Game On!

SAN JOSE, Calif. (Feb. 6, 2006) – Namco Networks, a leading publisher and developer of wireless games and content, today announced that arcade racing favorites, Ridge Racer® 3D and Pole Position IITM, are now available on mobile phones nationwide.

“For years, racing fans of all ages have been playing the Ridge Racer and Pole Position franchises on virtually all video game platforms,” said Scott Rubin, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Namco Networks. “With the same speed, quality graphics and energizing sounds found on home consoles, fans can now enjoy burning rubber on their mobile phones.”

The rubber meets the road as players race through the urban jungle and beach side-streets in Ridge Racer, the perennial racing series from Namco. This popular series has been a flagship game for many 3D consoles and handhelds including the most recent platform launches. Choose from multiple cars and unlock tracks and vehicles as you race through the frenetic urban streets. Shift into high gear and whip past fellow racers towards the finish line.

First introduced in U.S. arcades in 1982, the Pole Position series has remained consistently popular, in arcades, on home consoles and handhelds. After successful releases on other platforms, players can now “Prepare to Qualify!” on their mobile phone. Racers put the pedal to the metal on one of four tracks in an attempt to complete the qualifying lap with the best time, earning the coveted Pole Position for the Grand Prix race. One wrong turn of the wheel sends your car reeling into an explosive spinout.

“Namco Networks has done an extraordinary job of bringing these classic racing titles to mobile phones,” said Hugo Reyes, President and Founder of Wireless Gaming World. “Ridge Racer’s 3D graphics are comparable to its PlayStation counterpart. Just like the arcade original, Pole Position II continues to provide hours—or minutes, depending on your skill—of fast paced race action and even includes the infamous ‘Prepare to Qualify’ sound effect.”