Thursday, September 30, 2010

NDS Okami-den Chiisaki Taiyo - New Import, In Stock

NCS Product Synopsis
«©NCSX» Nine months after the events in the original Okami adventure, Amaterasu's work is done and she's retired from the hustle and bustle of gaming. However, Amaterasu has had a baby in that time - a pup with powers named Chibiterasu. During that time, Susano and Kushi also had a child named Kuni. In Okami-den, Chibiterasu and Kuni team up together to battle new villains and malcontents who are assailing the land of Japan.

   When traveling the world, Kuni sits on Chibiterasu's back even though Kuni's about the same size as Chibi. The Celestial Brush returns along with special techniques to rejuvenate damaged items, slashing obstacles, and bloom to resuscitate flora. A new technique in the game called "Guidance" allows Kuni to separate from Chibiterasu and walk along a pathway drawn with the Celestial Brush to reach new areas.

PS3 Neo Geo Stick 2+ - New Import, In Stock

NCS Preorder Synopsis [It's very busy - writeup will be updated soon, sorry]
«©NCSX» The year 2010 marks the 20th Anniversary of the Neo Geo console. Even though the Neo Geo is an orphan nowadays, it nevertheless lives on in the hearts of staunch adherents across the globe and a steady stream of re-release compilations and hardware rehashes. The next hardware rehash is a "20th Anniversary" version of the classic Neo Geo joystick but it's unclear what changes are built into the stick since no photos have been released yet. The color will probably be changed and maybe there'll be a turbo-fire function integrated into the buttons.

PSP Eiyuu Densetsu Zero no Kiseki Drama CD Edition - New

NCS Preorder Synopsis
«©NCSX» Join Lloyd Bannings and Ellie McDowell in a new adventure that's a part of the Eiyuu Densetsu aka Legend of Heroes game series. At the outset of the game, Lloyd is aboard a passenger train that's speeding through the countryside. He's seated on a cushy blue couch in a boxcar that's about a quarter-filled with fellow passengers. He looks at a photograph of him and his parents that was taken when he was younger and reminisces about his youth. Lloyd is a freshman member of the Crossbell Police Department and he's part of the "Special Support Section."

   Lloyd is the brown-haired lad on the front cover of the game and he fights with a pair of tonfas that are longer than his arms. Joining Lloyd on his adventures is a girl named Ellie McDowell who's grandfather is the mayor of Crossbell. Ellie aspires to join the Crossbell P.D. and is good with guns. Rounding out the core cast of characters is girlish magic user named Tio Plato and a burly womanizer named
Randy Orlando. The Battle System in the game allows for the hero's part to enact simultaneous attacks and a new Combo Crafts and Support Crafts system. Early reservations will ship with a bonus Legend of Heroes: Zero no Kiseki Original Soundtrack mini which is being given away by the publisher in 50% ratio.

PSP Dragon Ball Tag VS - New Import, In Stock

NCS Product Synopsis
«©NCSX» Cel-shaded super saiyan with spiky locks clash in Bandai's new Dragon Ball Tag VS which is all about multi-player action. The game engine is based on Dragon Ball Z Sparking! Meteor which was released on the PS2 and Wii back in 2007. The "Tag VS" part of the game title refers the 2-vs-2 tag team battle mode where partners attack other partners in expansive arenas that are conducive to flying, swooping, and the occasional Kamehameha-blasting. In addition to the tag team interplay, Tag VS also supports a four-player free for all where every man battles for his own glory. For gamers who prefer to play their Dragon Ball solo, a single-player mode is available where the computer AI puts up a somewhat intelligent fight.

   Game modes include "Dragon Walker" which is a story mode that follows the events from the Saiyan Saga to the Majin Buu Saga and "Battle 100" which pits players against combatants in key battles from the Dragon Ball mythos. The roster features 70 characters including stalwarts such as Goku, Piccolo, Krillin, Yamcha, along with the many faces of Gohan, Vegeta, and Trunks.

