Namco Bandai Games Announces "Naruto(TM): Ultimate Ninja(TM) 2"

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SANTA CLARA, Calif., (January 4, 2007) - Leading video games publisher and developer NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. announced today that "NARUTO TM : Ultimate Ninja TM 2," the sequel to the critically acclaimed and best-selling "NARUTO: Ultimate Ninja," will be available Summer 2007 exclusively for the PlayStation ® 2 computer entertainment system. Based on the international anime sensation and hit TV series NARUTO, from VIZ Media, airing on Cartoon Network, this action fighter features over 30 playable characters, as well as 16 unique stages and the intense head-to-head anime-style fighting fans of the series know and love. Gamers can play through pivotal storylines as well as unlock an original plot in this follow up to last year's immensely popular Ultimate Ninja.

"'NARUTO: Ultimate Ninja 2' delivers exactly what fans are craving, intense head-to-head ninjutsu battles and story driven gameplay" said Naruo Uchida, NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc.'s Vice President of Bandai Localization. "The first title was a monstrous success and the bar has been raised even higher for the second game. More playable characters, game play modes, unlockable items and environments come together for a NARUTO experience that transcends what the first 'Ultimate Ninja' had to offer."

In "NARUTO: Ultimate Ninja 2" gamers can play through monumental events in the NARUTO storyline all while earning points toward upgrading their character's strength, defense, agility, chakra and special abilities. Players can walk the path of NARUTO in the new all-new mode, Ultimate Road that will allow them to play through all of the pivotal events in the storyline, as well as unlock an original story, as more and more pieces of the NARUTO saga unfold. More than 60 exciting missions and seven challenging mini games will push potential ninja to their limit. Players can take the role of Naruto, Sasake, Kakashi, Rock Lee, Gara, Kiba and other favorites while taking on daunting tasks like battling the sand ninja and working their way through the Chunin exam, the test to move up in the ninja ranks. Ninja in training can perfect their skills in Practice mode then put their training to the test against a friend in the VS mode. With a vast amount of unlockable features such as playable characters, movies, music, collectible cards and more NARUTO fans will be busy for ages to come.

First introduced into the Weekly Shonen Jump Magazine in Japan in 1999, NARUTO -- by revered creator Masashi Kishimoto -- quickly became Japan's most popular ninja manga. In 2000, NARUTO was expanded into a series of graphic novels with more than 66 million copies sold in total in Japan. NARUTO consistently ranks as one of the most popular titles serialized in VIZ Media's SHONEN JUMP monthly manga anthology and one of the top graphic novel titles (also published by VIZ Media) in the United States. VIZ Media was named the Master Licensor in February 2005, obtaining the television, home video and merchandising rights to NARUTO for North America and Latin America.

About VIZ Media, LLC

Headquartered in San Francisco, CA, VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), is one of the most comprehensive and innovative companies in the field of manga publishing, animation and entertainment licensing of Japanese content. Owned by three of Japan's largest creators and licensors of manga and animation, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan Production Co., Ltd. (ShoPro Japan), VIZ Media is a leader in the publishing and distribution of Japanese manga for English speaking audiences in North America and a global licensor of Japanese animation. The company offers an integrated product line including, magazines such as SHONEN JUMP and SHOJO BEAT, graphic novels, videos, DVDs, audio soundtracks and develops and markets animated entertainment from initial production, television placement and distribution, to merchandise licensing and promotions for audiences and consumers of all ages. Contact VIZ Media at 295 Bay Street, San Francisco, CA 94133; Phone (415) 546-7073; Fax (415) 546-7086; and web site at www.VIZ.com.

About NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc.

NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. is an interactive entertainment software publisher and developer based in Santa Clara, CA. The company is a subsidiary of the newly formed NAMCO BANDAI Holdings (USA) Inc. based in Cypress, CA.

On September 29, 2005, Bandai Co., Ltd. and NAMCO LIMITED implemented a management integration to form NAMCO BANDAI Holdings Inc. This step was taken to compete more effectively on the global stage in the fast-changing entertainment industry and to deliver further growth.

The resulting BANDAI NAMCO Group is a global entertainment group involved in business fields ranging from toys, amusement facilities, video game software and visual software, to apparel, sundries and network content.

As previous separate entities (Namco Hometek Inc. and Bandai Games Inc.) the companies were each known for creating some of the industry's top video game franchises including: Tamagotchi ® , Tekken ® , SOULCALIBUR ® , Dead to Rights ® , Pac-Man ® World TM , Digimon ® , Ridge Racer ® , Time Crisis ® and ACECOMBAT ® . For more information about NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. and its products log onto www.namcobandaigames.com.

Naruto ® 2002 MASASHI KISHIMOTO Program ® 2006 NAMCO BANDAI Games. Uzumaki Chronicles is a trademark of NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. NAMCO BANDAI Games Logo is a trademark of NAMCO BANDAI. Published and Distributed by NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc under license from VIZ Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Press Release ® 2006 NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc.

Contacts

Rannie Yoo

Kohnke Communications

415-777-4000

rannie@kohnkecomm.com

OR

Robert Cogburn

NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc.

408-235-2138

rcogburn@namcobandaigames.com