June 10^th, 2004 (12:00am) - Leading video games developer and publisher Namco Hometek Inc. announced today that the company has begun shipping Smash Court Tennis Pro Tournament 2 to retail outlets nationwide. Exclusively for the PlayStation2 computer entertainment system, the game is rated “E” for everyone and has a suggested retail price of $39.99.

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

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.

“As the pro tennis circuit heats up this summer, tennis fans now have a fun new way to interact with their favorite sport and favorite players,” said Rod Nakamoto, Executive Vice President of Research and Development at Namco Hometek Inc. “Smash Court Tennis Pro Tournament 2 lets players progress through the professional tennis rankings alongside the greatest names in the sport today.”

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 Multi-tap 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 Tennis 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.