Thursday, December 13, 2007

Gran Turismo 5: Prologue - New Import, Split Shipment

From the Publisher
Gran Turismo 5 Prologue features over 40 stunning cars – including vehicles by Lotus, Mitsubishi, Nissan and Ferrari for you to race on seriously realistic, real-life tracks: including the Eiger Nordwand, the London City Track and Suzuka – all rendered in incredible High Definition graphics. There's also all-new driving physics for the most lifelike driving experience ever and new, improved opponent artificial intelligence for the toughest race challenge yet.

But that's not all – for the first time ever in the history of Gran Turismo, you'll now be able to race online. Up to 16 players will be able to go head-to-head on some of the world's best racetracks on PLAYSTATION Network – all you need to get racing is a broadband connection and PS3. Once you're up and revving, Global Online Rankings and the My Garage homepage feature will leave the world in no doubt as to just who is the best at Gran Turismo. View the full manufacturer description.

Split Shipment
Due to inclement weather in New York City this morning, only some of our import shipments arrived this morning. The remainder is scheduled to arrive tomorrow. We'll be able to process early preorders for GT5 Prologue today but the rest will ship tomorrow. New orders for GT5 Prologue submitted today will not ship until Monday when our second shipment arrives.

NiGHTS: Hoshi Furu Yoru no Monogatari - New Import

From the Publisher
The acclaimed franchise that gave gamers the freedom to fly in a world of dreams is coming to the Wii. As a fantasy jester called NiGHTS, players will experience a heightened sense of gliding, spiraling, looping, and much more with the help of the Wii Remote. When the "Nightmarens" from the neighboring dark world of Nightmare infiltrate the idyllic Nightopia, NiGHTS must defend the dream world to keep it safe for all dreamers.

Game Features:
* Wii Remote brings more immersive gameplay: NiGHTS will fly through the vivid world of dreams with the simple motion of your hand using the Wii Remote. The play will navigate the fantastical world using aerial acrobatic skills and shape-shifting abilities to overcome obstacles and clear missions.
* "Persona" masks open new doors of possibility: With three unique masks, NiGHTS can change shape and gain access to parts of the world that were previously inaccessible. By opening these new doors, the player will venture deeper into the world of dreams, encounter new challenging missions, and discover and collect hidden items which can be used in other bonus features.

Spectral Gene - New Import, In Stock

An isolated island kingdom located at the end of the world has resisted outside influence for 2000 years. Content to look inward instead of interacting with the world around them, the ruling family of Emunit has created a sheltered paradise for its denizens. That's about to change.

A military nation on the warpath has begun a campaign to usurp the power of its neighbors and rule the world under one crest. The warmongers encounter unexpected resistance when they reach the shores of Emunit. To repel the impending invasion, Prince Kain and a loyal warrior named Enjyu marshal a party of adventurers to travel outside of Emunit and conquer the kingdoms around them.

Spectral Gene fits into the strategy-rpg genre where movement and attacks are handled through a simple menu-based system. For example, the first battle in the game pits Enjyu against two slime creatures. Move her to the side or behind a slime and gain a tactical advantage by blind-siding the beast. Special attacks are also available where multiple strikes are ignited against an enemy to destroy it within one turn.

Spectral Gene Limited Edition - New Import, In Stock

The limited edition of Spectral Gene includes a bonus art + data booklet and an audio CD which contains interviews and an episode of Spectral drama as voiced by actors and actresses from the game.

A military nation on the warpath has begun a campaign to usurp the power of its neighbors and rule the world under one crest. The warmongers encounter unexpected resistance when they reach the shores of Emunit. To repel the impending invasion, Prince Kain and a loyal warrior named Enjyu marshal a party of adventurers to travel outside of Emunit and conquer the kingdoms around them.

Spectral Gene fits into the strategy-rpg genre where movement and attacks are handled through a simple menu-based system. For example, the first battle in the game pits Enjyu against two slime creatures. Move her to the side or behind a slime and gain a tactical advantage by blind-siding the beast. Special attacks are also available where multiple strikes are ignited against an enemy to destroy it within one turn.

Dust Cap Portable 2 - New Import, In Stock

Dust is the bane of clean-living folk the world over. Here's an experiment that you can try for yourself to prove the pervasiveness of dust:

1) Wipe a surface with a lint-free towel until it shines.
2) Walk away and eat an apple.
3) Return in 3 days.
4) Inspect the surface and see that a thin layer of dust has already settled down.

Dust is everywhere but it doesn't have to be in your PSP. Plug up the ports and inputs of the Slim PSP with Hori's Dust Cap Portable 2 which stoppers up the USB port, the UMD slot, the headphone jack, and the AC adaptor terminal. A lint-free cloth is also included to wipe down the PSP whenever it gets soiled with grease, oil, and other unsightly blemishes.
Please note this item is only for use with the Slim PSP (PSP-2000).