   Early reservations will include a bonus Dragon Ball Tag VS strap which is being given away by Bandai in 50% ratio.
This ratio means that for every 100 copies of the game, we will only receive 50 bonuses which we'll give out to the earliest reservations.

PSP K-On Houkago Live - New Import, In Stock

NCS Product Synopsis
«©NCSX» The light music club at Sakura High School is about to be extinguished due to lack of interest. When Ritsu Tainaka hears the bad news, she inducts her friend Mio Akiyama into the club and lures Tsumugi Kotobuki into the fold as well. All they need is one more member to keep the light music club alive and salvation lies in a student named Yui Hirasawa. Yui isn't a musician but she has potential which is unlocked as the girls practice, perform, and excel. .

   At the outset, the girls aren't particularly good at playing their instruments and Yui might be able to handle the castanets but she's made the guitarist of the group. Together, the students practice, grow musically, consume a lot of sweets, and eventually gain renown and recognition for their live performances.

   Sega's K-ON! Houkago Live!! rhythm game for the PSP features the original cast of K-ON! along with a fifth club member named
Azusa Nakano who may be seen on the center of the cover. Start a game and the cast of musicians appears in the background whilst music notes appear on the bottom of the screen. A cue marker moves from the left to the right and players are commanded to hit the face buttons on each musical note as the marker reaches it. Solo play is standard but up to five gamers may link up wirelessly for a jam session where every member of the Light Music Club is represented. 

PSP K-On Houkago Live Accessory Set - New Import, In Stock

NCS Product Synopsis
«©NCSX» Sega's K-ON! Houkago Live!! game for the PSP is probably going to be big. Our indicator for its potential success is in the amount of merchandising that we've seen released in Japan over the past year. K-ON toy figures, plushes, plastic thingamabobs, and other products have all made it to market. When the K-ON! PSP game ships later this year, Hori will be right there with a K-ON! accessory kit which includes the following:

» Blue PSP carrying pouch which features the K-ON! quintet
» Five UMD cases which each sport an image of a K-ON! cast member
» Silicon PSP cover that's etched with a guitar design on the back

   Preorders for the PSP import K-On! Houkago Live!! Accessory Set are welcome to ship on September 30, 2010

TOYS Final Fantasy VII Advent Children Aroma Candle - New

NCS Product Synopsis
«©NCSX» Both Cloud and Sephiroth have bottled fragrances being released in their honor in August. Never one to miss opportunity, Square is following up the eau de toilettes with scented paraffin wax candles that have an aroma not dissimilar to the fruity and floral scents of the bottled fragrances.

   A decorative glass container with a capacity of 50ml holds each candle and Square's preorder solicitation mentions that the candle will burn for at least 50 hours. That's more than 2 days worth of flickering flame, fruity aroma, and a smidge of soot. Once the candle is completely burned out, users are left with a pretty glass which may be used as a drinking cup or a desirable Final Fantasy collectible. Please choose either Cloud or Sephiroth from the dropdown menu on our shop.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

PSP Monster Hunter Portable 3rd Hunter's Model - Preorder

NCS Preorder Synopsis
«©NCSX» Preorders are welcome for a limited edition Monster Hunter Portable 3rd Hunter's Model which is being described by vendors in Japan as "very limited" and "hard to take." That means it's going to be difficult to find large quantities for export but we'll give it a go anyway.

   The MHP PSP features a nifty "monster" design on the back and a little symbol that's located on the face of the PSP below the cardinal buttons. Please note that the Monster Hunter Portable 3rd game is not included in the bundle. A battery and a power adapter are included with the PSP.

   Preorders are welcome to ship on December 1, 2010 at JPY18,857 or US$289.90 from NCS. Pricing reflects the "hard to take" nature of this PSP.

PSP PSP Value Pack Black/Red First Limited Edition - Preorder

NCS Preorder Synopsis
«©NCSX» The Cinnabar PS2 was a hot seller back in 2008 and the "Deep Red" and "God of War" PSP variants sold well also. Presumably, passionate people prefer the color red and they vote with their wallets.

