July 12, 2004 - Now officially called Ninja Gaiden Hurricane Pack: Volume I the first Ninja Gaiden download will be available for free on Xbox Live Monday, August 2. The first Ninja Gaiden download will provide new enemies to battle, new weapons to wield, at least one new costume, and tougher enemy AI. The release is in conjunction with the beginning of the second round of the Master Ninja Tournament.

Due to the popularity of the Master Ninja Tournament, Tecmo is opening up an extra spot in the world finals, to be held this fall. In order to get in on the action, register at www.masterninjatournament.com starting July 16. Once registered, hopeful participants must download Hurricane Pack: Volume I anytime after August 2 and post their final Karma score online before the August 22 deadline. For the three regional finalists, they have only one week to post their Karma scores. The player with the highest score by the August 8 deadline will also move to the final round, where they will compete against the top players from Europe and Japan for the grand prize.
To download and enjoy the Hurricane Pack, you do not need to participate in the tournament, it's merely an added option. However, the top ranking players in the region are eligible to earn a variety of Gaiden schwag, including hats, shirts, and wristbands.

The next chapter in the Ninja Gaiden story begins on the second day of August -- prepare yourself. We'll have more details on the Hurricane Pack soon.