April 10^th, 2006 (2:36pm) - Nintendo has announced that Odama has shipped to retailers nationwide and is now available for the GameCube. Odama is a pinball game set in Feudal Japan that uses the GameCube’s microphone accessory to lets users command an army of soldiers who are subject to the sometimes devastating power of the Odama, a massive pinball controlled by giant flippers. The Odama rolls over enemy troops and eliminates obstacles, though it also can crush a player’s own soldiers if not aimed properly.

Players can issue a variety of commands to soldiers on the battlefield simply by speaking into the included Nintendo GameCube Microphone. For instance, saying "press forward!" will cause your soldiers on the screen to make an aggressive push into enemy territory, while saying "rally!" will send a team of soldiers to gather in a certain location. The longer players play, the more voice commands they learn.

"With all these different genres, Odama delivers a unique and compelling game-play experience," said Perrin Kaplan, Nintendo of America’s vice president of marketing & corporate affairs. "Without playing it, it’s not the easiest concept to grasp, but once you play, it’s tremendously fun and easy to get into."

Odama appeals to a wide variety of gaming fans, from pinball enthusiasts to military gamers and strategy fans. Odama, available now, is Rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and Older.