   Sony's got another red PSP planned but it's not entirely crimson. The faceplate is black but the back of the handheld and the buttons are red. This two-color design is what we'd call duotone and it's pretty. Along with the PSP, Sony includes a red/black PSP carrying pouch, a red cleaning cloth, and a 2GB Memory Stick Pro Duo. Preorders are welcome to ship on November 18, 2010 at JPY16,952 or US$229.90 from NCS.

PSP PSP Value Pack White/Blue First Limited Edition - Preorder

NCS Preorder Synopsis
«©NCSX» Ever stare at blue skies and wonder why the sky's bluer than the bluest eyes? We neither. Ever stare at blue skies dotted with puffy clouds and imagine the clouds to be a menagerie of animals slowly marching across the horizon? We have. Did it last weekend with the kids. Saw an elephant, two horses, and something that looked like a badger. A fat one.

   Sony's upcoming White/Blue PSP is reminiscent of blue skies and clouds... except in reverse. The front faceplate is white but the buttons are blue and if you flip it over, the back is solid blue. The two-color design is what we'd call duotone and it's snazzy. Along with the PSP, Sony includes a white/blue PSP carrying pouch, a blue cleaning cloth, and a 2GB Memory Stick Pro Duo. Preorders are welcome to ship on November 18, 2010 at JPY16,952 or US$229 from NCS.

PSP Playstation Portable SCPH-3000 Blossom Pink - Preorder


NCS Preorder Synopsis
«©NCSX» Sony has released a Blossom Pink (PSPJ-30013) PSP already but they're releasing another version in November. NCS made a quick comparison between the original Blossom Pink PSP and the new version that's on the way and they both look very similar. The newer Blossom Pink PSP seems to have a shinier metallic patina but that could be a trick of the light or the way the new PSP was photographed.

   Preorders for the Blossom Pink PSP-3000 are welcome to ship on November 18, 2010 at JPY1600 or US$209 from NCS.  

NEWS General Updates

Nintendo 3DS - February 2011
  
The ship date of the Japanese Nintendo 3DS was announced overnight by Nintendo - February 2011. Preorders will probably open up in November 2010. Pricing's quoted at JPY25,000 which is US$298 based on this morning's exchange rate. We figure that the final price will be in the US$349 range. If there's a major shortage (likely), then prices might hit the $390 level in the first two weeks.
Japanese Playstation Network Tickets
  
All backorders for the JPY3000 and JPY5000 Playstation Network Tickets will be processed and sent today. Please note that the ticket fulfillment email includes a GIF image attachment so please check your Junk or Bulk mail folder if you don't see the message in your inbox. We use GIF instead of JPEG because the GIF format is non-lossy.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

TOYS Kubrick Harry Potter - Import Preorder

NCS Preorder Synopsis
«©NCSX» Medicom has started preorders for a collection of Kubrick Harry Potter figures which are inspired by the core cast of characters:

» Harry Potter
» Ron Weasley
» Hermione Granger
» Rubeus Hagrid
» Albus Dumbledore
» Lord Voldemort
» Severus Snape

  Preorders are welcome to ship in December 2010 at JPY22392 or US$269.90 for a complete factory case of 24 figures.

NDS Crayon Shin-Chan Shokkugan! - Import Preorder

NCS Preorder Synopsis
«©NCSX» Shinnosuke Nohara is returning to the Nintendo DS in another side-scrolling platform game which features his friends, family, and his little pet dog Shiro too. The upcoming Crayon Shin-Chan Shock Gahn! features a familiar jumping and attacking action where the 5-year old rascal leaps on logs, hops upon rockets, and bumps enemies with his butt by leaping upon them like Wario. Shinnosuke can also do a evasive shimmy move where he moons the player. Special costumes that may be used in the game include a squirrel suit that allows him to fly, a penguin suit that lets him zoom through the depths of the ocean, and an elephant costume that gives him the ability to swing on pegs. Preorders ship on December 2, 2010.

