Friday, October 03, 2008

Weekly Famitsu Vol. 1035 - New Import, Subscriptions

NCS Product Synopsis
Cover Date: October 17, 2008
«©NCSX» The latest issue of Weekly Famitsu includes coverage of the following games and/or events:

» Retrospective on the Tokyo Game Show through the years
» Preview of Sega's Bayonetta for the PS3/X360
» Famitsu scoops Monster Hunter 3-tri with big and beautiful snapshots
» The Review Crew gives next week's Macross Ace (8/9/9/7). We thought they would hate it but it appears the game is top notch.
» Page 91 of the magazine is affixed with a bonus DVD from Sega which previews upcoming games such as 7th Dragon and Sonic World Adventure. There's also interviews with creative staff on the disc.
» Preview of Shining Force Feather for the Nintendo DS.
» Marvelous' Oboromuramasa for the Wii looks amazing (p110-111).
» In-depth Super Robot Wars Z game guide and hints.
» Dragon Ball Z Infinite World preview for PS2

Ikkitousen Eloquent Fist - New Import, In Stock

The girls of Ikkitousen are back in a 2D punch 'n kick action game that's somewhat reminiscent of the coin-operated Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon from Banpresto (1995). Rather than releasing a barebones side scrolling brawler, Marvelous goes beyond the call of duty by including a sizable amount of animated content in the game which chronicles the stories of the Ikkitousen fighters. Eloquent Fist also features a fair amount of fan service in the form of wobbling boobs that shudder, fragile clothing that shatters, and more Kanu Unchou than you can shake a stick at. Full screen images of the women warriors in vulnerable poses and wearing tattered clothing bolsters the fan service in the game.

As mentioned earlier, Eloquent Fist is a side scrolling action game where players select a warrior from 17 available fighters such as Kanu Unchou or Ryomou Shimei. At the outset, four characters are hidden behind silhouettes but 13 are ready for the selection process. Players move their heroine/hero from left to right to confront assorted enemies. Punches and kicks are used to attack but special moves are also available to defeat multiple enemies at once. If you walk into an enemy, a "grab" move is automatically triggered so that the foe is clutched. The objects in the environment such as telephone booths are destructible and reveal bonuses such as steamed buns which recover health points. As the game progresses, fighters can win new outfits such as bikinis in various colors and charge into battle wearing just a 2-piece.
«NCS Game Notes»

Ikkitousen Eloquent Fist Limited Ed - New Import, In Stock

The girls of Ikkitousen are back in a 2D punch 'n kick action game that's somewhat reminiscent of the coin-operated Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon game. In addition to the regular edition of the game, Marvelous is also shipping a limited edition which includes three bonuses:

1) Two PVC figures in a bowl (shown in our link below)
2) 2008-2009 desktop calendar
3) Holographic flick-action card featuring Kanu Unchou

Ikkitousen
Eloquent Fist is a side scrolling action game where players select a warrior from 17 available fighters such as Kanu Unchou or Ryomou Shimei. At the outset, four characters are hidden behind silhouettes but 13 are ready for the selection process. Players move their heroine/hero from left to right to confront assorted enemies. Punches and kicks are used to attack but special moves are also available to defeat multiple enemies at once. If you walk into an enemy, a "grab" move is automatically triggered so that the foe is clutched. The objects in the environment such as telephone booths are destructible and reveal bonuses such as steamed buns which recover health points. «NCS Game Notes»

Raiden IV + Bonus OST - New Import, Restock Soon

Back in the day, the Dreamcast was our beloved system of choice for home shmup conversions. That platform was where we enjoyed games such as Zero Gunner 2, Psyvariar 2, and Ikaruga. Maybe the Xbox 360 will become the new system of choice for hot home shmups like the upcoming Otomedius and today's Raiden IV.

Moss' Raiden IV release is an Xbox 360 exclusive (for now) so fans of the game who are still on the fence are forced to purchase a Japanese X360. New features in the home conversion include a "Boss Rush Mode," two new stages in the Xbox 360 mode, and two downloadable ships (Fairy and Fighting Thunder Mk-II) to twitch-maneuver around the stages. An online ranking mode allow elite players to show off their scores and square them off against other players. The Xbox 360 mode features a number of convenient options including a stage selector after you've conquered the various levels. The Options section allows TATE aspect viewing but you'll have to rotate your monitor or 300 lb WEGA 90°counterclockwise.