Talkman Travel - New Import, In Stock

If you're a Japanese speaking world traveler who enjoys seeing the sights and hearing the sounds of foreign lands, you basically have two options to get around once the plane reaches your destination:

1) Learn the language of the country you're visiting
2) Bring a dictionary along or hire a tour guide who'll hold your hand

The first option isn't practical if your language learning aptitude is rusty. You certainly don't want to blurt out "Take me to the gulag" when you really meant to say, "I wish to visit the theater." The second option may work better but if you're fumbling around the street thumbing through a 1000 page dictionary, local thieves will have found their mark of the day

Sony's Talkman Travel offers a third option for travelers - a foreign language interpreter which translates words and phrases from Japanese into the local language. Three countries are supported: South Korea, Taiwan, and China (Shanghai). If you travel to South Korea, set the country in the software accordingly and preset phrases and questions which cover common subjects or inquiries are shown on screen which are accessible through a simple menu. You'll be able to ask for directions, suggestions on restaurants, the location of the lavatory, and other life savers. Just make sure you turn the volume of the PSP way up so that the foreigner can hear Talkman's voice.

Shikigami no Shiro III - New Import, In Stock

Kohtarou Kuga, Gennojo Hyuga, Roger Sasuke and two more familiar faces are joined by five new heroes in Arc Systems' latest edition of Shikigami no Shiro. One of the new characters is named Reika Kirishima, a 17 year-old with green hair who sort of looks like the Japanese actress whom the designers apparently named her after.

Following the formula of previous release in the Shikigami series, the latest game features the "Tension Bonus System" which
is a score multiplier that's triggered by way of close proximity to enemy bullets. Get grazed by buckshot and marvel as your points are increased by up to 8X depending on how skillful you are at deftly maneuvering and getting buzzed by oncoming fire. Near misses will also power up your weapon systems with a brief jolt. The Tension System wrinkles the gameplay in such a way as to behoove one to avoid but also draw towards bullets. Quite a conundrum. New to Shikigami III is the "Hi-Tension System" where unleashing a bomb triggers a temporary 8X multiplier.

In addition to the standard game option, players may enjoy the Dramatic Change Mode, the Boss Attack Mode, and a Practice Mode. There's also an Art Gallery, a Story Recollect section, and a Juke Box option to explore.

Shikigami no Shiro III - New Import, In Stock

Kohtarou Kuga, Gennojo Hyuga, Roger Sasuke and two more familiar faces are joined by five new heroes in Arc Systems' latest edition of Shikigami no Shiro. One of the new characters is named Reika Kirishima, a 17 year-old with green hair who sort of looks like the Japanese actress whom the designers apparently named her after.

Following the formula of previous release in the Shikigami series, the latest game features the "Tension Bonus System" which
is a score multiplier that's triggered by way of close proximity to enemy bullets. Get grazed by buckshot and marvel as your points are increased by up to 8X depending on how skillful you are at deftly maneuvering and getting buzzed by oncoming fire. Near misses will also power up your weapon systems with a brief jolt. The Tension System wrinkles the gameplay in such a way as to behoove one to avoid but also draw towards bullets. Quite a conundrum. New to Shikigami III is the "Hi-Tension System" where unleashing a bomb triggers a temporary 8X multiplier.

In addition to the standard game option, players may enjoy the Dramatic Change Mode, the Boss Attack Mode, and a Practice Mode. There's also an Art Gallery, a Story Recollect section, and a Juke Box option to explore.

General Updates

Dual Shock 3 Restock
Another batch of the PS3 Dual Shock 3 controllers [available in either Ceramic White or Black] arrived today and all backorders will ship this afternoon. New orders are welcome. For those keeping track of the count we stated last week, supplier stock is now down to 373 units as of this morning. Not bad. Pricing remains at US$65.
PSP Suzumiya Delayed
The PSP game Suzumiya
Haruhi no Yakusoku has been bumped back 1 week from December 20 to December 27. Please take note and mark your records accordingly.
Holiday Shipping
Since we ship a lot of packages to international destinations, we throw up a Postal Service notice around this time every year. It's about that time again so here goes:

** Please be advised that transit times for package deliveries can take longer than normal during the holiday season. For example, air shipments to London via USPS Priority Mail International generally arrive within 5 business days. When the holiday season rolls around and there's a lot more package volume going through the postal system, transit times can lengthen to 10-15 business days. Please allow extra time for packages to make their way from our local postal service in New York City to your country. Thanks.
Kinu Nishimura Mai Shiranui and Shooting Historica Update
There were a number of transactions that didn't go through for the two toys listed above. We'll give customers 1 more day to respond to our emails but if we don't hear back from them by tomorrow, we'll post both items back on our shop and accept new orders.
Our Venus Flytrap Plant
We fed one of the Venus Flytraps in our office a little fly a few weeks ago ans we noticed a stalk rising from the Venus Flytrap which looked weird and perhaps ominous. After a few pensive days, the stalk turned out to be a white flower that bloomed yesterday. It would appear the little fly was good eatin'. Check it out.