NEWS Japanese Import Outlook - Arrivals on Thursday-Friday

NDS	Fuyu no Sonata DS	D3
	Katekyoo Hitman Reborn! DS Ore Ga Bosu!	Takara
	Poupee Girl DS	Alvion
PS2	Death Connection	IFactory
PS3	Final Fantasy XIII	Square
PS3	Final Fantasy XIII Lightning Bundle	Square
PSP	Queen's Blade: Spiral Chaos	Bandai
	Queen's Blade: Spiral Chaos Gekitou Pack	Bandai
Wii	F1 2009	Codem

MAG Weekly Famitsu Vol 1097 - Subscriptions

NCS Product Synopsis
«©NCSX» The December 24, 2009 issue of Weekly Famitsu includes coverage of the following games and events in the Japanese marketplace:

» Preview for NDS Sekaiju no Meikyuu III: Seikai no Raihousha which is being published by Atlus and is shipping on March 4, 2010.
» NDS Dragon Ball DS2 preview which shows off some nifty screenshots of Goku in 3D bo-stick-swinging action.
» Famitsu's reviewers rank PS3 Final Fantasy XIII (10/9/10/10), PSP Queen's Blade Spiral Chaos (8/8/8/7) and NDS Deca Sporta (8/8/6/8).
» PSP Darius Burst gets 2-pages of coverage on p58-59.
» Pages 99-122 are dedicated to Final Fantasy XIII while pages 123-138 belong to Tales of Graces.
» Strategy guide for Gundam vs Gundam Next Plus.
» Christmas-themed cakes and confections are in play in PICK UP FOOD.
» Photo spread for actress Alice Hirose.
» Ryu Ga Gotoku 4 is shaping up nicely - see pages 264-265 for proof.

TOYS Puyo Puyo Plushies - New Import, In Stock

NCS Product Synopsis
«©NCSX» In The Puyo Puyo games from Compile/Sega, the little dropping blobs look like they'd be sticky and somewhat clammy to the touch. Jellies with big eyes tend to be sticky, squishy, cold-blooded, and thus clammy. Sanei goes against the grain by manufacturing Puyos that are squishy but un-clammy. They're satiny smooth and filled with beanies for a pleasant tactile experience when touched. Five standard 9cm-diameter Puyo Puyo plushes were released in Japan - Red Puyo, Green Puyo, Yellow Puyo, Blue Puyo, and Purple Puyo. In addition to the standard sizes, Sanei also releases a large Red Puyo which measures 40cm or 15.74" in diameter. To round out the bunch, a satiny Carbunkle plush was also released which measures 25cm or 9.84" tall from the top to its stubby feet.

TOYS Professor Layton Plush Toys - New Import

NCS Product Synopsis
«©NCSX» Sanei hit it big with the Pikmin and Mario plushes and they're sticking with Nintendo for their next big thing. Five Professor Layton plushes arrived yesterday including a small-size Luke keychain plush which measures 4cm (1.57") at JPY700 (US$10.90) and a medium-size Professor Layton plush which measures 35cm (13.77") tall at JPY2200 (US$25.90). Please note the sizes of the plushes are larger than what Sanei originally listed on their solicitation a couple of months ago but the correct measurements of each plush are listed below. Preorders have shipped as of yesterday and new orders are welcome. If we sell out in the next few days, please note the next batch is not expected until after Christmas. Sorry.

The Layton plushes released in Japan this week are as follows:
1) Layton Plush Medium - Height 35cm (13.77")
2) Layton Plush Small - Height 25cm (10.00")
3) Luke Plush Small - Height 23cm (9.05")
4) Layton Plush Mini - Height 8cm (3.14")
5) Luke Plush Mini - Height 7.50cm (2.95")

Due to time constraints, we'll post a proper photo gallery within a few hours (well, maybe by tomorrow morning if things get hectic).

