FOR  IMMEDIATE  RELEASE

 CODEMASTERS DELIVERS A PINT-SIZED FRENZY 
OF OFF- BEAT RACING WITH MICRO MANIACS 

Little Guys Take Over and Wreak Havoc 
In  and Out Every Nook and Cranny of  the House
In the Ultimate Multi-Player Racing Game

Warwickshire, England, UK – April 17, 2000 – Codemasters unleashes household menace with the whizzing and whiplash-inducing moves of eight miniature racing mutants in Micro Maniacs,  from the makers of the successful Micro Machines series. This top-down, multi-player racing game allows for up to 8 players at a time in a unique multi-player mode, without requiring a split-screen.

Unlike similar past games, with this title the player needs no wheels, engines or fuel, but rather just a quick set of reflexes and a heavy shot of adrenaline, since the racers are actually miniature mutant-persons, as opposed to tiny machines.  Micro Maniacs will be available for the PlayStation in mid-June 2000 and will retail for $39.99.

Players can choose from eight main characters, as well as four bonus characters as they race around 32 unique tracks.  Legend has it that the tiny mutants got that way thanks to the evil Dr. Minimizer, who -- in anticipation of vast food shortages --  devised the perfect solution for survival: Shrink the inhabitants of planet earth to 1/360th their size, ensuring plenty of resources for all. The eight Micro Maniacs slip, slide, climb, karate chop and battle it out for racing supremacy through 32 tracks, ranging from the kitchen floor to the daunting (relatively) oversized wilderness of the front yard. Seemingly gigantic dust bunnies and razor-sharp blades of grass are among the perils that challenge the wit and the weaponry of the tiny speedsters. 

Characters include:  Mesme the Orphan, who chases her competition away with her ability to create annoying apparitions: V4, who shows them who’s boss with his Plasma Punch and vaporizing Energy Trail; Napalm, who leaves enemies starry-eyed with her meteor-throwing skills; and Maw-Maw, whose serious appetite and resulting deadly flatulence (known as the “Fireball Fart”) will have everyone seeking shelter. 

“The success of the Micro Machines series inspired us to develop a game that would take the multi-player racing genre in a unique and downright odd direction,” says Michael Hayes, Worldwide Director of Sales and Marketing for Codemasters. “The unbelievable velocity in Micro Maniacs combined with the charming characters creates a very addicting gaming experience.”

ABOUT CODEMASTERS
Established in 1986, UK-based Codemasters has become one of Europe’s best-selling and profitable game-makers, developing and publishing titles for the console platform as well as for PCs.  Frequently honored within the European games industry, the company was named Publisher of the Year for 1998 by Edge Magazine.  The company is currently extending its proven successful business model into the United States, bringing the Codemasters portfolio of hit games to other markets.  Holiday 1999 marked the first Codemasters products to appear on US retail shelves.  These products are Touring Car Challenge, MTV Music Generator and No Fear Downhill Mountain Bike Racing.  It is the company founders’ belief in the need to understand what game players want that has translated into a continuous string of hit games that have delighted gamers and earned the respect of the industry and yielded consistent profits.  Codemasters can be found at http://www.codemasters.com.

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Contact:
 
Monika Moulin
CODEMASTERS (USA)
(559) 683-4468 ext. 208
monikam@codemastersusa.com