Thursday, April 30, 2009

Live Battle Card: Live On DS - Import Preorder

«©NCSX» The Card Live-R property in Japan is a triple threat with representation in an animation series, a card game, and manga. Better make that a quadruple threat with a Nintendo DS game shipping in July 2009. The story follows the adventures of a lad named Kakeru Amato who rescues a wounded pup. As a sort of reward, Kakeru gets something known as a "Live-Change Card" which imparts the ability for Kakeru to transform into a powerful monster. That makes him a Card Live-R who's a card flipping player that summons monsters from cards to battle other monsters from cards called forth from other Card Live-Rs. Compelling. Preorders for the Nintendo DS Live Battle Card game are welcome to ship on May 18, 2009.

Famitsu Wave DVD [June 2009] - New Import, Sold OUT

«©NCSX» The latest issue of Famitsu DVD features print and video coverage of the following game software and/or events:

» PS3 Ninja Gaiden Σ2
» PSP Zettai Zetsumei Toshi 3
» PSP Fate Unlimited Codes Portable
» PSP Yuusha 30
» Wii Oboro Muramasa
» Wii Bouken Jima (Adventure Island) WiiWare
» PSP Persona
» PSP
Sunday x Magazine Shuuketsu! Choujou Daikessen
» PS3 Ryu Ga Gotoku 3
» ARC Shining Force Cross
» Wii Monster Hunter G

Every copy of the magazine also includes a bonus 32-page Hunter's Report Special Edition Vol 1 for Monster Hunter G fans to relish.

General Updates

NEWS Demon's Souls (Asian Version) Update
The sixth batch of Demon's Souls has arrived and backorders received between April 01 to April
24, 2009 after 1:29PM EST are shipping today. New backorders will ship in mid-late May 2009. We're leaning more towards late May for the next batch based on information from Hong Kong distributors. It appears that there'll be a monthly production henceforth.
NEWS Space Invaders Game Bank Restock
We were able to locate another batch of Taito's Space Invaders Game Bank from a Japanese vendor and all backorders will ship tomorrow. New orders are welcome to ship on Friday as well.
X360 Japanese X360 Elite Consoles Restocked
Yesterday, we restocked Jasper X360 Arcade bundles but they promptly sold out. They'll be restocked on Monday however. We have restocked Xbox 360 Elite consoles today but note that they contain the Falcon chipset (SKU
: B4J-00128 | JAN Code: 4988648474345). The Elite consoles are bundled with a 120GB hard drive, black wireless controller, D-Terminal HD AV cable, HDMI cable, LAN ethernet cable, and a headset. Pricing is set at US$489 and new orders are welcome to ship today.
X360 Microsoft Live Points Cards Restock Tomorrow
Japanese MS Points Cards for the Japanese Xbox network will be restocked tomorrow in both 1400P and 3500P values. Backorders will be processed and sent via e-mail attachment on Friday. New orders are also welcome. Since there is high demand for the points cards, we're working with Japanese suppliers to keep them in stock consistently. Playstation Network Cards have also been restocked and are available for same-day fulfillment if your order is received before 6PM EST.
PSP Toradora Portable on Monday
Due to the Golden Week holiday in Japan, some shipments containing new Japanese imports will not arrive until next week. Preorders for the PSP ToraDora Portable! Choudokyuu Premium Box will ship on Monday when our allocations arrive.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Last Bullet - New Import, Restock Soon

«©NCSX» Hibiki Karin isn't your average sniper. She doesn't wear fatigues, eye paint, or peer into an unnaturally large scope. Hibiki is a seemingly normal girl who attends Aoba University but she's been pushed into the sniping life by circumstances beyond her control. As if to accentuate how much of a normal girl Hibiki is, the first shooting exercise in the game is of the carnival variety where toy prizes including a teddy bear are shot at with a toy rifle. Hibiki's handler is a bespectacled man named Tsukasa Sakuma who gives her missions and objectives to accomplish. In the first proper mission, Hibiki's target is an enemy operative's weapon which he holds upright in front of his face. If Hibiki fires and hits the operative instead, it's a failed mission. We found that moving the scope ahead and waiting for the operative to come into view before shooting resulted in an S ranking for destroying the hapless agent's weapon.

