November 19^th, 2003 (12:00am) - Namco announced today its character-based action adventure game, I-Ninja, has begun shipping to retail outlets nationwide. The game, available for the PlayStation 2, rated T for Teen and carries an MSRP of $49.99. I-Ninja will also ship for the Nintendo GameCube and the Microsoft XBOX in early December.

“He may be small in stature, but not in attitude,” said Jon Kromrey, Senior Producer at Namco Hometek Inc. “Ninja is the ultimate warrior--defying gravity at every turn, slicing and dicing enemies and sharpening his ninja skills—all in the pursuit of kicking bad guy butt.”

I-Ninja offers an adrenaline-charged action adventure experience in beautifully rendered environments; each specifically designed to challenge the rookie protagonist, Ninja, and his unique abilities. With a small, earthlike planet called “The World” as his backdrop, Ninja travels from beaches to mountains and beyond, earning new Ninja belts, recovering lost relics and facing his ultimate nemesis.

Throughout the course of his travels, Ninja fights a host of fearsome enemies and overcomes a variety of obstacles as he attempts to outwit guardians, masters, mini bosses and evil army henchmen. Challenging the powers of gravity, Ninja grinds rails, hovers long distances with a sword-copter, utilizes powerful chains and grapple hooks, runs on walls and performs other slick ninja moves to traverse and succeed in any situation.

With a combination of high-end CGI graphics and meticulous hand-painted environments, renowned animated filmmakers Don Bluth and Gary Goldman of Don Bluth Films, Inc., created and directed six cinematic movies for I-Ninja, including the opening and closing. Famous for bringing memorable characters to life in the animated film world, the duo’s work includes “The Secret of N.I.M.H.;” “An American Tail,” a collaboration with Steven Spielberg; Universal Pictures’ “A Land Before Time;” “All Dogs Go to Heaven”, the hit animated musical “Anastasia” and much more.

For more information on I-Ninja, including downloads, exclusive art and games, visit www.ininjagame.com.