TOYS figma Persona 3 Aegis - New Import, In Stock

NCS Product Synopsis
«©NCSX» Hailing from the Persona 3 game on the Playstation 2, Aegis is an android who battles the dastardly Shadows with a volatile range of weaponry. Her prerogative in the game is to protect the protagonist of Persona 3 and she serves in that capacity with able-bodied determination. Max Factory releases a figma rendition of Aegis that looks pretty good from the perfectly coiffed head sculpt to the hooves. That's right, Aegis doesn't have feet. She has hooves.

From the Manufacturer
Anti-Shadow special android Aigis: operation start. A figma of the self-conscious combat android 'Aigis', designed to suppress the Shadow outbreak.
» Using the smooth yet poseable joints of figma, you can act out various scenes.
» Three expressions are included - a 'normal face', a 'smiling face' and an 'angry face', enough expression to make her not seem like a robot!
» The machine guns that attach to both arms can be attached and removed, and her 'Rocket Punch' arm is also included.
» Clear parts that can be attached to the bottom of the feet allow her to stand without a figma stand.
» A poseable figma stand is included, which allows various poses to be taken.

TOYS Persona 4 Kujikawa Rise 1/8 Scale - New, Sold Out

NCS Product Synopsis
«©NCSX» Mitsuru Kirijou was the token redhead in Persona 3 and Kujikawa Rise serves as the ginger of choice in Persona 4. In the game, Rise is an idol who abruptly retires from showbiz to live with her grandmother in Yasoinaba. Rise keeps busy by working with 'Gamma at her Marukyu Tofu Store where patrons linger to catch a glimpse of the celebrity. She even attracts stalkers. Since Kujikawa has the heart and training of an idol, her 1/8 scale figure (20.5cm or 8.07" tall) from Wave depicts her in a pose that's brimming with flair and showmanship. Wayne Newton, is that you?

Kujikawa is dressed in an black outfit with a skirt that features a hound's tooth design. The skin of her thighs breaks up the dark colors below her waist and a yellow bandana is wrapped 'round her neck. Ms Rise's trademark pink glasses are included in the package as a bonus which may be fitted onto her face so that she looks like a librarian or a schoolmarm.

CD FFCC: The Crystal Bearers Music Collections - New Import

NCS Product Synopsis
«©NCSX» Square shipped the Crystal Bearers a couple of weeks ago and we've thoroughly enjoyed the variety of music in the game. Without a proper soundtrack however, we had no idea what the tracks were called while playing the game - that is, until today. The Crystal Bearers soundtrack spans two CDs which contain a total of 70 tracks. We gave it a quick sampling earlier this morning and we think it's safe to say that it's all good. There's country, jazz, celtic, blues, rock, orchestral, and even what sounds like folk in the collection. The country music is so country that they even brought out the fiddles. Sounded like a hoedown was about to start.
The compositions on CD1 are all from Hidenori Iwasaki and Ryo Yamazaki while tracks on CD2 are composed by Kumi Tanioka, Nobuo Uematsu, and Ryo Yamazaki. All preorders have shipped as of yesterday and new orders are welcome for dispatch this afternoon.

Wii Fullmetal Alchemist: Daughter of the Dusk - New Import

NCS Product Synopsis
«©NCSX» Intrigue and treachery are afoot in the sequel to last year's Full Metal Alchemist: Prince of Darkness. Continuing the storyline from the first game, Prince Claudio Rico Aerugo from the country of Aerugo is negotiating a peace treaty with the nation of Amestris but things are not as they seem with subterfuge, snipers, plots, and more all in play.

Edward Elric is aware of the machinations behind the peace treaty and Roy Mustang eventually also learns that the intentions of both parties are not particularly sincere. To avoid outright war between the two nations, Edward, Roy, and the rest of the gang work to stop an assassination plot in motion.
Edward and Alphonse explore the land of Amestris and engage in short flick-action sequences where the Remote is wagged to trigger cues during the game. For example, in one sequence, the brothers have to leap off a platform by moving the Remote. In another Remote waving sequence, Edward has to jump and duck over/under obstacles as he runs across the screen. In yet another sequence, Winry is tasked with performing maintenance on Alphonse's armored arm to keep it squeak-free and polished. Mini-games also pop up from time to time that require shooting skill, When exploring the world, the Remote controls a little cursor which points in the direction that you want the brothers to run.