Dun-Dam: Dungeons & Dam - New Import, In Stock

«©NCSX» A blade-wielding brunette named Shion and a ginger known as Vier are part of a vanguard force who destroys robots and monsters with weapons and water. They control a cylindrical dam which is capable of pouring out streams of rushing water which washes away monsters who are burrowing in the tunnels below. These creatures are invading the overworld but that can't be allowed to continue. By opening the spigot at opportune moments, the party has an unstoppable force at their disposal to rid the world of invaders. At the outset of the game, the player's party performs sentry duties on three locations to protect the city walls from attacks. Close combat is used in the beginning since the dam isn't ready yet. After each successful stint, a character interaction sequence opens up which relays some background information and moves the story along.

General Updates

NEWS Demon's Souls (Asian Version) Update
We're filling backorders for Demon's Souls tomorrow according to the time frames listed in the product description on our shop. As mentioned earlier, new orders that are placed now will not ship until mid-late May when the next production of the game is finished. There is NO surplus stock being printed by Sony and it appears that they're only producing enough to fill confirmed orders from dealers. I.e, if a vendor doesn't submit an order weeks in advance, they're not getting any from each production run.
X360 Japanese Jasper Consoles Restocked
Backorders for Japanese Xbox 360 consoles with the Jasper chipset and HDMI port (XGX-00045 | Jan Code: 4988648647732) will ship today. We have a small surplus for new orders but if we sell out again, we expect another batch within 4-7 business days. Please note that Falcon-chipset Xbox 360 Arcade bundles are no longer available for restock and all inventory that we'll be stocking henceforth will be Jaspers.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Made in Ore - New Import, Restock Soon

«©NCSX» If you're a creative type who wants to design games but refuses to invest the time required to build an RPG, you might fare better with micro games. Nintendo's Made in Ore allows designers to create 5-second games that are primitive, simple, and potentially likable. The software includes a music editor, a simple graphics program, and the engine to bind all the components together to create an interactive challenge. A tutorial (in Japanese) also gives basic pointers on design mechanics and rudimentary tips on making an enjoyable micro game.

Sample micro games featuring Nintendo stalwarts such as Mario, Goomba, and Starfox are included on the game card to show players and designers how the professionals at Ninty do it.

Dragon Ball Kai Saiyajin Laisyuu - New Import, Rstk Soon

«©NCSX» Goku, Piccolo, and other DBZ superheroes participate in an action-adventure game that follows the arc from the beginning of the DBZ anime. As the story goes, Goku has wed a lassie named Chi-Chi and they have a son named Gohan. One day, a badass known as Raditz kidnaps Gohan which forces Goku to team up with Piccolo to trek through assorted challenges to rescue his baby boy.

The game looks good with sharp hand-drawn graphics and battles are fought in classic RPG style where Goku and friends are assembled on the right side of the screen. Enemies are arrayed on the left side of the screen and the two contingents bout it out in a turn-based fisticuffs and power-blast theatrics. When traveling, the camera takes in the action from overhead where Goku is shown as a diminutive hero walking the Earth.

Naruto Shippuden Shinobi Retsuden III - New, In Stock

«©NCSX» One-on-one Naruto fighting action revisits the Nintendo DS with the latest Naruto Shippuden Shinobi Retsuden III game. Players choose a combatant from a sizable roster of 42 characters and fight it out in 3D action that runs at 60fps. The battles take place on the top NDS screen and are accompanied by touch screen elements that are triggered during battle by tapping on icons. Along with conventional bouts, Naruto and friends may also challenge mighty creatures which dwarf their frail human frames such as a galloping blue wolf and a bear with razor-like claws.

Gamers may enjoy the Story Mode where Naruto travels through towns and meets up with assorted friends and fights foes, a Versus Mode, or wireless VS modes where two players battle against each other.

Death Smiles Real Arcade Pro EX Joystick - New Import

«©NCSX» The Death Smiles Hori Real Arcade Pro Joystick is an Amazon-exclusive product which was released last week and our shipments arrived today. The controller is basically a Hori RAP EX (Sanwa stick) with Death Smiles artwork on top. NCS generally covets this sort of stuff so we're working with a number of Japanese agents to order the sticks from Amazon. Sadly, this level of manpower means increased costs in addition to yen conversion and deputy charges. Preorders are welcome to ship on April 23, 2009 at the lofty price of US$239.90 each. Please accept our sincere condolences. Note the Death Smiles Arcade Stick does not include a copy of the Death Smiles game.

