Nintendo shares up 10pc on Pokémon GO craze

Nintendo is anticpating further market surges as Pokémon GO is released in to other countries. Photo / Michael Craig

Nintendo's share price has surged 10 per cent, following as the popularity of its gaming phenomenon Pokémon GO soars around the world.

The manga turned virtual reality mobile game available on IOS and Android has been the talk of town ever since its release last Thursday. Within 24-hours of the launch, Nintendo's servers had crashed.

Analysts said they were surprised at how heavily the game had managed to drive in-game purchases of extra storage, special items and other virtual enhancements.

While Nintendo is not directly linked with the game, it owns a 33 per cent stake in the Pokémon company.

Nintendo is anticipating the games' release in Japan - which it expects will fuel further bullish market movements.

The Japanese-owned company is now worth US$23 billion, the highest it has been in two months. The game is expected to add seven to 10 per cent to Nintendo's yearly net profit, analysts forecast.

Pokémon GO is the first Nintendo-exclusive game which has been given a top-tier release on to mobile devices.

It is currently at the top of the free IOS app charts in the US and Australia.