THQ Announces Hot Wheels Burnin’ Rubber for GBA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

THQ ANNOUNCES HOT WHEELS BURNIN’ RUBBER
FOR GAME BOY ADVANCE SET TO RELEASE THIS FALL

CALABASAS HILLS, Calif. – September 20, 2001
– THQ Inc. (NASDAQ NMS: THQI) and Mattel, Inc. (NYSE: MAT) today announced Hot
Wheels(tm) Burnin’ Rubber(tm) for Nintendo’s Game Boy(r) Advance system. Hot
Wheels Burnin’ Rubber will make its handheld videogame debut this fall.

"THQ is thrilled to expand the Hot Wheels
videogame franchise with an all new Game Boy Advance racing game," said Michael
Rubinelli, Vice President, Product Development, THQ. "The speed and performance
that Hot Wheels signature car designs are known for, coupled with our Game Boy
Advance development experience, promise a quality racer for kids of all ages."

"THQ’s leadership position in the kids
handheld arena makes them a great interactive partner for our boy’s properties,"
said Amy Boylan, senior vice president of Boys/Entertainment, New Media at
Mattel. "Their development expertise will translate into fun, authentic game
play experiences on the Game Boy Advance system."

Hot Wheels Burnin’ Rubber for Game Boy
Advance will feature more than 25 authentic 2000 and 2001 Hot Wheels vehicles.
Players will be able to speed around 16 different tracks and environments as
they fly over jumps and whip around corners on their way to unlocking 20 hidden
cars and special bonus levels. Hot Wheels Burnin’ Rubber offers gamers seven
different modifications for their cars including high powered engines, tires,
suspension, and exhaust. Multi-player mode will let players go head to head
against friends with their favorite modified cars. This unique title is the
first Hot Wheels game produced and developed by THQ and will include a new save
feature that requires no passwords.

THQ will also release three other Hot Wheels
videogames this fall. Hot Wheels Jetz and Hot Wheels Mechanix(tm) for the PC,
and Hot Wheels Extreme Racing for the PlayStation are all scheduled to release
later this fall.

Mattel’s Boys/Entertainment Division

Mattel, Inc.’s Boys/Entertainment division’s
portfolio of global brands includes some of the most popular products in the toy
industry today. The division is comprised of three segments, which include
Wheels, Entertainment products and Games and Puzzles. The Wheels segment
includes Hot Wheels(r), the No. 1 selling toy across all categories in the toy
industry, Matchbox(r) and Tyco(r) R/C. Mattel Wheels appeals to guys ages two to
92 with boys, consumer products and collectibles. Mattel’s exciting
entertainment-inspired toy lines include Harry Potter(r), Nickelodeon’s
RugRats(r), Jimmy Neutron Boy Genius(r), Rocket Power(r), Wild Thornberry’s(r),
SpongeBob SquarePants(r), as well as Mattel Action brands; Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em(tm)
Robots, Masters of the Universe(r) and Max Steel(tm). Mattel’s Games and Puzzles
include favorite classics such as UNO(r), Magic 8 Ball(tm), Skip Bo(tm), Toss
Across(tm), Ker Plunk!(tm), Fisher-Price(r), Disney Games and the international
rights to Scrabble(tm).

About THQ

THQ Inc. develops and publishes interactive
entertainment software worldwide for a variety of hardware platforms including
PC CD-ROM, wireless devices, and those manufactured by Sony, Nintendo and
Microsoft. The THQ web site is located at

www.thq.com. ###

This press release contains
statements that are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on current
expectations, estimates and projections about THQ’s business based, in part, on
assumptions made by its management. These statements are not guarantees of THQ’s
future performance and involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are
difficult to predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ
materially from what is expressed or forecasted in such forward-looking
statements due to numerous factors, including, but not limited to, those
described above and the following: changes in demand for THQ’s products, product
mix, the timing of customer orders and deliveries, the impact of competitive
products and pricing and difficulties encountered in the integration of acquired
businesses. In addition, such statements could be affected by growth rates and
market conditions relating to the interactive software industry and general
domestic and international economic conditions. Specific information concerning
these and other such factors is contained in the preliminary prospectus
contained in THQ’s Registration Statement on Form S-3 filed with the Securities
Exchange Commission on August 20, 2001, as amended. A copy of this filing may be
obtained by contacting THQ or the SEC. The forward-looking statements contained
herein speak only as of the date on which they are made, and THQ does not
undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect
events or circumstances after the date of this release.