Tir-Na-Nog - New Import, In Stock

«©NCSX» The Japanese PC was the first platform that Tir Na Nog (Land of the Young) reached a few years ago but the game gets ported to two more platforms this week. According to legend, Tir Na Nog is where the gods once lived but they were defeated in battle and forced underground. The gods became known by later generations as fairies. The PS2 version of the game features dungeon crawling action that hearkens back to the early 90s heyday of action-adventure games when graphics were sorta gritty and sounds were kinda rudimentary. Tir Na Nog is built on Celtic mythology and features a fantasy world where heroic archetypes travel the land and explore, roust up some treasure, and battle armies of enemy warriors.

The PS2 conversion features two brand new scenarios that aren't in the PC original, new events, and big bosses to battle. The interface has also been streamlined for more efficient control of the action. Upon beginning a new game, the "Scenario Generation System" kicks into gear and creates a set of scenarios, characters, items, structures, and dungeons that are unique to each game. The publisher touts 10 billion possibilities so it's a good bet that e
very new adventure is unique. A large assortment of weapons is also available including daggers, swords, axes, halberds, and more to slay malcontents.

Persona - New Import, In Stock

«©NCSX» When Atlus released the original Persona in 1996, the portable handheld of choice was the Gameboy. The very first Gameboy. It didn't have color nor a backlight but that didn't stop Nintendo's wunderkind from dominating the portable gaming landscape. It wasn't until 1998 that the Gameboy Color arrived on the scene. The GBC didn't have a backlight either.

Fast forward 13 years and technology has gotten to the point where games like Persona can now be played on portables such as the Playstation Portable. In living color and backlit to light up the night. Atlus upgrades the game with new cinemas, visual updates, brand new dungeon levels, and user-friendly options such as a quick save feature. A stylish new intro is also featured in the game which is replete with stark, dark imagery with a peppy background track sung by
Yumi Kawamura. The chipper song is designed to provide contrast against the morose visuals. Shoji Meguro provided director and composer services while Kazuma Kaneko served as art director.

The heroes of Persona are a group of high school students who all possess special abilities that allow them to utilize offensive magic. Battles are fought on an isometric platform with two sides arrayed against each other while melee attacks and magic blasts ripple through the ranks. The PSP update doesn't feature voice acting but the cast of characters do make yelping sounds and other utterances when fighting enemy agents.
The first production of the game will ship with a bonus Persona Soundtrack CD which was given away in 30% ratio from the publisher.

Tir-Na-Nog - New Import, In Stock

«©NCSX» The Japanese PC was the first platform that Tir Na Nog (Land of the Young) reached a few years ago but the game gets ported to two more platforms this week. According to legend, Tir Na Nog is where the gods once lived but they were defeated in battle and forced underground. The gods became known by later generations as fairies. The PSP version of the game features dungeon crawling action that hearkens back to the early 90s heyday of action-adventure games when graphics were sorta gritty and sounds were kinda rudimentary. Tir Na Nog is built on Celtic mythology and features a fantasy world where heroic archetypes travel the land and explore, roust up some treasure, and battle armies of enemy warriors.

The PSP conversion features two brand new scenarios that aren't in the PC original, new events, and big bosses to battle. The interface has also been streamlined for more efficient control of the action. Upon beginning a new game, the "Scenario Generation System" kicks into gear and creates a set of scenarios, characters, items, structures, and dungeons that are unique to each game. The publisher touts 10 billion possibilities so it's a good bet that e
very new adventure is unique. A large assortment of weapons is also available including daggers, swords, axes, halberds, and more to slay malcontents. Character classes in the game have attributes that determine their performance in battle and the overall adventure such as strength, technique, wisdom, and charm. Attack and defense values are also imparted to each character depending on the weapon or armor that's equipped.

