Today, Sega announced that Astro Boy for Sony PS2 and Astro Boy: Omega Factor for GBA. Astro Boy for PlayStation 2 was developed by SONICTEAM, while Astro Boy: Omega Factor, the Game Boy Advance title, was developed by Hitmaker, a SEGA development studio, in conjunction with Treasure, the studio behind such 2D classics as Gunstar Heroes and Guardian Heroes. Both anticipated titles are based on Osamu Tezuka's flagship character Astro (Tetsum Atom in Japan) - a robotic superhero with a human mind - who embarks on an adventure to reunite human's and robots.

"We are excited to bring the most recognizable anime character to video game consoles for the very first time," said Scott A. Steinberg, vice president of Entertainment Marketing, SEGA of America. "Having grown up with Astro Boy, SEGA developers have achieved an action-adventure title that remains true to the character; engaging a younger audience with great gameplay and one of the most innovative flight mechanics of all time."

Osamu Tezuka, who is known as the pioneer of Japanese animation and the "father of manga," created Astro Boy in 1952. Since then, Astro Boy has become one of the most recognized characters in Japanese animation and was the first Japanese animated television show shown in America. Airing in more than 40 countries and selling more than 80 million comic books and $3 billion in merchandise in Japan, the beloved character has amassed a global following that borders on cult status. Astro Boy PS2 is priced at $39.99 and Astro Boy: Omega Factor GBA is priced at $29.99. Both games are rated 'E' for Everyone and are available at retailers nationwide.