Namco announced their lineup for next week's E3 today as the gaming giant is set to unveil a host of premier software. Headlining the showing will be several sequels including Ace Combat 5, Tekken 5, Xenosaga Episode II, Dead to Rights II, Time Crisis: Crisis Zone, Tales of Symphonia and Smash Court Tennis Pro Tournament 2. As if that's not enough to get excited about, Namco will show off some original titles in the form of Street Racing Syndicate, Death by Degrees (the game that features Nina Williams from Tekken), Ghosthunter, Baten Kaitos, The Adversary, and Taiko Drum Master.

Obviously, the company is excited about what they will be bringing the gaming community in the months to come. "Namco is showcasing its most impressive line up of new content ever at this year's E3Expo," said Robert Ennis, chief financial and operating officer for Namco. "We have taken our core franchises to exciting new levels and are introducing some incredible new content with our biggest showing ever at E3. We think convention goers will really take notice of Namco's significant presence this year at the show."

Ace Combat 5 features over 50 different licensed planes and an intense storyline with over 30 missions combined with ultra-realistic graphics and dog fighting to achieve the sheer excitement of soaring through the air, destroying enemy planes and ground targets.

Street Racing Syndicate will allow gamer to customize over 40 licensed cars with authentic parts, cool paint, and anything else bought or won from sanctioned or illegal races. The game will contain both closed track and open city environments and meet at secret locations or pull up on opponents on the open streets. Possibly the most unique feature of Street Racing Syndicate is the ability to throw down with real-life opponents all over the world via online pink slip races.

Dead to Rights II marks the return of action-hero Jack Slate and his K-9 companion, Shadow. The game will feature Hong Kong cinema-style action and innovative new gameplay mechanics such as greater interaction with Shadow as well as brutal, all-new disarm moves; a lightning-fast 360 degree fighting engine; vicious melee weapon battles; and a dramatic new spherical slow-motion diving system.

Death by Degrees features Nina Williams as the voluptuous undercover operative sent to recover a stolen weapon from a disgruntled terrorist who double-crossed his own underground organization. The game utilizes a cutting-edge combat system to fight enemies in all directions and combines signature moves from Tekken with firearms and melee weapon attacks.

Xenosaga Episode II picks up right where Episode I left off. The game features new, more realistic looking character art style, improved graphics, an improved battle interface and more outdoor environments (rain, snow, rivers, etc.)

Featuring characters designed by renowned anime artist Kosuke Fujishima, Tales of Symphonia will allow players to command real-time battles in a unique 3D battle system giving them full control over the characters while executing hundreds of special attacks and magic spells.The game will contain more than a dozen mini-games and side quests at the player's disposal while offering over 80 game play hours.

Ghosthunter is an all-new title that blends the action and adventure aspects of a third-person shooter with macabre humor. The game features diverse cinematic locations that set the scene for battle vengeful sprits including an Alcatraz-style prison and a haunted ship. Players are equipped with a selection of high-tech weaponry and gadgets specially designed for hunting and capturing ghosts.

Perhaps the best feature in Time Crisis: Crisis Zone will be the game's unprecedented level of interaction with the environment. Using the Guncon 2, gunfire has a realistic effect on almost everything in the game: players can blow up items on shelves and tables, shatter glass windows and doors, and destroy beams, statues, and even desktop computers.What's even better, if you have 2 Guncon 2s you'll be able to select a single- or double-gun game to take down enemies John Woo style. Nice!

Smash Court Tennis Pro Tournament 2 will allow gamers to create and customize players in Pro Tour Mode, then take them through the tennis rankings all the way to the top - including actual Grand Slam tournaments.The game will feature such pros as Andy Roddick, James Blake, Lleyton Hewitt, Serena Williams, Kim Clijsters, Anna Kournikova, and ten others!

Lastly, Baten Kaitos places gamers on a journey to unlock the mystery of the lost sea. The game will offer over 1000 types of "Magnus" cards designed to deliver an intense battle system. Featuring breathtaking graphics and a world overflowing with character detail, Baten Kaitos should impress fans of the genre.

We'll hope to get more info on The Adversary and Taiko Drum Master soon, but with so much diversity in their lineup, it looks like Namco will make a major splash at this year's E3. Get the details on all these titles and any other announcements from Namco right here during next week's E3.