Monday, April 27, 2009

Hatsune Miku Project Diva Accessory Set - Import Preorder

«©NCSX» Sega's upcoming Hatsune Mike Project Diva for the PSP is going to be a big deal when it's released in Japan this summer. Hori wants some of that action so they're preparing an accessory set for the PSP which ships on the same day as Project Diva. Three items are included as follows:

» Protective clear case with flip-top lid for the PSP-3000
» Green-colored PSP carrying pouch for PSP-3000 and a pair of UMDs
» A pair of UMD storage slipcases decorated with Hatsune Miku imagery

Preorders are welcome to ship on July 2, 2009 at JPY3000 or US$33.90.

figma Drossel von Flügel figure - Import Preorder

«©NCSX» Japanese animated serials come and go every year. Some become legendary like Evangelion but most just serve their primary purpose (ad revenue), tell an engaging story, and then lay dormant for future generations to rediscover. Along the way from birth to retirement, an anime might engender gobs of merchandising for additional revenue.

Disney cracked into the Japanese animated serial market earlier this year with a little number called Fireball which is designed to appeal to Japanese tastes. The main character is a robot-girl named Hatsune Miki who also goes by "Drossel" and she's accompanied by a spidery robot named "Gedächtnis" which is the German word for "memory." Drossel is a mech-girl, speaks with a strong yet feminine voice, and wears a twintail "hairdo" which is the similar to the one that's planted on the popular Hatsune Miku of Vocaloid2 fame. Drossel should have ruled Japan by the 13th episode but we're guessing she won't be gain much traction now that the series has concluded unless season 2 is announced.

Despite the obvious design conventions that appeal to lovers of robo-anime, Drossel doesn't really have a likable personality. Maybe she's too curt, too forgetful, and too discourteous. The episodes we've watched are dry with subtle jokes and Japanese wordplay involved. Either you get the humor or the jokes will fly over your head at 90mph. Every episode begins with Drossel calling Gedächtnis a different name such as "Sancho Panza" and Gedächtnis correcting her. From there, Drossel and Gedächtnis banter about varous subjects for less than 2 minutes until the abrupt conclusion of the episode. Despite our doubts about Drossel becoming a superstar, Max Factory starts the merchandising ball rolling with a Drossel figma figure which looks pretty good. The design is clean and the usual figma articulation allows the figure to be posed and tilted into various action poses. An assortment of accessories is also bundled in the package including a flight attachment called the Obruchev as seen in episode 3 and the Prospero reference book which Gedächtnis used in episode 7 to demonstrate some examples of human salutations which included a snippet of Ebonics. Preorders are welcome to ship in mid-late June 2009 at JPY3000 or US$32.90 from NCS.

General Updates

NEWS Demon's Souls (Asian Version) Update
Sony Hong Kong will release the sixth batch of Demon's Souls (Asian Version) tonight and our shipment is expected to arrive on Thursday or Friday of this week. Please note that we are completely sold out of this week's shipment of the game and new orders that are placed now will be filled when the next batch of the game is released sometime in mid-late May 2009. This information will also be posted in the description on both of our shops so that customers are aware that they are placing a backorder.
PS3 Death Smiles LE Update
A third batch of Death Smiles LE is expected on Wednesday of this week but the quantity won't be enough to fill all of our remaining preorders. Another supplier was willing to supply us but their prices were a little over JPY20,000 per copy so we rejected their super-gouging offer. We'll send out an update today to notify our customers. Additional supplies may become available in the next couple of weeks but we're not sure if prices will become more reasonable as the market works itself out.
The Death Smiles Real Arcade Pro joystick is scheduled to arrive tomorrow and we'll post photos in Tuesday's update.
NEWS Week-long Japan Holiday
The Golden Week holiday begins on Wednesday of this week but we've gotten most of our shipments sent from Japan already as of last night. Pretty much every new Japanese game scheduled for this week will arrive tomorrow but please note that the second shipments of new titles such as NDS Made in Ore and PSP Persona will not arrive until Friday of this week since they're being sent from Japan tomorrow night.

Japanese Import Outlook - Arrivals on Thursday-Friday

NDS

DanDum: Dungeons & Dam

Acquire

Dragon Ball Kai Saiyajin Laisyuu

Bandai

Katekyoo Hitman Reborn! DS Fate of Heat II -

Marvelous

Made in Ore Nintendo

Minna no Zoo

Square

Naruto Shippuden: Shinobi Retsuden 3

Takara

PS2

Tir-Na-Nog

Sys Soft

PS3

Daikoukai Jidai Online: Cruz del Sur

Koei

Jikkyou Powerful Major League 2009

Konami

PSP Bamboo Blade: Sorekara no Chousen

Views

Final Approach 2: 1st Priority Portable

Princess

Persona

Atlus
Tir-Na-Nog

Sys Soft

ToraDora Portable!

