NCS vends games and toys to customers around the world.
The June 2007 issue of Famitsu Wave DVD contains magazine and video coverage of the following import games and events:
Holidays are festive occasions full of frivolity and fun. There's office parties, lots of drinking, and general cheer. To brighten up your holidays even more, snap on the Anime Tipo projector from Tomy and shine some holiday-oriented LED animations on the ceiling or a wall of your home, shanty, or shelter. Six types of animations are available but only three have been disclosed thus far as follows:
If you're the type of person who has to count imaginary sheep in order to fall asleep, Tomy has an alternative for you. Feast your eyes on the Hearing Theater which beams a serene scene onto the ceiling of your bedroom. Four animated images may be selected as follows:
Tomy has started preorders for the CAUL (Car Action Unit's Line) Helibot which features a suited human figure that can go airborne like a hummingbird. The figure is tethered to a backpack which sprouts a main rotor for vertical lift and a tail rotor for horizontal thrust. A remote control that's shaped like a standard joypad is used to send 2.4Ghz signals to maneuver the Helibot. The figure may look like it's holding skis but those thin beams are actually load balancers to keep the figure at an even keel when flying through the air. The Helibot measures (W) 200 x (H) 15.60 x (D) 120cm and clocks in at 12 grams. The figure can fly for approximately 5 minutes on a full battery charge and the operating range is 30 meters.
As mentioned last week, most of our suppliers located in Japan will observe the Golden Week holiday which started last night They'll work on May 1 and 2 to clear out export orders but then go on vacation again on May 3 through May 6. Because of the holiday, we only expect restock shipments this week and no new releases are scheduled.
We've sold out of the Japanese NDS Lite units over the weekend but another batch is scheduled to arrive on Tuesday or Wednesday of this week. Restock of the PSP DJ Max Portable 2 regular edition, PS2 DDR SuperNOVA, and PS3 Gundam Musou will arrive on Tuesday.
| NDS | Shrek the 3rd | Activision |  |
| | Spiderman 3 | Activision | |
| PS3 | Spiderman 3 | Activision | |
| PSP | Legend of the Dragon | G.Factory | |
| | Ultimate Board Game Collection | Capcom | |
| | Winx Club: Join the Club | Eidos | |
| Wii | Legend of the Dragon | G.Factory | |
| | Spiderman 3 | Activision | |
| X360 | Spiderman 3 | Activision | |
All preorders for the FFXII Revenant Wings bundle will ship today at the price of US$289. We were hoping for a price drop this week but it doesn't look like it's forthcoming based on information from our suppliers in Japan and Hong Kong as of last night. NCS imported a small buffer of the bundles for today and we can accept new orders to ship this afternoon.
The popular Momotetsu series of board games have captured the imagination of Japanese fans for nearly 20 years. Way back in December of 1988, Hudson released the first Momotaro Densetsu on the 8-bit Famicom and the rest is, as they say, history. As is the case in previous Momotetsu games, the goal is the accumulation of capital and property as a player treks through Japan and Tokyo by way of the railroad network. Capital begets capital as the player uses resources judiciously to build an empire from a fledgling pool of yen to a nation-spanning conglomerate. Adversity comes in the form of rivals who are also building their own empires and monsters such as King Bombee, the God of Poverty, and others. The NDS game also features a quiz element and a multiplayer option. «more»
Rotate the NDS 90° counterclockwise and hold it like an open book. Next, grab the stylus and start poking at the touch screen to shuffle colored blocks from left to right or right to left to create color combinations of at least three blocks in a row or column. A 2-segment cursor is used to highlight blocks to move them around to create color matches and if you're really good, multi-chain combinations. In addition to a single-player game, up to four people may link up wirelessly for a Panel de Pon competition with voice chat functionality (which requires the Earphone Mic). Only one cartridge is required for the 4-player wireless game. Single-player game modes include High Score Attack which enforces a 2-minute time limit, a standard Clear Stage Mode, and a VS mode against the COM. «more»
Whilst exploring the school library, students from class 3-A find an old and mysterious tome. After flipping the volume open, strange rays of light emanate from the pages and the pupils are enchanted and eventually fall asleep. Deep in slumber in the physical world, the girls are trapped in a dreamland and must escape from their predicament by way of tactical battles and interaction. A total of eight missions must be conquered before the gals are free to escape. The first mission is based on the Cinderella fairy tale complete with a stepmother and stepsisters and the second mission is based on Little Red Riding Hood.
Whilst exploring the school library, students from class 3-A find an old and mysterious tome. After flipping the volume open, strange rays of light emanate from the pages and the pupils are enchanted and eventually fall asleep. Deep in slumber in the physical world, the girls are trapped in a dreamland and must escape from their predicament by way of tactical battles and interaction. A total of eight missions must be conquered before the gals are free to escape. The first mission is based on the Cinderella fairy tale complete with a stepmother and stepsisters and the second mission is based on Little Red Riding Hood.