As a bonus for gamers who buy early, Moss includes a bonus Raiden IV Ooparts CD in every copy of the first printing.

Unknown Soldier: Mokuba no Houkou - New Import, In Stk

D3 Publisher and Tamsoft have a history with the subject of World War II. They've already released a foot soldier game for the PS2 and the PSP in The Fuhyou but they're fleshing out the theme with a full-priced Nintendo DS game titled Unknown Soldier.

Players take on the role of a grunt who's immersed in a gray, overcast European city during the Second World War with a battalion of soldiers. There's no cooperative army action however - you're a lone gun who goes on missions, completes them, and then reunites with the battalion for new orders. Over 30 types of weapons may be recovered from dead enemy soldiers including machine guns and bazookas. The grunt may also commandeer tanks to destroy opposing armor on some stages.

To Love Ru Trouble: Doki Doki! Rinkaigakkou-Hen LE

Summer is all about the sun, the surf, and in the case of To Love Ru Trouble, a pink-haired princess in a two-piece bikini. Sure, there's other girl characters in bikinis but Princess Lala is the main attraction in Marvelous' new game based on the To Love Ru animated series. As the original story goes, a princess named Lala invades the home of a lad named Yuuki Rito and decides to marry him. Lala is destined for marriage with suitors from her home world of Deviluke but she ain't going out like that. Lala would rather settle for a scrawny stranger who's still in high school. When Lala's father finds out about her plans, he decides to test Rito's worthiness by pitting him against Lala's other suitors.

To Love Ru Trouble is an interactive romance-adventure game which takes place at a seaside resort and features lots of conversations to read, oodles of still images to look at, and the occasional animated sequence. To add to the authenticity, Marvelous hired the voice actors from the animated series to provide intonations, high-pitched speech, and squeaks to accompany the written dialogue. Players make simple decisions that affect the course of the story which in turn lead to different endings where love blossoms with Lala or Haruna or it simply doesn't. The main cast of characters in the game is made up of Rito Yuuki, Lala Satarin Deviluke and
Haruna Sairenji but they're supported by Saki Tenjōin, Risa Momioka, and others. A new green-haired character that was designed exclusively for the game also joins the cast to provide additional drama. «NCS Game Notes»

Shin Sangoku Musou 5 Special - New Import, In Stock

From the Publisher
Shin Sangoku Musou 5 features completely re-imagined character designs and weapons, yet the designs maintain familiar characterizations that are accurate to culturally significant depictions.

Ultimate Action
Shin Sangoku Musou 5 will deliver the massive scale and realistic atmosphere that players have come to expect from the series, but will redefine the Shin Sangoku Musou Tactical Action experience. With a new fighting system and entirely new actions and motions, players can string together fighting moves and experience gameplay that closely resembles the action of a kung-fu movie. These changes The new combo system, tentatively called the "Renbu" system, requires specific button presses to unleash a variety of dazzling moves that will mimic the fighting movements seen in a Chinese martial arts movies. The system, uses a Combo Gauge, which as it fills up, increases the Combo Level, which in turn allows the character to unleash even more powerful attacks and moves. The objective of this "Renbu" system is to add more visual stimulation while providing a sense of control over the action on screen.

Hanshin Tigers Memory Card for PS2 - Clearance

NCS Product Synopsis
Original Update: July 25, 2003
«©NCSX» You ready for some Japanese baseball lore? No? Well, NCS is going to school you anyway. Way back in 1985 when 8-bit gaming was the rage, the Hanshin Tigers beat the Seibu Lions to win the pennant. The fans celebrated the occasion with what can only be described as berserker fervor which led the raucous crowd to Ebisubashi Bridge in Dotonbori, Osaka. It was there that a statue of Colonel Sanders (he of Kentucky Fried fame) was stolen from a KFC establishment and tossed over the bridge and into the canal below.

For the next 17 years, the Tigers would never win the pennant again. It was apparent to everyone that the Colonel had been slighted and had cast a powerful curse against the Hanshin Tigers for the uncouth behavior of its fans. However, the curse lifted in 2003 when the Hanshin Tigers inexplicably clinched the Central League pennant by besting the Hiroshima Carp. To mark the occasion, a special limited edition Hanshin Tigers Gamecube was released followed by a limited edition Hanshin Tigers Memory Card for the PS2. We're selling the memory card today. Maybe they'll be worth something 17 years from now.