TOYS Dissidia Trading Arts Vol. 2 - Import Preorder

NCS Preorder Synopsis
«©NCSX» We thought we were done with Dissidia: Final Fantasy. The game was released on the PSP nearly two years ago and we fought the likes of Squall Leonhart, Onion Knight, Cloud Strife, and Sephiroth umpteen times. The first set of Dissidia Trading Arts figures was also released in 2008 and sales were solid. They would've been better were it not for the global recession that kicked off in 2008. In any case, the first set of Dissidia toys featured the following cast members of the game:

Warrior of Light | Cloud Strife  | Squall Leonhart | Zidane | Tidus.

   The second Dissidia Trading Arts features the following characters:

» Cecil Harvey from Final Fantasy IV
» Sephiroth from Final Fantasy VII
» Tina Branford from Final Fantasy VI
» Frioniel from Final Fantasy II
» Butz Klauser from Final Fantasy V

   Each figure measures 132mm to 176mm (5.20" to 6.93" tall) and preorders for a complete box of six toys will ship in February 2011. 

TOYS Movie Masterpiece Terminator T-800 - Import Preorder

NCS Preorder Synopsis
«©NCSX» When a big mother &$#*(& walks up to you and mutters in a Russian accent, "Your clothes... give dem to me," you better hand your clothes over posthaste. Throw in a candy bar just in case the big &$#*(& is hungry. Hot Toys is accepting preorders for a Movie Masterpiece rendition of the T-800 from the original Terminator movie from 1984. The likeness of Arnold Schwarzenegger is uncanny and the toy figure features over 30 points of articulation for a highly posable toy brute. Preorders for the Japanese version are welcome to ship in February 2011.

Monday, September 27, 2010

DC Fast Striker - Import Preorder

From the Publisher
   FAST STRIKER is a 2D arcade shooting game with emphasis on scoring originally developed for NEO·GEO. The game lets the player choose between 3 game modes with different scoring systems. Novice Mode for beginners, Original Mode for classic Shoot' em Up players and Maniac for very experienced players. It features six stages of excellent 2D arcade game play with over 40 unique enemy types, super smooth 3D scrolling backgrounds, huge CGI bosses and it features the biggest megabit count ever since the beginning of NEO·GEO games. FAST STRIKER will be ready for release on Dreamcast in Winter 2010.

Game Features
»
6 carefully designed stages
» 3 game modes: Original/Maniac/Novice
» Maniac mode offers an elaborate scoring system with enough depth to provide hundreds of hours playtime
» Up to 180 enemy bullets simultaneously on screen
» 40+ fully animated CGI enemies
» 6+ huge fully animated boss enemies
» 3D scrolling CGI backgrounds
» Constant 60 fps
» Dynamic difficulty rank system which kicks in for experienced players
» Internet ranking via code

Supported Accessories (Dreamcast™)
VMU
VGA (requires a VGA box)
S-VIDEO and RGB at 240p
Original joypad
Arcade stick (buttons are fully customizable)

REGION FREE / 60hz both NTSC and PAL60

   Preorders are welcome for a regular edition and a limited edition which includes a professionally printed Original Soundtrack CD / OST and variant cover artwork. Reservations are welcome to ship in the Winter of 2010. 

Wii Kamen Rider Climax Heroes Ozu - Import Preorder

NCS Preorder Synopsis
«©NCSX» When the Playstation 2 was King of the gaming universe, Bandai's Kamen Rider games were released with alarming regularity on the console. Nowadays, the PS2 is no longer the console of choice for Kamen Rider - that honor goes to the Nintendo Wii 

   Kamen Riders from the Heisei era are returning to the Wii for another fighting game where two challengers face each other and commence with the punching and kicking. Kamen Rider W and Kamen Rider OOO (Ozu) are the latest members of the Kamen Rider family and they're playable in the game. Ozu is the red-and-black-helmeted player on the front cover of the game. Bandai touts a new fighting system where a battle system may be chosen for each bout and theme songs from the Kamen Rider television shows are included for added authenticity. Bandai is publishing the OOO game on the Wii and PSP - the PSP version supports ad hoc versus mode.

