Nintendo and Telstra have teamed up to make available over 1000 wireless hotspots across Australia, so users of the Nintendo DS handheld gaming device can log on at the their local Maccas and game on.

Users of the handheld device will be able play a range of games online, from Mario Kart DS to Metroid Prime: Hunters, free of charge at destinations including McDonald's, Starbucks Cafes, airports, hotels and city hotzones throughout Melbourne and Sydney.

"This agreement with Telstra will bring countless people together to play games in a single, simultaneous wireless community," said Rose Lappin, Nintendo Australia's director of sales and marketing. "Beginning with free access at participating destinations, we have removed one of the major barriers that have kept people from going online to play games."

Telstra's director of internet products, Craig Turner, said the partnership was an Australian first and a great way to showcase the flexibility of its wireless network.

"[This] is all about providing convenience through innovation, ensuring Nintendo DS users are automatically authenticated onto the Telstra Wireless Hotspot network whenever they enter a coverage zone," he said. "It introduces a completely new consumer audience to Australia's largest wireless hotspot network that until recently has predominantly attracted corporate users."

Nintendo used the occasion to also announce that the Nintendo DS has surpassed 500,000 sales in Australia to date, making it by far the country's most popular handheld gaming device.

The free wifi service is available now. Check here for a full list of wifi hotspots or for more information about setting up your DS for wifi access go to www.NintendoWiFi.com.au .