Kung Zhu(TM) Battle Hamsters Deliver Interactive Fun With Transforming Ninja Warriors and Special Forces

ST. LOUIS, June 3 /PRNewswire/ -- What happens when martial arts and hamsters collide? Kung Zhu Battle Hamsters, of course! The makers of the hottest toy of the 2009 holiday season, Zhu Zhu Pets™, are at it again with their latest innovation that is sure to make kids yell, 'Hi-ya!' and captivate them with epic Kung-Zhu fighting. Kids and families can now purchase this new line of toys in retail stores nationwide and experience them in a whole new way when The Zhu-niverse Tour visits select Toys"R"Us locations and summer festivals.

(Photo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100603/CG15215)

The new Kung Zhu Battle Hamsters consist of two specific groups – Kung Zhu Ninja Warriors and Kung Zhu Special Forces, each group with its own set of characters designed to be used with special armor, weapons, vehicles, training grounds and a battle arena to bring the action to life.

"Kung Zhu brings a whole new level of excitement to the world of action figures," said Russ Hornsby, CEO, Cepia LLC. "Kung Zhu combines the play patterns of training transformation and battle that kids love– all provided by hamster power."

How Do You Kung Zhu?

Before they transform into Ninja Warriors or Special Forces, the Kung Zhu hamsters need to be "trained" to get ready for combat. Prior to their training, you might mistake the Kung Zhu squad for typical hamsters. They dart around, scurry from place to place and squeak. But all that changes when the hamsters encounter the magical "Tablet of Zhu," a special training ground that transforms them into Special Forces or Ninja Warriors. Just snap on armor and they're ready to battle against each other in the battle arena!

Within the Special Forces and Ninja Warriors, there are clans, each with two hamsters sharing a symbol of allegiance on their backs. Each hamster has its own unique features that provide insight into each individual personality.

Kung Zhu Special Forces

Delta Force

• Rivet: the leader of the Special Forces is a master of demolition and loves a good explosion
• Sergeant Serge: has a heart of gold and wants nothing more than for everyone to have a great day  

Rangers

• Rock-O: has the biggest brain of the bunch and manages technology and communication
• Stonewall: loud, crazy and is always ready for a fight

Kung Zhu Ninja Warriors

Dragon Clan

• Drayko: a fast learner who will stop at nothing to become the best
• Yama: best friend to Drayko, he is only a student, but is still feared as the strongest of the Ninja Warriors

Skull Tribe (the bad guys)

• Azer: the older brother of Drayko, he has a grudge to settle against Rivet
• Thorn: the true definition of zhu-vil, he is rough, tough and not afraid to cheat

All Kung Zhu hamsters and accessories, including the special armor and battle arena are sold separately. Visit www.kungzhu.com for more information.

The Zhu-niverse Tour

All the Zhu-nitics out there will be able to see the Kung Zhu line as part of the 20-city Zhu-niverse Tour, which kicked off in the company's hometown of St. Louis. At The Zhu-niverse Tour events, families can enjoy games and activities that will have them interacting with the new Kung Zhu hamsters and their favorite Zhu Zhu Pets in an entirely new way.

Kids can groove to the Zhu Zhu Flo on the Rock Star Stage, scurry around in a life size hamster habitat trail and wheel and test their skills at the Kung Zhu Training Grounds adventure obstacle course.  Other activities include the Zhu Character Generator, where kids can see what hamster they're most like and play the latest Zhu Zhu Pets game for Nintendo DS™ inside a gaming tent.

The Zhu-niverse Tour will stop at summer festivals and select Toys"R"Us retail locations. Toys"R"Us is the official sponsor of The Zhu-niverse Tour. For a complete list of events, locations and times, visit www.thezhuniversetour.com.  Make sure to follow The Zhu-niverse Tour on Facebook and on Twitter at @zhuniverse.

• May 27-31: St. Louis
• June 3-6: Minneapolis
• June 10-13: Indianapolis
• June 16-20: Detroit
• June 25-28: Milwaukee
• June 30- July 4: Chicago
• July 8-11: Buffalo, N.Y.
• July 14-18: Boston
• July 21-25: Trenton, N.J.
• July 28-August 1: Philadelphia
• August 4-8: Baltimore
• August 11-15: Charleston, W.Va.
• August 18-22: Raleigh, N.C.
• August 25-29: Charlotte, N.C.
• September 3-5: Tampa, Fla.
• September 8-12: Atlanta
• September 16-19: Dallas
• September 22-26: Houston
• October 1-3: Santa Barbara, Calif.
• October 6-10: Phoenix

About Kung Zhu

Kung Zhu Battle Hamsters are innovative, artificially intelligent hamsters that talk and move around in their own playsets. Kung Zhu includes three play modes.  During talk mode, the hamsters coo and purr.  In explore mode, the hamsters explore their habitat with intelligent audio and mechanical responses to various habitat stimuli. Then in battle mode, the hamsters transform and unlock special combat sound effects and behaviors, including back up and spin-around action and a special knock out sound. Add-on accessories can be purchased to build an ever-evolving training ground for your Kung Zhu Battle Hamster to master. Powered by 2 AAA batteries (included), Kung Zhu is suitable for ages 4 and up. For more information, please visit www.kungzhu.com.

About The Zhu-niverse Tour

Zhu Zhu Pets are making their way across the United States on The Zhu-niverse Tour. This mobile, nationwide tour sponsored by Toys"R"Us is an interactive experience featuring Zhu Zhu Pets, new Kung Zhu battle hamsters, games and activities for kids and families. Children will have the chance to interact and experience the Zhu-niverse in an entirely new way, with a multitude of interactive displays and games including life size inflatable habitat trails and a hamster wheel, the Rock Star Stage, Kung Zhu Training Grounds, Nintendo DS™ Gaming Tent and the Zhu Character Generator. The Zhu-niverse Tour visits 20 cities over the course of 20 weeks, through October. For more information, please visit www.thezhuniversetour.com.

About Cepia LLC

Headquartered in St Louis, Mo., Cepia LLC is a privately held company that manufactures toys and games for children of all ages. The company was founded on the premise that sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. Ingenuity, creativity, playfulness, and passion are the heart of Cepia and everything it creates. Cepia's toy building enterprises include: Glo-e, a light-up plush bear, Hydro Max, a motorized water blaster, Sky Raptors, and their newest venture Zhu Zhu Pets. Zhu Zhu Pets has become an international sensation by combining realistic interaction with a fun, imaginative, interactive play design. In 2010 Zhu Zhu Pets received top awards in three categories at the 10th annual Toy Industry Association Toy of the Year Awards, including the 2010 "Toy of the Year." Zhu Zhu Pets also took home awards for "Girl Toy of the Year" and "Innovative Toy of the Year." Zhu Zhu Pets, their Zhu-niverse of accessories, and other toys from Cepia LLC are sold globally through national chain retail outlets and independent toy stores. For more information, please visit www.cepiallc.com.    

SOURCE Cepia LLC