Tuesday, June 09, 2009

Kamen Rider: Climax Heroes - Import Preorder

©NCSX» Brightly colored superheroes who wear helmets crafted to look like bugs are known as Kamen Riders in Japan. There's been countless Kamen Rider incarnations through the years and they've mostly drawn design inspirations from the insect kingdom. For example, Kamen Rider Zo is based on a grasshopper while Kamen Rider Agito borrows his look from the stag beetle. Kamen Rider V3 mimics the appearance of a dragonfly and Kamen Rider Chalice takes after a praying mantis complete with antennae. When a whole mess of Riders gather together, they may be mistaken for a collection delusional male cosplayers but that's exactly what you're going to get with Bandai's new fighter titled Kamen Rider: Climax Heroes.

The Riders featured in the game all hail from the Heisei era which began with Kamen Rider Kuuga from 1999 and runs all the way to this year's Kamen Rider Decade which celebrates the 10th anniversary of the Heisei lineage. Gamers get to pit heroes such as Kamen Rider Agito against Kamen Rider Ryuki, Kamen Rider Hibiki, Kamen Rider Den-O, Kamen Rider Kiva, and others on a 3D battlefield. A Rider fighter can attack an opponent with conventional punches and kicks but standard four-hit chain combos are also possible. For lengthier combos, Riders can transform into their alter-egos and rattle off 10-hit combination attacks.

Preorders for the Japanese PS2 import Kamen Rider: Climax Heroes are welcome to ship on August 6, 2009 at JPY5800 or US$63.90. The first printing of the game will include a bonus Kamen Rider trading card.

Tenchu San Portable - Import Preorder

©NCSX» Back in the 80s, ninjas were big not only in Japanese pop culture but in the West as well. Ninjas are enigmatic, shadowy, and highly skilled practitioners of an ancient art which are attractive qualities. However, somewhere in the ascension of the ninja, the marketplace reached a point which we're going to call "Peak Ninja" and it was all downhill from there. Kids no longer dressed up like ninjas on Halloween, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles disappeared from Saturday mornings, and throwing stars were no longer sold at flea markets. After the crash, ninjas slowly made their way back into pop culture but they would never enjoy the love they once knew.

The Tenchu franchise has been around for a little over a decade and we've watched its sales performance on a number of consoles and handhelds through the years. The games have been solid sellers and we expect the PSP conversion of Tenchu San (Wrath of Heaven) Portable to continue the tradition. Rikimaru, Ayame, Tesshu, and three new characters are featured in the game along with new missions and moves. Preorders ship on August 6, 2009 at JPY3800 or US$43.90 from NCS.

SD Gundam G Generation Wars - Import Preorder

©NCSX» Bandai does SD Gundam G Generation right (finally) this summer when they unleash the SDGGG Wars on the Playstation 2. Based on the specs released on the game thus far, Bandai threw everything in along with the kitchen sink. Over 30 series are featured in Generation Wars including:

» Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory
» Mobile Suit Gundam F91
» Mobile Suit Victory Gundam
» Mobile Suit Gundam SEED
» Mobile Suit Crossbone Gundam

A cast of over 700 characters allows for dream bouts and "What If" scenarios. Preorders ship on August 6, 2009 at JPY6800 or US$70.90.

Wireless Wii Keyboard for Monster Hunter 3-Tri - Preorder

©NCSX» Logitech opens up preorders for a Wireless Wii Keyboard which is part of the official Capcom Monster Hunter 3-Tri product lineup. Please note the image to the left is of an earlier Logitech Wii keyboard which was released last November and we're using it as a placeholder for now. The upcoming Wireless Wii Keyboard runs on the 2.4Ghz band and has an operating range of 10m or 32.80' from point A to point B which is about the same range as the Nintendo Wavebird controller. A USB dongle will be included with the keyboard which serves as the receiver. Preorders are welcome to ship on August 01, 2009 at JPY5800 or US$62.90 from NCS.

Classic Keyboard 200 - Import Preorder

©NCSX» As long as your Wii has firmware 3.1 or higher, you'll be able to use an assortment of USB keyboards already available in the marketplace so importing a keyboard from Japan isn't really necessary. Logitech's Classic Keyboard 200 is currently available for PCs and has springy keys and a "Vista" button for Windows Vista users. A listing for a Wii version of the Classic Keyboard 200 showed up on preorder listings a few days ago but we're fairly sure it's the same as the PC keyboard. Some features include a water-resistant design to guard against spills and a durable coating. Preorders are welcome to ship on August 1, 2009 at JPY1680 or US$28.90.

General Updates

PS3 Demon's Souls in 1 week
Based on information received from Hong Kong distribution agents last night, the next production of Demon's Souls (Asian Version) will be finished later this week and NCS should receive our complete allocation of the game by early next week. All preorders and new orders will ship when the new supply arrives. Thanks.
NDS Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days Protect Case Restock
NCS' second batch of Kingdom Hearts Protect Case DSIs are scheduled to arrive on Thursday of this week and all remaining preorders, backorders, and new orders will ship upon arrival. Please note that pricing is currently US$20.90 due to a price change from Japanese distributors.
NDS Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days Limited Edition
NCS will fill all confirmed orders for the KH358/2 DSi bundle on Thursday.