Cult Japanese Anime Franchise set for 2005 European Video Game Release
March 22, 2005
[This unedited press release is made available courtesy of Game Developer and its partnership with notable game PR-related resource Games Press]
Bandai Namco | London, UK - March 22, 2005 - Atari announces the forthcoming release of Saint Seiya, Knights of the Zodiac: The Sanctuary for PlayStation®2 from Bandai. The game, dubbed a Cosmo energy battle action game by its creators, is based on the legendary Japanese anime franchise, Saint Seiya, and is slated for release across Europe in 2005.
The story of Saint Seiya, Knights of the Zodiac: The Sanctuary is faithful to the Gold Saint Saga episodes of the original anime TV series where Seiya the Pegasus Saint, Shiryu the Dragon Saint, Shun the Andromeda Saint, Hyoga the Cygnus Saint and Ikki the Phoenix Saint take on the task of protecting and helping the Goddess Athena destroy the 200 year Evil. Fans will be able to play as any one of the 17 characters in the game, including the 12 Knights of the Zodiac from the series, and do battle with challenging opponents through the 12 destructible battle stages, each aligned with a sign of the zodiac. Key to winning one-on-one fights is judicious burning of Cosmo energy, an element which is central to the Saint Seiya universe.
"That Bandai have created this new gaming incarnation of the Saint Seiya universe in direct response to the requests of Saint Seiya's legions of fans is testament to their understanding of this incredible franchise," said Jean Michel Perbet, President, Atari Europe. "Saint Seiya, Knights of the Zodiac: The Sanctuary is an incredibly original console fighting experience and will seduce a whole new audience of gamers with the wonders of the Saint Seiya universe."
Special attention has been paid to the gold cloth armour of the characters in the game which dynamically reflects light in the environments during gameplay creating a lustrous shimmer effect. The game includes over an hour of specially recreated 3D cut-scenes of key moments from the anime, and with more than 17 playable characters to be discovered in the game, and a host of other stunning features yet to be revealed there will be much to please fans and newcomers alike.
A gargantuan leap on from the last Saint Seiya game, which was a smash hit in Japan for the Famicom console in 1987, Saint Seiya, Knights of the Zodiac: The Sanctuary promises to enthral a new generation of Saint Seiya gamers as well as the many thousands of existing fans around the globe. With a new feature film and DVD box set recently released in Japan and soon to be confirmed for Europe, the Cosmo energy is burning white hot once more!
Saint Seiya, Knights of the Zodiac: The Sanctuary will be released for the PlayStation2 across Europe in 2005. For further information visit www.atari.com.
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About Bandai:
Bandai Co., Ltd. is Japan's leading toy maker and is engaged in all aspects of the branded-character business, including models, apparel, products for vending machines, candy toys, processed foods, toiletries, stationeries, game machines and software, and amusement equipment. Since, 1950 Bandai has had hundreds of hit toy products including characters such as Power Rangers, Digimon, and Mobile Suit Gundam, and products such as Tamagotchi, Primo Puel. For more information, please see the company home-page at http://www.bandai.co.jp/bandai_e/index_e.html.
About Infogrames Entertainment and Atari:
Infogrames Entertainment (IESA), the parent company of the Atari Group, is listed on the Paris Euronext stock exchange (ISIN code: FR-0000052573) and has two principal subsidiaries: Atari Europe, a privately-held company, and Atari, Inc., a United States corporation listed on NASDAQ (ATAR).
The Atari Group is a major international producer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment software for all market segments and in all existing game formats (Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony) and on CD-ROM for PC. Its games are sold in more than 60 countries.
The Atari Group's extensive catalogue of popular games is based on original franchises (Driver, Alone in the Dark, V-Rally, Unreal Tournament, Test Drive, Roller Coaster Tycoon, etc.) and international licenses (Mission Impossible from Paramount, Men In Black, Superman, Matrix, Terminator and Dragon Ball Z).
For more information: http://www.atari.com
®1989 Bird Studio/Shueisha, Toei Animation
All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
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