Hello Kitty Calculator

LCD calculators are cheap. When walking through Shenzhen in southern China, a visitor may pick up an LCD calculator for about a dollar. Similar calculators are given away for free by companies with their obtrusive advertising stamped somewhere on the device. While such calculators have little value, Hello Kitty kalculators have marginally higher worth. With a simple facial structure where the eyes are almost level with the nose and a shiny patina, the Hello Kitty model draws the eye to its recognizable shape and metallic style. Unopened, the calculator looks like a candy dish but the Kitty face lid flips open to reveal a simple number cruncher underneath. In stock and new orders are welcome.

Gundam 1/12 Scale RX-78-2 Figure

For the Gundam fan who already has everything, Bandai throws a new toy figure into the holiday wish list. Bandai has started preorders for a 1:12 scale posable Gundam RX-78-2 toy which measures 59" tall and 35.43" wide. The weight of the Gundam clocks in at 35kg or 77.16 lbs. Fully assembled and ready for posing upon delivery, the Gundam toy is equipped with a shield and a laser rifle. Please note: Attractive female model standing next to the Gundam is not included.

NCS is accepting preorders at JPY333,334 or US$3500 per unit for delivery in mid December 2006. Please note this item is dimensional weight and NCS recommends shipping only with UPS Ground within the United States. Any air shipping service will cost around US$300 due to the large crate that this item ships in.

Pokemon Pearl / Diamond Plush

The latest Pokemon games for the Nintendo DS have sold impressive numbers and a number of merchandising tie-ins have already reached market. To expand the Pokemon market a little more, Banpresto has announced a new set of plushes which feature strange looking creatures including Naetoru which is positioned dead-center in the product photo. Each plush measures 15cm tall and preorders are scheduled to ship in mid-late March 2007 at US$9.50 each.

General Updates

Mai-Kinoto HIME aka My-Otome HIME Due to a late release for the PS2 Mai-Kinoto HIME game in Japan (just shipped last night), please note that this week's import shipments are now re-scheduled for Monday of next week. There's a chance that we may receive the shipments tomorrow but based on tracking information this morning, it's highly doubtful.

Playstation 3 Japanese suppliers have not finalized our preorders for the PS3 yet but an update is expected tonight. We'll post some news tomorrow concerning stock allocation and any price changes. The Playstation 3 situation is similar in the USA where North American distributors are reticent on confirming stock allocation. Although PS3 games have already started shipping, distributors still aren't clear on how many PS3 units they'll receive and be able to distribute to the market.

XRGB-3 Upscan Converter All backorders for the XRGB-3 will ship on Monday of next week and new orders are welcome. Unlike the easy availability of the XRGB-2+ in its heyday, the XRGB-3 is only being reproduced in small batches.

New Playstation Portable Colors

Sony goes beyond black and white with an impending expansion of PSP color variants. Preorders are welcome for three new Playstation Portable colors which are scheduled to ship in the next few weeks. Pricing is set at US$215 per Playstation Portable which is packaged in a regulation issue PSP box and contains the handheld unit, an AC adapter, and user manual. The new hues are:

» PSP Pink - Shipping on November 22, 2006
» PSP Silver - Shipping on December 14, 2006
» PSP Metallic Blue - Shipping on December 21, 2006

Please note that the new PSPs are loaded with firmware v2.81.

Bomberman Catch the Dots

When the Bomberman Catch the Dots toys ship in March of 2007, Tomy will have missed Bomberman's 20th Anniversary by 2 years. Still, the delayed toy homage is better late than never since lesser known games have already made it to the Dots league. Measuring 7.5cm tall and part of the miniature Dots series, two Bomberman kits are on offer - one for creating the recognizable helmeted Bomber and another for creating bonus pick-ups such as expanded blast radius and quickness. Preorders are welcome.

Real Action Heroes: Ghost Rider

Nicholas Cage is Johnny Blaze when the Ghost Rider movie bows on February 16, 2007. To tie into the cinematic debut, Medicom has announced a Real Action Heroes figure which features the flaming Ghost Rider who is, as the comic book declares, the Spirit of Vengeance. Ghost Rider wears leather duds with chains hanging haphazardly over him and sports spikes which are mounted on his shoulders, wrists, and boots. Taller than most other Real Action Heroes figures, GR measures 32cm or 12.59" tall and the leather should be authentic and not pleather nor vinyl.
Pricing is set at JPY16800 or US$155 from NCS. Preorders are scheduled to ship on or around March 29, 2007.

Tales of the Abyss One Coin Figures

Luke fon Fabre and Tear Grants lead a cast of six characters in Kotobukiya's Tales of the Abyss One Coin Figures which feature high production values at relatively reasonable prices. The figures measure 8 cm to 11 cm tall and are priced at JPY600 per randomly packaged figure. From the upper left and rotating clockwise, the characters are: Luke fon Fabre, Guy Cecil, Tear Grants, Anise Tatlin, Jade Curtiss, and Natalia Luzu Kimuelasca Lanvaldear. Preorders are scheduled to ship in mid-late February 2007. A factory sealed box contains 12 figures at US$65 per.