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THQ AND NICKELODEON SHIP SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS™: REVENGE OF THE FLYING DUTCHMAN

Most Popular Program On Kids’ TV Arrives On Game Boy® Advance

CALABASAS HILLS, Calif. - Sept. 12, 2002 - THQ® Inc. (NASDAQ NMS: THQI) and Nickelodeon today announced the release of SpongeBob SquarePants™: Revenge of the Flying Dutchman for Game Boy® Advance. This underwater adventure is based on Nickelodeon’s top-rated kids’ program, SpongeBob SquarePants -- the highest rated property on kids’ TV. SpongeBob SquarePants: Revenge of the Flying Dutchman is now available at retailers nationwide.

“SpongeBob SquarePants is the #1 kids show on all of TV, with more than 57.4 million viewers a month, and is one of the entertainment world's hottest licenses at the moment” stated Peter Dille, vice president, Marketing, THQ. “And as a proven videogame property, we're excited to be shipping SpongeBob SquarePants: Revenge of the Flying Dutchman well in advance of the start to the holiday buying season.”

“THQ’s proven ability to transform our award-winning kids’ programs into exciting gameplay has brought us tremendous success in the videogame category,” stated Steve Youngwood, Vice President, Nickelodeon Media Products Group. “We are pleased to be kicking off our 2002 holiday lineup, our most expansive to date, with our premier character -- SpongeBob SquarePants.”

In SpongeBob SquarePants: Revenge of the Flying Dutchman for Game Boy Advance, players assume the role of SpongeBob, as he discovers a magic bottle and unwillingly unleashes the Flying Dutchman. Furious that he was disturbed, the Dutchman places a curse on SpongeBob. To lift the curse, SpongeBob must seek out 10 lost treasures that have been scattered throughout Bikini Bottom. The game features all of the favorite characters from the television show including Sandy Cheeks, Squidward and Patrick Star. Players can explore 11 exciting levels within five oceanic-sized chapters including: Bikini Bottom, Jellyfish Fields, Outer Town, Goo Lagoon and Dutchman’s Underworld. Multiple mini-games can be unlocked by collecting gold coins, adding hours of gameplay to this handheld undersea adventure.

SpongeBob SquarePants: Revenge of the Flying Dutchman for PlayStation®2 is scheduled for release this November, SpongeBob SquarePants: Revenge of the Flying Dutchman for GameCube™ is scheduled for release this December and SpongeBob SquarePants™: Employee of the Month for PC is scheduled for release in September.

For more information on SpongeBob SquarePants: Revenge of the Flying Dutchman or the rest of the THQ holiday lineup, please visit www.thq.com.

About Nickelodeon:

Nickelodeon, now in its 23rd year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books, magazines and feature films. Nickelodeon’s U.S. television network is seen in more than 84 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic-cable network for more than six consecutive years. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom International Inc.

About THQ

THQ Inc. is a leading, worldwide developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software for a variety of hardware platforms including PC CD-ROM, wireless devices, and those manufactured by Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc., Nintendo and Microsoft. The THQ web site is located at www.thq.com. The THQ Wireless site is located at www.thqwireless.com.

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This press release contains statements that are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about THQ’s business based, in part, on assumptions made by its management. These statements are not guarantees of THQ’s future performance and involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in such forward-looking statements due to numerous factors, including, but not limited to, those described above and the following: changes in demand for THQ’s products, product mix, the timing of customer orders and deliveries, the impact of competitive products and pricing and difficulties encountered in the integration of acquired businesses. In addition, such statements could be affected by growth rates and market conditions relating to the interactive software industry and general domestic and international economic conditions. Specific information concerning these and other such factors is contained in THQ’s Prospectus dated March 26, 2002 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 27, 2002. A copy of this filing may be obtained by contacting THQ or the SEC. The forward-looking statements contained herein speak only as of the date on which they are made, and THQ does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this release.



For More Product Information
SpongeBob SquarePants: Revenge of the Flying Dutchman (GBA)