April 13^th, 2004 (12:00am) - Leading video games publisher and developer Namco Hometek Inc. announced today that the company is developing the second installment in its Smash Court series. Scheduled for release exclusively on the PlayStation2 computer entertainment system, Smash Court Tennis Pro Tournament 2 will ship in the summer of 2004.

Smash Court Tennis Pro Tournament 2 features top licensed tennis stars James Blake, Jennifer Capriati, Kim Clijsters, Lindsay Davenport, Juan Carlos Ferrero, Richard Gasquet, Tommy Haas, Daniela Hantuchova, Justine Henin-Hardenne, Tim Henman, Lleyton Hewitt, Anna Kournikova, Amelie Mauresmo, Andy Roddick, Marat Safin and Serena Williams.

With licensed Grand Slam tournament venues, tennis fans can choose their favorite player and tour tennis’ most prestigious events, including the Australian Open, Roland Garros (French Open), Wimbledon, and the US Open.

“We’re excited to be working with today’s hottest tennis stars,” said Rod Nakamoto, Executive Vice President of Research and Development at Namco Hometek Inc. “We’re also thrilled to be able to offer fans the chance to compete in the world’s most prominent tennis tournaments.”

Incorporating six game modes, Smash Court Tennis Pro Tournament 2 offers center court action for novices and experts alike. Players can create their own character in Pro Tour Mode and work their way up through the ranking system by winning major tournament trophies and collecting points. In Arcade Mode, players advance through three difficulty levels as they compete in the Grand Slam tournaments. Exhibition Mode allows players to select their desired playing conditions (number of games, sets, difficulty level, characters, venues) to play a singles game or team up with up to three other players for a doubles match using a Multitap for PlayStation2. In Challenge Mode, players must complete several mini-games to unlock more challenging stages. Players can alter the camera angles in Spectator Mode to become a spectator and watch CPU players going head-to-head.

For newcomers to the Smash Court series, the Tutorial Mode provides a step-by-step tutorial session, while novices can learn to use the variety of shots and serves including topspin backhands, half-volley drop shots, lobs, smashes and pinpoint passing shots.