Aqua Forest

TOKYO, Japan–July 10, 2008–Hudson Soft Co., Ltd. today announced its ground-breaking game AQUA FOREST will be available on the Apple App Store at launch today, priced at just $7.99. AQUA FOREST is the first commercial product to use OctaveEngine Casual, the 2D multi-physics engine designed by Prometech Software, for the development of casual games. The App Store will be available tomorrow on iPhone and iPod touch or at www.itunes.com/appstore/

There are two modes in the game: Puzzle mode with a water and ecology motif and Free mode in which users can create anything they wish using the game’s tools. Puzzle mode has five levels, each of which has ten stages, for a total of fifty stages. As each puzzle is solved, the tree in the background will grow gradually. In Free mode, users will experience a whole new world of drawing. Using real physics, graphics created using the game’s tools will come to life as soon as they are drawn on the touch screen.

All puzzles featured in this application have one common theme: moving the water on the screen of the iPhone or iPod touch. The gameplay is easily accessible so that a wide range of users will be able to enjoy the puzzles. For example, in one puzzle, users must figure out how to catch water drops falling from a tree using a container. To move the water, users must use two of the unique features of iPhone: the accelerometer and the innovative Multi-Touch user interface. Using the accelerometer, users can tilt their devices to move water, and using the touch screen, draw with the game’s tools, including a pen, knife, eraser or more, in order to eliminate the obstacles or to draw walls to direct water to the goal.

In Free mode, users can choose from physical properties, such as water, fire, gel and rubber, to draw using various tools, such as drag, move, brush, pencil, and an eraser. Based on the physical properties used, drawings will move in real time as water splashes, fire burns, and so on.

Using the abilities of OctaveEngineTM Casual combine user actions with simultaneous physics calculations, AQUA FOREST provides ingenious interactive entertainment never seen before.

About OctaveEngine Casual

The Interactive Entertainment - to create the computer entertainment that users can see, touch, and interact intuitively - This is the concept that Prometech Software Inc. advocates and has brought this 2D multi-physics engine to life. Based on the simulation CG technology developed in Tokyo University, this engine is one of the physical engine series to apply for the commercial usage of the game development. In February 2008, OctaveEngineTM Casual was presented in Game Developers Conference (GDC) 2008, and on March 25th, the free download service of OE-CAKE!, which is the trial of OctaveEngineTM Casual has been started.

This engine uses the particle method for physical simulation. It handles not only rigid objects, but also objects with various real life properties such as elastic, plastic, liquid and gaseous bodies as well. It computes the physical interactions between objects with different properties, and instantly responds to physical models added by users. It also handles texture mapping of objects. By combining multiple properties, a user can create more complex and diverse physical phenomena. It stimulates the user’s imagination and infinitely expands the possibilities for expression in games.

About Hudson Soft Co., Ltd.

Hudson Soft is a total entertainment enterprise which has been providing a wide variety of digital content to the world since the early PC gaming period. Currently, the business has been broadened to include console games, mobile games, PC games, music, video, and e-commerce. Hudson Soft was one of the first companies in the console game industry to have quickly adopted mobile business, and is currently distributing diverse content, from games to music, with the 3 major cellular phone carriers in Japan. Hudson Soft launched the Do the Hudson!! website ( http://DotheHudson.net) on December 12th, 2007, specifically for iPhone/iPod touch products, such as news, games, video clips, and other topics on entertainment. http://www.hudson.co.jp/

About Prometech Software, Inc

Prometech Software, Inc. is an venture business founded in October, 2004, by Yoshimitsu Fujisawa, who was a researcher in Tokyo University's Manufacturing Technique Laboratory, and Seiichi Horikoshi, who was a professor of the Engineering Graduate course in Tokyo University.

Prometech Software focuses on the realization and development of virtual realities with a high degree of user interactivity - Interactive Reality - through the application of cutting edge physics simulation software and computer graphics technology. In addition to the University of Tokyo, at which its core technologies were developed, Prometech Software maintains close R&D relationships with a network of research organizations, focused on applying the latest technologies to the game development, film production, imaging, and manufacturing.

http://www.prometech.co.jp ;