   Every copy of the first printing of Kamen Rider Ozu includes a Rider Ozu data-scan card which is included inside every copy of the game. Preorders for the PSP and Wii versions of Kamen Rider OOO are welcome to ship on December 2, 2010.

TOYS Oyasumi Bakura Naga Bakura Plush Doll Xl - Preorder

NCS Preorder Synopsis
«©NCSX» The Pokemon Onemuri Makura cushions from 2008 have been selling well for the past two years and we'll probably keep the Pochama version in stock for at least another 3 years. NCS isn't looking for more animal pillows but we're probably going to bring in the Oyasumi Bakura plush pillow.
   The upcoming pillow is larger than the Pokemon versions and appear just as comfy if the sleeping model in the promotional photo is to be believed. Oyasumi Bakura is a new character from Sanei which appears to be a bear or maybe some sort of woodchuck. Preorders are welcome to ship in January 2011 at JPY or US$25.90 from NCS. 

TOYS Rilakkuma Donut Reading Cushion - Import Preorder

NCS Preorder Synopsis
«©NCSX» The bear known as Rilakkuma has a knack for stuffing sweets and pastries into his mouth and noshes indiscriminately at any hour of the day. Rilakkuma enjoys food as evidenced by his protruding belly and even his choice of seating looks like food.

   Behold the Rilakkuma Donut Reading Cushions which frankly look more like candy-flavored toilet seats than donuts. The "donut" on the left of the product photo looks like it was dipped in chocolate while the "donut" on the upper right appears to be strawberry-flavored. The cushions are meant to be placed on one's lap while reading so that your arms are held up while grasping a book. Each cushion measures 60cm in diameter and preorders are welcome to ship in January 2011.

TOYS Rilakkuma Square Fry Pan - Import Preorder

NCS Preorder Synopsis
«©NCSX» You know what you get when you fry eggs in a rectangular pan? No, not round eggs... rectangle-shaped eggs which are perfect for insertion into sandwiches that utilize square-shaped bread. Rectangular pans are also good for frying sausage links, chicken wings, and maybe a bone-in pork chop. Just one pork chop at a time though in the upcoming Rilakkuma Square Fry Pan. Two varieties are on offer from SAN-X as follows:

(A) Brown Rilakkuma Fry Pan which is coated with nonstick material
(B) White Korillakuma Fry Pan which is also coated with nonstick material


   Each pan measures 35 x 14 x 6cm in dimension and preorders are welcome to ship in January 2011 at US$23.90 each.

NEWS Japanese Release Outlook - Arrivals on Thursday

NDS Okami-den: Chiisaki Taiyo Konami
PS3
Neo Geo Stick 2+
Exar
PSP Dragon Ball Tag VS Bandai
  Eiyuu Densetsu: Zero no Kiseki Falcom
  Eiyuu Densetsu: Zero no Kiseki Drama CD Edition Falcom
  K-On! Houkago Live!! Sega
 
K-ON! Houkago Live!! Accessory Set
Sega

NEWS Domestic Release Outlook - Arrivals on Tuesday-Thursday

NDS
Fifa Soccer 10
EA
MySims Sky Heroes EA
PS2 Fifa Soccer 11 EA
PS3 Atelier Rorona: Alchemists of Arland NISA
Battle vs Chess Southpk
Dead Rising 2 Capcom
Fifa Soccer 11
EA
Front Mission Evolved Square
Get Fit With Mel B DSilver
Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock Activision
PSP Fifa Soccer 11 EA
Wii
Family Party: Fitness Fun
D3P
Greg Hastings Paintball 2 Majesco
Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock Activision
Samurai Warriors 3 Koei
Sid Meier's Pirates 2K
MySims Sky Heroes EA
360 Battle vs Chess Southpk
Dead Rising 2 Capcom
Fifa Soccer 11
EA
Front Mission Evolved Square
Greg Hastings Paintball 2 Majesco
Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock Activision
MorphX 505 Gms
Plants vs. Zombies Popcap
MySims Sky Heroes EA