Hudson News Release
All aboard for the perfect year-end board game, featuring the massive Western Japan Edition! Popular comedy duo Tetsu and Tomo to star
in new television commercials.

Momotaro Dentetsu 12:
All Aboard for Western Japan!
Available December 11 for PS2 and GC

©2003 HUDSON SOFT
Hudson Soft Co., Ltd. proudly announces the release of "Momotaro Dentetsu 12: All Aboard for Western Japan!" (hereafter, "Momotetsu 12"), the latest title in the popular board game series. Poised to hit stores Thursday, December 11, the game represents Hudson's main offering for the year-end sales showdown. "Momotetsu 12" will be available for both PlayStation 2 (PS2) and GameCube (GC) for 7,140 yen (including tax).

Known affectionately as "Momotetsu" by its many fans, the board game-style Momotaro Dentetsu series sends players buying property and accumulating capital on a journey through Japan's rail system. It has been fifteen years since the first Momotetsu title was released for Nintendo, but the series remains strong, with cumulative sales of over 10 million units and a secure position as a family-oriented title. This time, as part of a push to bring Momotetsu to an even wider audience, Hudson has enlisted the services of comedians Tetsu and Tomo for a new series of television commercials.

More properties than any other Momotetsu! Includes the sprawling Western Japan edition
In addition to the Normal Mode, which encompasses all of Japan, the new Momotetsu title features sixteen areas within the Kinki, Chugoku, and Shikoku regions of western Japan. With over forty spots in Kyoto, we can truly say that Momotetsu has never been this large! With appearances by characters like the meddlesome Auntie from Osaka and the property-grabbing Ninja Thief and bonus features like high-speed and bonnet buses, the Western Japan edition comes loaded with all kinds of special features. Visit Yunotsu Station in Shimane Prefecture, for instance, and you might find yourself being quizzed on some of the most difficult-to-read place names in the whole country. But if you get the questions right, there might be a bonus in store�c

With a new bad guy: Hurricane Bombee!
In "Momotetsu 12", a new arch-villain makes his debut: Hurricane Bombee. As his name suggests, this new enemy has awe-inspiring destructive capabilities, including the ability to blow away players' farms, forest, and property!

Player favorites, including the God of Poverty, King Bombee, are back, while the God of Poverty's nemesis, the yellow Bombee Monkey, makes his debut. Mounted on the God of Poverty's head, Bombee Monkey has the power to halt his advances and cancel the player's debts.

It's not New Year's without Momotetsu!
The Momotaro Dentetsu series has always featured topical elements taken from the past year's events. This year's Momotetsu is no exception, making it the perfect game for the family to play and look back on the year past.

"Momotetsu 12" promotions to include Tetsu and Tomo commercials and more!
The popular Tetsu and Tomo will promote the new title in a series of television commercials aimed at expanding Momotetsu's fan base. The two, clad in original costumes, have been singing a special version of their famous ditty, called "Momotetsu Nan de Darou [Why oh why, Momotetsu]?" in TV advertisements since early November. A number of additional spots are planned as the release date approaches.
From December 1-24, four posters promoting Hudson's top four year-end titles, including "Momotetsu 12", will appear in 88 major stations on JR Yamanote, Sobu, Saikyo, and Tokaido lines. The posters will include images of Tetsu and Tomo.

In addition, a statue, known as the "Statue of Poverty Passing," has been erected at Myousenji Temple in Yanaka, Taito-ku, Tokyo, featuring the God of Poverty with a monkey on his head. The statue, which is also meant to combat the recession, has already become a popular attraction.