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	Dan←Dum: 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»

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»

Koukyou Shihen Eureka Seven - WP2800 - New, In Stock

«©NCSX» Renton Thurston and his grandpa Axel are outside in the evening air when they spy an LFO (Light Finding Operation) mech with red trim. As it sails gracefully through the sky on a reflection board, the 14-year old Renton Thurston stares at it with awe. A few seconds later, the LFO loses its graceful demeanor and sputters awkwardly as it proceeds to crash. The ensuing blast wave blows Renton and Axel off their feet and onto their backs. A hatch opens on the LFO and a young girl emerges from the mech which is none the worse for wear. She addresses the two Thurstons, asking for help in repairing her mech. Renton ogles the girl and hisses, "Kawaii..."

The game proper begins indoors where Renton stands at the top of some stairs and the LFO stands in repose on the left side of the screen. It's massive and dwarfs the lad. He rushes over to the mech and assesses that it's a Nirvash type Zero and talks to himself in excited tones. Soon afterwards, Eureka enters the room and engages Renton in short conversation. When Renton is near something that he can investigate, a square icon command that shows Renton peering through a magnifying glass spins up above him and he may investigate the LFO and the bottom of the stairs. If he goes near Eureka, a chat icon spins out and he may start a conversation. Interaction scenarios show the portraits of the characters as they talk and their dialogue appears in boxes below them. Renton learns a little more about Eureka during their talk and gets bashful at times. It's clear that he's attracted to the green-haired girl. «More»