Friday, September 28, 2007

Wangan Midnight Portable - In Stock

In the Wangan Midnight manga serial, Akio Asakura's in his Fairlady Z31 with three friends when he spots the legendary "Blackbird" which is a turbo-charged Porsche driven by Tatsua Shima. Akio tries to catch up to the Porsche but Tatsuya speeds up and leaves Akio in the dust. Akio is humiliated but is later comforted by a mechanic who suggests that he visit Kuro's junkyard to salvage parts from a wrecked Z31. Instead of attending school, Akio goes hunting for parts to boost his Fairlady Z31. While spelunking in the junkyard, he spots a first generation Fairlady S30Z that's in fairly good shape. Sure, it's missing the front wheels but the engine's a twin turbo and the innards are fine. Strange coincidences goad Akio to buy the S30Z. From humble beginnings, Akio's legend begins.

Wangan Midnight Portable is based on the manga but plies the night racing trade popularized by Genki's own Shutoko Battle franchise. To play a story based racing challenge, there's the Scenario Mode to explore but those out for a simple racing challenge may choose the Versus Mode which allows up to four PSP-equipped racers to compete against each other wirelessly. Perfectionists can check into the Tuning Mode which puts an emphasis on infallible driving skills where your car is kept away from the walls and other vehicles on the road. The racing action takes place entirely during the twilight hours where the only illumination is from overhead lamps. The controls are responsive as expected and the illusion of speed as cars topple the 300 km/h threshold is fairly convincing.
«NCS Game Notes»

Jet de Go! Pocket [Eternal Hits] - In Stock

Strap into the seat of a Japan Airlines Boeing 747 and fly the friendly skies as a virtual pilot who guides the planes, reads the instruments, and makes sure that the flight is on schedule. You have important passengers to ferry around Japan who demand timeliness. Four planes may be used at the outset as follows: JAL B747-400D, JAL B777-200, JAL B777-300, and the JAL B767-300.

After meeting certain conditions and goals, five additional planes are eventually unlocked. Eight Japanese airports may be landed on with accurate layouts that were based on photographs of the real locations such as Hiroshima Airport, Komatsu Airport, Fukuoka Airport, and Osaka's Guanxi airport.

Four game modes are playable: Flight Mode, Trial Mode, Replay Mode, and Flight Guide. In Flight Mode, choose a plane from the five available selections and watch as it rotates in the Jet Select screen and check its stats on the right side of the screen. Once flying, indicators are superimposed on the screen with an altimeter on the right side and bearings located around the center of the screen which track the plane's heading. The pilot's panel is located on the bottom of the screen to keep track of gauges and allow for mechanism handling. Day flights are available along with night flights which add a wrinkle to maneuvering through the midnight hours. In addition to shadowy sights along the ground, night flights feature the sparkling lights of cities below.

Car Stand Set - Preorder

Hori lends a hand to mobile PSP motorists the world over with the upcoming Playstation Portable Car Stand Set which mounts a PSP upright on an adjustable stand. In Japan, there's a few map software programs which are used in conjunction with the GPS Receiver to find routes to restaurants, parks, and other interesting venues. Sadly, there's no such software for the North American marketplace yet but something might be available in the far off future.

The Stand Set also includes a PSP car battery charger with a coiled extension cord. The stand will accommodate a PSP or a Slim PSP and preorders are welcome today to ship in mid-late November 2007. Pricing is set at JPY6980 or US$68 from NCS.

System Bag DS Lite - Preorder

The Nintendo DS Lite carrying pouch marketplace is saturated with countless offerings from established companies and fly-by-nights alike. Despite the crowded space, Hori has announced a slim carrying bag which holds an NDS Lite and a good amount of game cards and accessories along with it. Mesh flaps and pockets inside the System Bag keeps everything orderly and controlled without the chaos of other carrying pouches. Two colors are available for preorder - a white pouch with blue interior and a black pouch with red interior. Preorders are welcome to ship in mid-late November 2007 at JPY1380 or US$18 from NCS.