February 21, 2007

NAMCO BANDAI’S POPULAR NINJA ACQUIRES PS2 SYSTEM GREATEST HITS STATUS WITH NARUTOTM: ULTIMATE NINJA

Intense Ninja Combat Based on Hit Anime Series Comes at a Value Price

Leading video games publisher and developer NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. announced today its popular ninja fighting game, NARUTO: Ultimate NinjaTM has been inducted into Sony Computer Entertainment America’s Greatest Hits program for the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system. Based on the hit anime series SHONEN JUMP NARUTO™, from VIZ Media, NARUTO: Ultimate Ninja provides an intense fighting experience that will test any gamer’s chakra and has aspiring ninja compete to become Hokage, the greatest warrior of all. Naruto: Ultimate Ninja joins the rankings of other highly esteemed titles to deliver an exceptional game at a great value. Rated “T” for Teen by the ESRB, the game will be relaunched in March 2007 with new packaging at a suggested retail price of $19.99.

“We are very pleased with the overwhelming success Naruto: Ultimate Ninja has received and thrilled it has qualified for PlayStation 2 system’s Greatest Hits program as it is a testament to the anime’s dedicated fan base and the game’s broad consumer appeal,” said Makoto Iwai, Executive Vice President and COO, NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. “The new price point will introduce a whole new audience to the undeniably exciting ninjutsu action at a great value.”

Developed by CyberConnect 2, Naruto: Ultimate Ninja for the PlayStation 2 system has grown to be a major hit throughout North America. Featuring blazing single and multiplayer ninja battles that bring the colorful series to life, Naruto: Ultimate Ninja fans can play as their favorite character with a variety of powerful secret techniques, , special ranged-weapon attacks and close-combat moves. Gamers can explore 12 multi-tiered stages taken from the anime and switch stage mid-combat to gain tactical advantage. Allowing players to follow their favorite character’s storyline, they can accomplish specific missions or battle it out against a friend to become the ultimate Hokage -- the greatest ninja of all.

First introduced into the Weekly Shonen Jump Magazine in Japan in 1999, NARUTO -- by revered creator Masashi Kishimoto -- quickly became Japan’s most popular ninja manga. In 2000, NARUTO was expanded into a series of graphic novels with more than 70 million copies sold in Japan. NARUTO consistently ranks as one of the most popular titles serialized in VIZ Media’s SHONEN JUMP monthly manga anthology and one of the top graphic novel titles (also published by VIZ Media) in the United States. VIZ Media was named the Master Licensor in February 2005, obtaining the television, home video and merchandising rights to NARUTO for North America and Latin America.

For more information about NARUTO: Ultimate Ninja, please visit http://Naruto.namcobandaigames.com

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