Tales of Hearts Accessory Set - New Import, In Stock

«©NCSX» Hori has a long history with Namco's Tales franchise where the company has produced tie-in merchandise for a few years now. When Tales of the Abyss was released for the PS2 in 2005, Hori was right there with a Luke Fone Fabre + Tear Grants 8M Memory Card and Tales of Symphonia for the Nintendo Gamecube was accompanied by a Lloyd Irving Memory Card.

The Nintendo DS doesn't use memory cards so Hori has been doing something different to dovetail with important NDS game releases. Most players can use a replacement touchpen or a cellphone strap so Hori issues another accessory set which ties into Tales of Hearts. Lucky buyers get the following three items as follows:

» NDS Lite Protect Case which wraps around the entire handheld
» A retractable stylus that's imprinted with the Tales of Hearts logo
» A puffy sticker cell phone strap which features Shing and Kohak

The NDS case is made of hard plastic and the front is etched with the name "Mutsumi I" on the left while Shing Meteoryte and Kohak Hearts sit back-to-back on the right. Behind them, a heart-shaped wreath may be spied. Please note the case cannot be used with the DSi. Preorders have shipped as of last Friday and new orders are welcome to ship today.

Dragon Quest 9 Protect Case DSi - Import Preorder

«©NCSX» Square Enix recently proclaimed that Dragon Quest IX would be a Nintendo DS exclusive. This is big news in Japan and Hori is one of the first companies to sign a licensing pact which allows them to produce and peddle assorted products based on the DQIX juggernaut.

The first DQIX product is a Nintendo DSi Protect Case which features the likeness of two Slimes on the front. Since the NDSi has a little camera on its lid, the upcoming case features a cutout so that the eye of the camera may peer through. The compatibility chart on Hori's product preorder sheet shows that the case is only for the Nintendo DSi and won't be compatible with the original Nintendo DS or the NDS Lite. This will undoubtedly put a crimp on potential sales but NCS expects all future Protect Case accessories from Hori to be NDSi exclusive.

Preorders are welcome to ship on March 28, 2009 at US$18.90 from NCS.

Dragon Quest Slime Speaker Stand - Import Preorder

«©NCSX» NCS has known for a few years that Slime are useful and versatile beasts. Hori is also cognizant of this factoid and they've put their knowledge to work by producing a Dragon Quest Slime Speaker Stand for the Nintendo DS. "What exactly is that $#!&," you may mutter under your breath so as to not awaken your roommate. Well, it's exactly what the product title states. It's a DQ Slime Speaker but it's also a Stand which will hold your Nintendo DS upright and aloft like a little desk.

The NDS speakers are generally of good quality but if you're the type who needs a quirky external speaker shaped like a Slime, then this is for you. The product sales sheet indicates that the Slime of covered with satiny material that depresses when touched. The stand attachment seems pointless but who are we to question Hori's wisdom? They've been around for decades and will probably outlive us all. Pricing for the Speaker Stand is set at JPY4800 or US$58.90 from NCS. We're hoping that by the time the item ships next year, the exchange rate between the dollar and yen won't make the price closer to US$300 after the $/¥ conversion.

Japanese Import Outlook - Arrivals on Tuesday-Friday

NDS	Phantasy Star Zero	Sega
PS3	Royds Stick EX	Sonata
	Shirokishi Monogatari (White Knight Chronicles)	SCEI
PSP	Cherry Blossom Portable	Takuyo
	Zill O'll Infinite Plus	Koei
	DoDonPachi Daioujou Black Label Extra	5pb
Wii	BioHazard	Capcom
	Pikmin - Wii de Asobu	Nintendo

General Updates

Early Import Arrival NCS expects to process and ship preorders for NDS Phantasy Star Zero tomorrow or Wednesday. The game was released in Japan on Saturday and our shipment's in transit. The remainder of this week's new import arrivals are scheduled for delivery on Friday due to the Christmas holiday on Thursday.

Disgaea Rosalinde and Oneechanbara Aya Preorders for the Rosalinde figure from Griffon and Alter's Aya figure will ship today. A shipment containing the Persona Metis figure is also on the way but hasn't arrived yet. We'll update accordingly once it's in stock and ready to ship.

Real Arcade Pro Joystick 3.SA All preorders for the new Hori RAP3.SA joystick for Playstation 3 will ship tomorrow or Wednesday. We're sold out of the sticks as of this morning but we'll update accordingly if we're able to import another batch after the holiday this week. Pricing is currently set at US$189.90 but may be revised higher due to the dollar/yen exchange rate. In related news, the standard Hori Real Arcade Pro 3 is currently in stock and available for shipping.

VF CG Portrait Series Vol. 7 Shun Di - Clearance

NCS Sale Synopsis - Original Update: Jan 26, 1996
«©NCSX» A collection of hi-resolution images featuring a drunken old man named Shun-Di who fights in the Virtua Fighter fighting game series. Shun Di hails from Northern China and partakes of the alcohol liberally. Drunken style fighting is his mainstay as he spins and tumbles about in the ring. View Shun on his boat and practicing his kung-fu style in this collection of artwork which includes a bonus musical karaoke section.

Sale Offering: NCS' remaining inventory of Virtua Fighter CG Portrait Series Vol. 7 Shun-Di is new, factory sealed, and in excellent condition. Pricing is set at US$8.90 per copy which includes "free" shipping by USPS Media Mail within the continental United States.

Shooting Watch - New Import, In Stock Since Yesterday

«©NCSX» How quickly can you tap two buttons repetitively within a 10 second time span? Some game fiends can rev their fingers up to 16 hits per second for a tap-total of 160 slaps in 10 seconds. The gaming elite can do 21 hits per second. Fear them.

Over 20 years ago, Hudson gave gamers a chance to measure their button-tapping proficiency with the Shooting Watch but that was a while ago. A new production was manufactured in Japan this month and delivered to NCS yesterday. Preorders have shipped already and new orders are welcome. Note: The Shooting Watch may also be used as a clock and a stopwatch when you're not fixing your button-tapping addiction. Pricing is set at US$20.50 for new orders. «NCS Photo Gallery»

Dissidia Final Fantasy Bundle - New Import, Ships Today

«©NCSX» Some preorders for the Dissidia Final Fantasy PSP-3000 bundle have shipped yesterday but the bulk will be sent today as most of our shipments arrived earlier this morning. Each Dissidia PSP bundle includes a copy of the Dissidia Final Fantasy game and a ceramic white PSP-3000 which features an imprint of the Final Fantasy 20th Anniversary on the front of the unit which is located below the "X" button.

Flip the handheld over and images of the gods Cosmos and Chaos may be viewed which are stenciled on either side of the PSP shell. Pricing is set at US$369 which reflects the carriage costs and arrangements required to import this item into the United States.