It's that time of year again, folks! Christmas has not even been and gone and already companies are touting their lineup for the coming year!

Please find enclosed the latest press release from Namco regarding their upcoming handheld games! Whuppery-woo!

San Jose, Ca., (Dec. 1, 2004) � Leading video games publisher and developer Namco Hometek Inc. announced today the current lineup to be released from its newly created internal handheld games division. The first releases from the division will hit the market beginning this Fall and continue through early 2005 and will include Ace Combat AdvanceTM, Pac-Man Pinball, Klonoa� 2: Dream Champ Tournament, Mr. DRILLER� 2 for Game Boy AdvanceTM and Mr. DRILLER� Drill SpiritsTM and Ridge Racer� DS for the Nintendo DSTM.

"With the rise in popularity in handheld gaming systems, gamers are no longer forced to the confines of their living rooms," said Jeff Lujan, Business Unit Director, Namco Hometek Inc. "We wanted to offer our fans the opportunity to play games from their favorite Namco franchises anywhere they go and our current lineup is just the beginning of the great products we'll have to offer."

With some of the best graphics available on Game Boy Advance, Ace Combat Advance casts the player as a pilot in the United Air Defense. As the newest recruit, you must help the UAD to destroy the Air Strike Force and bring General Resources Ltd., an evil worldwide economic superpower, to its knees. Ace Combat Advance features an overhead perspective with intense action over a variety of air-to-air and air-to-ground environments. Players can choose from 10 planes and 12 missions, and can unlock new planes and weapons based on their skill as a pilot. Ace Combat Advance will be available on Game Boy Advance in February 2005.

Pac-Man Pinball features the beloved Pac-Man in his first video pinball game, exclusively for Game Boy Advance. Pac-Man takes on the role of the pinball, and his foes Blinky, Inky, Pinky and Clyde are going to do their best to stop him from rescuing the kidnapped residents of Pac-World. Pac-Man Pinball offers multi-ball play with the aid of Ms. Pac-Man, and challenges players to mini-games to keep the action fresh. True to Pac-Man tradition, players can also collect dots and power pellets for points and upgrades. Pac-Man Pinball will be available on Game Boy Advance in 2005.

Floppy-eared hero Klonoa returns in another fast-paced, colorful side-scrolling adventure in Klonoa 2: Dream Champ Tournament. Combining platform, puzzle and adventure elements, players must race against time and other dream travelers in the Dream Champ Tournament to collect stars, sun and moon fragments and become the ultimate Dream Champion. Klonoa 2: Dream Champ Tournament offers five new puzzle-packed worlds where players must use boxes, bomb boxes, switches, goomies, springs and scales in their quest for glory. Klonoa 2: Dream Champ Tournament will be available for Game Boy Advance in February 2005.

The world is being overrun by colored blocks, which are coming from deep underground in the colorful, fast-paced puzzle game Mr. DRILLER 2. In the game, MR. DRILLER meets his competition, Anna Hottenmayer, in the sequel to the critically acclaimed Mr. DRILLER. She's bursting with attitude and determined to show MR. DRILLER just who the real hero is. Players can test their drill skills in three modes of play � Mission Driller, Endless Driller and Time Attack Driller scenarios, and can even take on their friends by connecting two Game Boy Advance consoles using a Game Boy AdvanceTM Game LinkTM cable. Mr. DRILLER 2 will be available on Game Boy Advance in 2005.

Mr. DRILLER Drill Spirits offers the ultimate in drilling action, where players utilize the stylus and innovative dual-screen interface to avoid falling blocks and scramble for air capsules, in order to rescue their fellow Drillers, or collect power capsules to destroy the menacing Destroyer Drill! Players can play anytime, anywhere with various quick play modes or battle head-to-head with up to four other players through the Nintendo DS wireless capabilities. Mr. DRILLER Drill Spirits is now available for the Nintendo DS.

From the arcade racing series gamers know and love, Ridge Racer DS delivers a whole new experience to racing fans by offering true analog steering through the Nintendo DS touch screen, up to six-player multiplayer races, a variety of exciting single-player racing modes and much more. Ridge Racer DS offers all the fast-paced action gamers have come to expect from the Ridge Racer name � now in the palm of their hands on the Nintendo DS. Ridge Racer DS will be available for the Nintendo DS in early December 2004.

Pac-Man Pinball, you say? Hmm, now there's an interesting concept that should satisfy those amongst you who have ever wanted to put the "flippers" on Pac-Man.

All in all good stuff from Namco, but the DS titles are hardly new announcements, we are very much looking forward to new and innovative uses of the touch screen by Nintendo's closest partners, let's hope that the touch screen steering wheel doesn't drive anybody crazy!

It's also good to see Klonoa getting another outing on the GBA, the original GBA game was an excellent slice of platforming pie that is now rarer than pie at a pie eating contest. Our fingers are crossed for a similarly excellent game from the new iteration.