Namco

ToraDora Portable! Choudokyuu Premium Box

Namco

Wii

Fish Eyes Wii

Marvelous

Jikkyou Powerful Major League 2009

Konami

Mahjong Kakutou Club Wii Wi-Fi

Konami

Shikakui Atama wo Marukusuru Wii

Konami

USA Release Outlook - Arrivals on Tuesday-Thursday

NDS Super Robot Taisen OG Saga Endless Frontier Atlus
PS2 Backyard Baseball '10 Atari

PS3

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Activision

PSP Dynasty Warriors Strikeforce Koei
360 Velvet Assassin Gameck

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Activision

Guide to Dragon Quest V Monsters Bundle - Clearance

NCS Sale of the Week Offering: April 27, 2009
Original Release in Japan: October 1992

«©NCSX»
New and factory sealed Guide to Dragon Quest V Monsters CD+ Bundle which debuted in early October 1992 to dovetail with the late September 1992 release of the Dragon Quest V game on the Super Famicom. Those were the days when gamers stood on line for hours to get a chance to buy their own copy of the latest and greatest Dragon Quest game. The queues still appear whenever a Dragon Quest game is released but the mania is more subdued nowadays. The bundle contains a number of nifty Dragon Quest V items as follows:

1) Dragon Quest V Monster Cards - Deck of 60 monster cards
2) Monster Card Storage Booklet - Holds all 60 cards in clear sleeves
3) Monster Data Book - Info on the DQ5 game; 32 pages, B6 size
4) Dragon Quest V Special World Map - 36.4cm x 36.4cm size
5) Dragon Quest V Original Sound Selection CD - 2 Tracks (Overture at 1 min 16 sec and Beyond the Horizon at 58 seconds)

The monster cards feature the stats of a creature but there's four cards that are blank "Mystery Cards" which you can fill in when you discover the secret monsters in the DQ5 game. The goodies are stored inside a flat cardboard box that's wrapped in shrinkwrap. NCS' remaining inventory is brand new and in overall excellent condition but please note that some boxes may be slightly warped on the front tray. We've deduced that the warping is caused by the tight shrinkwrap which applies tension to the cardboard and has forced it to bend inwards over the course of the past 17 years.

Sale Offering
:
Pricing per Dragon Quest V Monster bundle is set at US$29.90 per copy. If you reside in the USA, you may select USPS Media Mail shipping on our shop which is about $2.50. International customers are encouraged to select USPS First Class Airmail at a cost of approximately US$10 to most destinations. «Photo Gallery»

Friday, April 24, 2009

Nanatama: Chronicles of Dungeon Maker - New, In Stock

«©NCSX» Architects are respected professionals who build towers, castles, lairs, and even dungeons. The hero in Nanatama is a professional architect whose specialty is designing dungeons. To that end, his job is to venture into the Krete Ruins and carve out a labyrinth that'll attract monsters of all stripes. The goal is to build a dungeon that's so irresistible to beasts that they'll flock to it like bees to honey and reside within its comfy confines. The architect isn't really in the business of "better-homes-for-monsters" however. Once the monsters are in residence, the architect wants to kill them, rob them of their treasures, and capture a few of them.

At the outset of the game, players are in the burg of Krete which houses a number of merchants, citizens, and appears to attract a good amount of commerce. Krete has also started to attract monsters who roam around the perimeter of town but what they really need is a home to call their own. What they need is a dungeon. One that's deep, dark, dank, and filled with places to hide. Although Krete is a walled city, there's an entrance to the ruins below which is located to the north of town. After making niceties with the shop keepers, it's time to head for the ruins which are relatively unkempt and pockmarked with crumbling structures. There's not many monsters since the dungeon isn't very appealing initially but a few creatures that look like turnips roam around the top level. Further along, an elvish girl trapped in an Orb may be rescued and added to the hero's party. She can be summoned by pressing right on the d-pad. «More»