Thursday, July 12, 2007

Rockman ZX Advent

Nearly five years after the events of Rockman ZX, Irregulars are still facing off against humanoids and Hunters are still trying to fend off their attacks. During a fire fight between two factions, one of the Hunters is blown backwards into a cryogenic stasis chamber which holds a humanoid named Grey. Once damaged, the chamber goes into activate mode and slowly empties itself of liquid. After the soldiers have gone, the chamber opens up and Grey slumps onto the floor. A floating Irregular appears and sends a beam of energy at him but it doesn't do much. Grey then counterattacks before running off. Control is handed over to the player after this point and an exciting new action-adventure set in the Rockman ZX universe begins. «more»

Monster Farm DS

The first Monster Farm game from 1997 featured an innovative creature creation system where the tracks from a music CD were read to generate a beast. Subsequent sequels to Monster Farm used the same creation scheme. Until now. Since the NDS can't spool audio from a CD or a DVD, Tecmo makes use of the touchpen, the built-in microphone, and the Gameboy cartridge slot for the process of monster genesis. The software contains a database of over 200 monsters and a certain combination of the requisite ingredients for creating a monster will pluck a beast from the database which you'll call your own. Once a beast is created, it may be fed and trained to become a sleek fighting machine to compete against other beasts in tournaments. «more»

Pop'n Music 14 Fever

In the 1980s, a form of music known as Italo Disco hit Japan and became a sensation. NCS recalls Italo Disco becoming pretty big in Hong Kong in the 80s as well but not to the extent that it captured Japan. Notable names in Italo music include Giorgio Moroder (Together in Electric Dreams), Ken Lazlo (Tonight), C.C. Catch (Jump in my Car), and Fockewulf 190 (Body Heat). Listening to a sampling of the songs in PnM 14 this morning such as "1/6 billionth" by NAOKI and "Denki Dance" from Freddy Hotae, we're reminded of the catchy hooks and synth-pop sensibilities of Italo Disco. The mix is diverse however since the song "Craze for You" sounds like something the Ramones would wail and "Let's Go Out" from Ucchies <3 color="#00ffff"> is high energy J-Pop. The song "Akumajo Dracula Medley" spools together classic tunes from the Akumajou games.

Pop'n Music 14 was released in Japanese arcades on May 17, 2006 and the game migrates to the home consoles a little more than a year later. The PS2 conversion features new songs, new characters, and a new mini-game challenge where 14 micro-games are played in quick succession ala Made in Wario. Tried and true game modes such as Taisen Mode, Challenge Mode, and Battle Mode return to mix up the action. «more»

Railfan: Taiwan High Speed Rail

Twenty seven years after the concept of the Taiwan High Speed Rail twinkled in its creators' collective eyes and six years after construction started, the new railroad system opened on January 5, 2007. Spanning eight cities across Taiwan from Taipei to Zuoying, service to five additional cities is planned in the next few years including Changhua and Yunlin.

The first Railfan game for the PS3 has sold well to a contingent of devoted train-game fans and the second Railfan gives players the reins of a Shinkansen Super Express on the Taiwan HSR. The video used in Railfan was captured with a stationary high-definition camera mounted behind the windshield of the Super Express which spooled in 700 km of footage as the train ran through the entire HSR line both ways. In other words, if you're an aficionado of trains and Taiwan in general, you'll get to see the geography, sights, and landscape of Taiwan as it appears from the vantage point of a conductor who motors along at 290 km/h. «more»

Dragon Quest Swords

Back in the day, Neo Geo fans were treated to a little diversion called Crossed Swords. In that game, players viewed enemies head-on and slashed out attacks with simple button presses. Square tested this type of entertainment in 2003 with their dedicated Kenshin Dragon Quest TV game which used Xavix motion-sensing technology to register the weapon of choice - a plastic sword. To play, gamers wielded the sword and swung at the air like their lives depended on it to defeat Slime, Magicians, Skeletons, and other foes intent on death and destruction.

As we pass the midway point of 2007, Square Enix serves up the sequel to Kenshin Dragon Quest where players wield the Wiimote and slice and thrust like a nameless hero possessed. When faced with a gang of Slime, swish the Wiimote in a right-to-left trajectory and watch as the onscreen monsters are damaged. Encounter a dracky and thrust the Wiimote forward repeatedly to poke it from the air. Special attacks may also be meted out to deal extra hurtful damage on rollicking creatures. Unlike Kenshin Dragon Quest, the hero does not fight alone - he's joined by comrades including a pompous prince and his very own poppy.
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Juicy Honey 6 Collection Cards

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. The JAV models featured in Juicy Honey 6 are (From the top of the photo and going down):

» Hotaru Akane / Measurements B83cm (E-cup) W59cm H80cm
» Rin Suzuka / Measurements B90cm (G-cup) W58cm H88cm
» Yuma Asami / Measurements B96cm (H-cup) W58cm H88cm

» Sasa Handa
/ Measurements B90cm (I-cup) W59cm H82cm

A total of 186 cards are featured in the new collection as follows:

72 Regular Cards
18 Juicy Special Cards
16 Juicy Special Parallel Cards
18 Autograph Cards (type A, B, C, D, and combo)
4 Message Cards
49 Jersey Cards (split into twelve categories)
4 Kiss Cards
4 Kiss & Autograph Cards
4 Photo Card "1 of 1"
4 Autographed Photo Card "1 of 1"
Instant Photo (serially numbered to 400)
4 Actress DNA Cards
8 Bra Hook Card "1 of 1"

The new cards were released in Japan on June 16, 2007 and our shipment finally made it in yesterday afternoon. NCS prices each factory sealed retail box at US$55. Each box contains 12 packs of cards which each contain 8 cards inside for a total of 108 cards
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Please note that we are Sold Out to preorders today but we'll update our product listing if additional stock is made available from our suppliers.