The new download was created to go side-by-side with the second round of the online Ninja Gaiden Tournament, named The Master Ninja Tournament, and will also be openly available to anyone with an Xbox Live account and a copy of Ninja Gaiden.

"Not only has Ninja Gaiden proven to be a massively successful and highly acclaimed game, it has broken records! The first round of The Master Ninja Tournament was so popular that it became the most participated tournament in Xbox Live¹s history," said John Inada, head of Tecmo Marketing. "Itagaki continues to dazzle gamers with his innovative game design, and he has pulled out all of the stops for the new downloadable content making it a must-have addition for our fans."

Feedback from Ninja Gaiden fans was taken into account when designing the added features. The new camera system enhances playability by changing the player¹s perspective relative to the enemies¹ position, while the new action engine will make the combat system more extreme and faster than ever before. New weapons and smarter enemies are just a few more of the features that complete the downloadable package.

"Keep in mind that Ninja Gaiden¹s main concept is its strength as an action game. The new downloadable content will only expand the envelope of this concept," said Tomonobu Itagaki, Tecmo¹s head creator of Ninja Gaiden. "The second round of The Master Ninja Tournament is formatted for participants to download the new content, play through the game from beginning to end and then post their scores online to see how they ranked against other players worldwide. If they are confident in their Ninja Gaiden skills, players must take on this challenge."

Fans who have mastered the original game, which was heralded as "tough to beat", are in for even more of a challenge in the new download. The enemy characters will be programmed to have even more advanced A.I., making the game wickedly exciting the second time around.

The three top ranked winners from the first round of The Master Ninja Tournament will be announced this week, followed by an announcement next week about the details on the second round of The Master Ninja Tournament.

About Ninja Gaiden
One of Tecmo¹s most treasured franchises is given new life in a whole new action-packed Ninja Gaiden. The player takes on the role of the powerful and mysterious ninja, Ryu Hayabusa, who seeks revenge after his clan is massacred by the Vigoor Empire.

Boasting 100% action, Ninja Gaiden allows the player to unleash their inner ninja with smooth game play, speedy battle sequences, and a variety of advanced acrobatic ninja moves from running and flipping off of walls to hanging and swinging on rails. The player also has a variety of primary and secondary weapons at their disposal that when used in a combination, create advanced weapon attacks such as damaging wall-based assaults and all-powerful ultimate attacks. Xbox Live compatibility, a host of challenging levels and visually exquisite environments, are just a few more reasons why Ninja Gaiden raises the bar in the action gaming genre.

Ninja Gaiden is available now at all retail outlets where video games are sold, with a suggested retail price of $49.99 and an ESRB rating of Mature. Gamers can order Ninja Gaiden at Tecmo¹s website (http://www.tecmoinc.com). For additional information on the game, visit the official Ninja Gaiden website (www.ninjagaidengame.com).

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