Thursday, April 19, 2007

Xenosaga Ep. III 1/8 scale KOS-MOS v4 Figure

In the Xenosaga games, KOS-MOS is an android sculpted in the form of a blue-haired, crimson-eyed goddess. Despite her feminine appearance however, KOS-MOS is a battle-hardened war machine capable of impacting widespread damage. NCS suspects that despite the Xenosaga series ending with episode III, KOS-MOS will continue to make appearances in Japanese toy culture. She'll be as pervasive and enduring as Rei Ayanami and Asuka Langley of Evangelion fame.

A new collaborative effort between Happinet and Atelier-Sai (Chord-G7) was announced a couple of days ago which features another KOS-MOS toy variant. The color scheme of the figure is blue, white, and black against flesh-colored visions of thigh and shoulder. KOS-MOS' shock of blue hair neatly frames her face and feather-like armor appendages on her arms make her look somewhat jagged and dangerous. KOS-MOS stands in quiet repose but we generally prefer figures that are sculpted in energetic contortions that are full of vigor and vim. There's none of that here but at least she's wearing well-defined garters and white thigh high hosiery. In addition to the gun shown in the photo, a beam-blade weapon will be included in the package. The Chord-G7 KOS-MOS is at 1/8 scale or roughly 22cm tall. Preorders are welcome to ship in late July 2007.

Transformers Zippos

An NCS Dramatization: There you are at the 2007 International Transformers Conference where the craziest most dedicated Transformers fans congregate. Some attendees dress up in a makeshift Megatron suit while others dawdle around in a color-correct G1 Prowl suit made of rubber. To compete with the attention-seekers, whip out your serially numbered limited edition Transformers Zippo - the Bumblebee version with the shiny, silvery shell. The glint of steel, the embossed Bumblebee relief, and the sweet crisp sound when you flick the Zippo conspire to create an object of affection that no true fan can resist. Preorders ship in mid-late June 2007.

Juicy Honey Authentic Visual Collection 6

Trading card purveyor Mint flies four Japanese AV actresses to Bali and takes thoughtful photos of the gals in scenic locales, against lush backdrops, and in obligatory bikinis. A total of 186 cards are featured in the new collection as follows:

72 Regular Cards
18 Juicy Special Cards
10 Autograph Cards
4 Message Cards
37 Jersey Cards
4 Kiss Cards ... and more

The new cards are scheduled for release on June 16, 2007 and NCS is pricing each factory retail box at US$55. Each box contains 12 packs of cards which each contain 7 cards inside for a total of 96 cards per box. Pricing is set at US$55/box and preorders are welcome today.

Import Schedule Updates

Another batch of preorders were opened up in Japan a couple of days ago. Most notable perhaps is the sequel to Osu! Tatakae Ouendan which ships on May 17 and features 4-players cooperative action, a storyline that forks depending on your actions, and 19 pieces of snappy music.
Nintendo DS
5/17 Osu! Tatake Ouendan 2 Nintendo
6/21 Itadaki Street DS Square

Nana Live Staff Daiboshuu! Shoshinsha Kangei Konami

Zelda no Densetsu: The Phantom Hourglass Nintendo
Playstation 2
6/21 Growlanser VI Atlus

Mana-Khemia: Gakuen no Renkinjutsu Shitachi Gust

Mana-Khemia: Gakuen no Renkinjutsu Shitachi LE Gust
6/28 Getsumento Heiki Mina: Futatsu no Project M I. Factory

Getsumento Heiki Mina: Futatsu no Project M LE I. Factory
Playstation Portable
6/28 Secret of Evangelion Portable Gainax

Secret of Evangelion Portable Limited Edition Gainax

Super Robot Taisen MX Portable - Best Banpresto
Nintendo Wii
6/14 Mahou Sensei Negima!? Neo-Pactio Fight!! Marvelous
6/21 Hajime no Ippo Revolution AQ Inter.
6/28 Donkey Kong Taru Jet Race Nintendo