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Atari Readies Launch of First-ever Yu Yu Hakusho Video Game in the U.S.
Top-Rated TV Series Makes Interactive Debut on Game Boy® Advance
BEVERLY, MA, SEPTEMBER 2, 2003 - Atari, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATAR) announced today that it will ship Yu Yu Hakusho®: Spirit Detective(tm) for Nintendo's Game Boy® Advance this December. Based on the popular TV series, Yu Yu Hakusho® airs weekdays on the Cartoon Network's top-rated Toonami Block, and is one of the top-rated animated series for males 9-14. Yu Yu Hakusho® is licensed in the United States by FUNimation Productions, the force behind such hits as Dragon Ball® and Dragon Ball Z®.
"We believe Yu Yu Hakusho® - with its deep story, memorable characters, and dedicated TV fan base - is a rich franchise with which to make great video games," said Nancy MacIntyre, vice president of Marketing for Atari's Beverly Studio. "We are excited to once again partner with FUNimation on Yu Yu Hakusho® and hope to duplicate the success we have achieved with Dragon Ball Z®."
"One of the reasons we love working with the team at Atari is the company's pursuit of the highest standards of quality and authenticity. This effort shines in its release of Yu Yu Hakusho®: Spirit Detective(tm), and Atari is well on its way to successfully establishing Yu Yu Hakusho® as a premier interactive entertainment franchise on par with its work with Dragon Ball Z®," said Gen Fukunaga, president of FUNimation. "This video game will give fans and gamers in the United States their first chance to interact with this engaging series. We're very excited to see Spirit Detective added to an already impressive list of licensed products."
Yu Yu Hakusho® follows the story of 14-year-old Yusuke Urameshi, a young rebel frustrated by a lack of direction in life. When he unexpectedly sacrifices his own life to save a child from a deadly traffic accident, he is given a second chance and is allowed to return to Earth - but not to the life he left behind. Yusuke has been granted some amazing new powers, and if he wants to live again, he must use them for the cause of good.
Developed by Sensory Sweep Studios, Yu-Yu Hakusho®: Spirit Detective(tm) allows players to assume the role of six major characters, including Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama, Hiei, Botan and Kayko, and explore 22 challenging levels, each recreating the major milestones from the show's Spirit Detective Saga. Each character is armed with several different weapons and abilities from the animated series. Featuring the well-known story lines from the animated series, Spirit Detective(tm) also includes some surprises designed to keep the story fresh and exciting for fans.
Yu-Yu Hakusho®: Spirit Detective(tm) is scheduled to ship this December for Nintendo's Game Boy® Advance at a suggested retail price of $29.99. This product has not yet been rated by the ESRB.
About FUNimation
Focusing on providing the best in high-quality entertainment properties, FUNimation Productions, Ltd, is a full-service brand management company with in-house production, licensing, Internet, marketing, and home video sales and distribution divisions. In addition to Yu Yu Hakusho®, FUNimation also produces Dragon Ball Z® and Dragon Ball®, both airing on Cartoon Network; Dragon Ball GT®, the highly anticipated sequel to Dragon Ball Z that is coming to Cartoon Network in October 2003; Blue Gender(tm), a true sci-fi anime airing on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim; movies for Lupin the 3rd(tm), one of the longest running anime classics; Fruits Basket(tm), based on the top-selling comic book in Japan; recently announced mega-hit Detective Conan; and fan favorites like Kiddy Grade, Tenchi Muyo! GXP and Sakura Wars.
About Atari
New York-based Atari, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATAR) develops interactive games for all platforms and is one of the largest third-party publishers of interactive entertainment software in the U.S. The Company's 1,000+ titles include hard-core, genre-defining games such as Driver(tm), Enter the Matrix(tm), Neverwinter Nights(tm), Stuntman(tm), Test Drive®, Unreal® Tournament 2003, and Unreal® Championship; and mass-market and children's games such as Backyard Sports(tm), Nickelodeon's Blue's Clues(tm) and Dora the Explorer(tm), Civilization®, Dragon Ball Z® and RollerCoaster Tycoon®. Atari, Inc. is a majority-owned subsidiary of France-based Infogrames Entertainment SA (Euronext 5257), the largest interactive games publisher in Europe. For more information, visit www.atari.com.

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