New Pac-Man Game Links Nintendo GameCube and Game Boy Advance for Multiplayer Fun; Namco, Nintendo Bundle New Take on the Classic Game with Other Exciting Titles

Business Wire, Oct 15, 2003

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REDMOND, Wash. & SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 15, 2003

If you've ever spent all your quarters zipping Pac-Man(R) through his mazes at your favorite watering hole, you'll be happy to learn those days are behind you. A collaboration between Nintendo of America Inc. and Namco Hometek Inc. has made the hot new Pac-Man(R) vs. game available exclusively for Nintendo GameCube(TM). This special game is also available at a very special price -- free!

The unique new multiplayer version of the all-time classic arcade video game, now with connectivity to the Game Boy(R) Advance, will bring a new style of game play, and will be available only through three special offers.

"The partnership between Nintendo and Namco gives game fans a new spin on an old favorite," says George Harrison, Nintendo of America's senior vice president for marketing and corporate communications. "This Pac-Man may be the best ever, because it brings together players and systems in a whole new way."

Anyone who buys a copy of Pac-Man World(TM) 2 or R: Racing Evolution(TM), both published by Namco for Nintendo GameCube, will receive a free copy of Pac-Man vs. bundled with those games. The bundle for Pac-Man World 2, the newest entry into the Player's Choice library, is Rated E for Everyone and will be available Dec. 2 at an MSRP of $19.95. The bundle for R: Racing Evolution, Rated T for Teen, will be available Dec. 9 at an MSRP of $49.95. Starting Dec. 4 at specialty retailers, fans also can receive Pac-Man vs. free as a gift with any purchase of I-Ninja(TM), Rated T for Teen, at an MSRP of $49.95.

Pac-Man vs. lets players compete head-to-head using a Game Boy Advance and a Nintendo GameCube, connected by a Nintendo GameCube(TM) Game Boy(R) Advance cable. One player uses the Game Boy Advance to control Pac-Man as he gobbles his Pac-Dots. Up to three other players on the Nintendo GameCube control the Ghosts and chase Pac-Man around the board. If a player's Ghost catches Pac-Man, those players swap controllers and the game continues. Whoever hits the predetermined scoring cap first wins the game.

Nintendo's own legendary game creator Shigeru Miyamoto, driven by his desire to create an updated version of his favorite game, Pac-Man, worked closely with the game's original creator, Toru Iwatani of Namco, on this exciting project.

"We were very excited to work with Nintendo and Mr. Miyamoto to bring Pac-Man vs. to life on both the Nintendo GameCube and Game Boy Advance," says Nobuhiro Kasahara, president and chief operating officer at Namco Hometek Inc. "What better way to utilize the exciting new feature of connectivity than with the classic gaming character, Pac-Man."

About Nintendo of America Inc.

The worldwide leader and innovator in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its popular home and portable video game systems. Each year, hundreds of all-new titles for the best-selling Game Boy(R) Advance and Nintendo GameCube(TM) systems extend Nintendo's vast game library and continue the tradition of delivering a rich, diverse mix of quality video games for players of all ages. Since the release of its first home video game system in 1983, Nintendo has sold more than 1.8 billion video games globally, creating enduring industry icons such as Mario(TM) and Donkey Kong(R) and launching popular culture franchise phenomena such as Metroid(TM), Zelda(TM) and Pokemon(R). A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo's operations in the Western Hemisphere.

For more information about Nintendo, visit the company's Web sites at either www.nintendo.com or press.nintendo.com. Please note that press.nintendo.com is a password-protected site; to receive a password, contact Tom Stratton at 206-505-8308.

About Namco Hometek Inc.

Namco Hometek Inc. is the U.S. consumer division of Namco Limited, a Tokyo-based world leader in the high-tech entertainment industry. Based in San Jose, Calif., Namco Hometek Inc. is an award-winning video games publisher for the next generation game consoles. Namco has created some of the industry's greatest video game franchises: Tekken(R), SOULCALIBUR(R), Dead to Rights(R), Pac-Man World(TM), Ridge Racer(R), Time Crisis(R) and Ace Combat(R). For more information about Namco and its products log onto www.namco.com.

TEKKEN(R), SOULCALIBUR(R), PAC-MAN WORLD(TM), Ridge Racer(R), Time Crisis(R) and ACECOMBAT(R) are the trademarks or registered trademarks of Namco Limited in the United States and/or other countries.