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'Gotta catch 'em all!'

Do as the name implies! But first, GET THE GAME!!

This game is probably the best thing that's happened since Final Fantasy. This game alone has made 4 billion (that's $4,000,000,000) alone in Japan. It's such a craze over in Japan that Pokémon are on TV, lunch boxes, cars, toys, CD, food, clothing, buildings, almost anything imaginable. Oh yeah, they're called Pocket Monsters in Japan.

Pokémon alone has sold over 8 million copies in two years.

Pokémon Popularity Check

The Pokemon craze just keeps getting crazier in 1999, much to the credit of the animated series becoming the No.1 rated syndicated kids show in America. The syndicators of the five-day strip, The Summit Media Group, a subsidiary of 4Kids Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ: KIDE), also announced today that they have recently purchased 52 more episodes for next season.

"The popularity and success that the Pokemon animated series has experienced in the U.S. has been overwhelming," said Al Kahn, Chairman and CEO of 4Kids Entertainment. "The show's viewership, demographics and numbers have been gaining more and more momentum since the first episode went on the air in the U.S. only three months ago."

Based on the enormously successful Japanese cartoon series and Nintendo Game Boy game, the Pokemon cartoon airs Monday-Friday in morning or after-school time slots. In markets that air the series in morning timeslots, Pokemon has given such popular shows as The Today Show, Good Morning, America and CBS, This Morning some serious competition in the rating wars.

The tremendous popularity and appeal of the Pokemon phenomenon in the U.S. has been showcased not only in the television show's ratings, but also the Nintendo Gameboy game sales, the Hasbro toy line sales and widespread media coverage in such major publications as TV Guide, Entertainment Weekly, L.A. Times, New York Magazine, etc.

Nintendo has dedicated their time, creativity and 12-14 million dollars to Pokemon, which includes the series, the gameboy, promotions and advertising. HASBRO is making its presence known by creating the some of the most exciting Pokemon toys of the year, already with a successful sell through for '98, which only consisted of November and December. Based on this early success, retailers moved quickly to reorder in preparation for 1999 demand.

Kool Aid and Oscar Meyer Lunchables plan to partner with Pokemon for future promotions. Kool Aid will be supporting Pokemon with 30-second fully dedicated promotional TV spots targeting kids 6-12 (Valued est. 1.4MM). Oscar Meyer Lunchables - (2M pieces) Packaging: Estimated pack-out 35MM.

The Facts:

Pokemon doubles the time period share delivery from one year ago across all its key kid's demographics. The average delivery of Pokemon in the 76 markets airing the show in November 1998 is far above its lead-in average. Pokemon more than doubles its lead-in rating across every single key kids demographic. In almost every demographic, Pokemon ranks No.1 in its time period in more than half of the 79 total telecasts of the show. Leading with K6-11 it ranked No.1 66% of its 79 telecasts. In the 25 markets with October rating books, Pokemon has grown in both rating and share from the strong average performance it garnered in October 1998.

***

Pokémon meet Michigan J. Frog

4Kids Entertainment, Inc. Inks Deal to Broadcast POKEMON on Warner Brothers, KIDS' WB! Starting February 1999

The animated phenomenon "Pokemon" will join Kids' WB!'s Saturday morning line-up with twelve brand new episodes of the hit half-hour series beginning February 1999. Then, in Fall 1999, the series will expand to six days a week adding Monday through Friday afternoon airings to the continuing Saturday morning broadcasts with an additional all-new 52 episodes, it was announced today by Al Kahn, Chairman and CEO 4Kids Entertainment, Inc., Jean MacCurdy, President, Warner Bros. Television Animation and Susanne Daniels, President, Entertainment, The WB Television Network and head of Kids' WB!

Warner Bros. Television Animation has acquired the rights to the series from 4Kids Entertainment, which distributes the show that is based on the extremely popular Game Boy game of the same name from Nintendo of America. Kids' WB! has in turn licensed the series from its sister division, Warner Bros. Television Animation, for shared broadcast rights until Fall 1999, at which time Kids' WB! becomes the exclusive television home for the "Pokemon" franchise.

While the series completes its first season in first-run syndication, Kids' WB! will premiere the twelve all-new episodes of "Pokemon" beginning in February 1999. Following the Kids' WB! debut, the twelve episodes will join the "Pokemon" syndication package of 52 episodes for the completion of the 1998-1999 season. Then, in Fall 1999, "Pokemon" will join the Kids' WB! line-up exclusively with 52 all-new episodes to air Monday through Saturday.

"The success of the 'Pokemon' franchise has been overwhelming here in the U.S.," said MacCurdy. "I'm absolutely thrilled that Warner Bros. Television Animation and Kids' WB! have come together to offer a network television life to this highly entertaining and unique series."

In its debut season, "Pokemon" is already the #1 rated kids show in syndication. The series more than doubles its lead-in rating across all key kid demographics and ranks number one with Kids 6-11 in 66% of its broadcasts.

"Our partnering with Kids WB! is great news for Pokemon fans across the USA, " said Alfred Kahn, Chairman of 4Kids Entertainment. "Kids WB!'s powerful promotional abilities and superior distribution, combined with the overwhelming appeal of Pokemon, guarantees unprecedented success for this amazing TV series." "We're thrilled with the incredible response Pokemon has received, not only from the video-gaming public and TV viewers, but from the entertainment industry as well. " said Gail Tilden, Vice President of Product Acquisition and Development for Nintendo of America Inc. "This recognition by WB Kids! confirms what we've known all along: Pokemon is truly something special."

To become a great Pokemon trainer, Ash Ketchum must catch as many of the incredible creatures as possible. But it's not easy, because each of the Pokemon possess special powers and abilities. Ash gets started with Pikachu, an electric Pokemon with truly "shocking" talents. Their special bond helps them beat incredible odds and make seemingly impossible things happen! They're joined by Misty and Brock, fellow trainers with some tricks of their own. And Ash can use all the help he can get, because Pikachu's powers have piqued the interest of the notorious Team Rocket. Jessie, James and Meowth will stop at nothing to steal Pikachu from Ash to help fulfill their evil leader's diabolical plan for total domination! It's an incredible adventure that takes our heroes around the world, into the sky and across the sea - all the while discovering new and amazing things about everyone's favorite creatures-- Pokemon!

The series was originally produced by Shogakukan Productions in Japan, where it is the No. 1 rated children's show and a cultural phenomenon. 4Kids Entertainment subsidiary 4Kids Productions successfully adapted the series for the United States, incorporating all new music, voices and scripting to transform the striking "anime-style" animation into a smash hit for American audiences.

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Pokémon is a registered trademark of Nintendo.

Final Fantasy is a registered trademark of SquareSoft.