said on Wednesday its six-month sales jumped on upbeat demand for its 3DS handheld console and games for its Wii U system, but net profit tumbled.

The Japanese videogame giant's revenue was 204.1 billion yen ($1.7 billion), up 19 percent from a year ago, but its bottom line shrank nearly 20 percent owing to a special gain booked in the year earlier period.

Questions about the Super Mario creator's future have been raised after chief executive Satoru Iwata, a leading figure in the videogame industry, died of cancer at the age of 55 in the summer.

Nintendo also faces stiff competition from Sony and Microsoft in console sales, and as the trio battle the trend toward cheap -- or sometimes free -- downloadable games for smartphones and other mobile devices.