Hori continues their prolific streak of accessories by releasing an HDMI selector box which accepts video from up to four devices and pipes the signal to an HDMI compatible television or monitor. In addition to the HDMI video handling, the box also accepts up to four optical audio inputs. The box design is sleek and the selection of inputs is performed by pressing a soft-touch pushbutton switch on the left side of the unit. A convenient remote control is also included for switching between inputs from a distance. Pricing is set at JPY29,800 or US$259 from NCS. «more»
| Japanese NDS Color Variants All backorders for the Ice Blue NDS Lite and the Enamel Navy NDS Lite will ship today. New orders are welcome to ship this afternoon. |
| Nodame Cantabile + Bonus Bag All backorders for NDS Nodame Cantabile will ship this afternoon and every order will include the bonus piano bag. We are sold out again as of this morning but additional restock + bag is expected by next Wednesday. |
| Week's Restock NDS FFXII Revenant Wings and Wii One Piece Unlimited Edition redux. |
Once upon a time there was a quaint kingdom with cottages and clean streets. In that kingdom lived a red-haired princess and an extravagant king in green robes. One day, the royal treasurer unrolls a parchment and informs the king that the royal family is not only destitute but in debt. Mortified and plunged into a state of angst, the Princess runs away and sleeps in the forest for the night. She continues traveling until she reaches the kingdom of Ordre. Once there, she figures out that the only way to rebuild the family fortune is by learning alchemy and bringing honor back to her kingdom. The Premium Edition of Lise no Atelier includes a bonus lime-colored desktop clock with a figure of Lise's mascot Coron. «more»
| Delayed Import Shipment Due to a transit delay last night, the rest of this week's new imports and restock of NDS FFXII Revenant Wings and Wii One Piece Ultimate Adventure will arrive tomorrow. If there is a delivery later today due to some good fortune that somehow shines upon the NCS, we'll update this page accordingly. |
| Golden Week in Japan Most of our suppliers located in Japan will observe the Golden Week holiday which starts on April 30. They'll work on May 1 and 2 to clear out export orders but then go on vacation again on May 3 through May 6. Because of the holiday, we only expect restock shipments next week and no new releases are scheduled. |
It is one year after the conclusion of Final Fantasy XII and Vaan wings through the air in his own sky pirate ship. To his side is Penelo while orphans from Rabanastre serve as crewmembers. Early in the game, Vaan is exploring the Glabados Ruins and looking for a legendary treasure when he meets up with Penelo and then Balthier and Fran.
The Dog is a popular toy series in Japan and we've seen "The Dog" rendered into various plushes, keychains, and other trinkets. To capture some more of the consumer dollar, Yukes programs 48 pooches into an action-adventure game where a dog explores a lush island in search of a flower with potent medicinal uses. The game starts off on Dog's home island where the protagonist receives dire news about his brother who needs the healing properties of a special curative flower. The only problem is the flower is only found on a far off island. Luckily, a pirate dog has recently docked at the wharf and he's happy to take Dog on a trip to get him closer to his destination.
Luffy and friends are back for an action-packed jaunt where the pirates are caught in a tidal event which dumps them on a lush island. Luffy lands first and creates a small impact crater upon reaching earth again. His first task is to find his comrades to make his party whole again. One Piece Unlimited Adventure features 3D exploration and puzzle solving where barriers on the island must be broken or unlocked before reaching new pathways and areas. Early in the game, Luffy fishes up a blue orb from the depths of the ocean which factors mightily in breaking the barriers.
Brain games took Japan by storm a couple of years ago thanks to the pioneering efforts of Nintendo's "Nou wo Kitaeru Otona no DS Training" or "Brain Age" as it is known in the USA. As is routine when a new product finds a massive audience, clones and copycats hit the market with alarming speed. Yawaraka Atama Juku is one such clone that was originally released on the Nintendo DS where the software teased young minds with simple brain games. The Wii update is targeted at a general audience from children to teenagers to adults who can all partake of the exercises.
Japanese manufacturer Musashiya has started preorders for a 1/5 scale Iroha 2 cold cast which was sculpted under the watchful eye of producer Ushio Karumagi. Iroha hails from the Samurai Spirits game series and made her first appearance in Samurai Spirits: Tenkaichi Kenkakuten. Ever since her debut, toy manufacturers have sculpted Iroha in a number of renditions.
The first offer from suppliers for the FFXII NDS Lite Sky Pirates Bundle was tabled last night and pricing comes in at US$289. Please be advised that if you submit a preorder for this item today, you will lock into that price. We cannot accept cancellations since we will be buying the item for you tonight. There is every possibility that prices may drop in the next few days if more supplies come to market from different distributors. 
The SAW movies have terrorized viewers with wicked scenarios and dire situations via three films since 2004. Medicom has decided to fete the SAW series with a prop size doll which measures a little over 3' tall, weighs nearly 8 lbs, and utters three lines from the first film as follows:
The Chibi Gallery line of toys consists of cute animal characters rendered into keychains, collectible figures, and other merchandise. Banpresto eschews the trinkets and goes with a sofa cushion shaped like a cat. The grinning feline grasps a scaly fish in its paws and the hapless victim looks perturbed that its ultimate destiny is dinner.
Since our last Horror Summer update, Sega has started preorders for another batch of products but none that we were particularly interested in. We're not into the Skull Mascots either but we're adding them to our stock list just to keep the horror rolling. 
Doodle simple facial features on a banana and you have Elite Banana, a recent toy franchise in Japan. Banpresto's Elite Banana Plush toy sits in a sofa and holds a drink. Make some noise and it'll shake and perhaps even do the twist thanks to the sound-activated motor module inside which animates the banana with slight motions. Preorders ship in mid-late August.
A banana is a sweet fruit which ships from Mother Nature in its own disposable and biodegradable wrapper. NCS recommends bananas with ice cream in a gastronomical mélange known as a banana split.
If a moving banana toy or an inordinately large banana plush is too much to take this early in the relationship, Banpresto is also offering Elite Banana keychains which measure a mere 5cm or 1.96" in length. A little banana figure is encased inside a miniature puffy air-packet. Four styles are on offer and preorders are welcome to ship in mid-late August 2007.
The sixth toys in the Transformers Masterpiece series is Skywarp. According to the preorder details, the package includes the Skywarp toy, two beam weapons, 4 Sidewinder missiles, a miniature pilot figure, and a dislay base. Photos will be updated once they are available. Preorders are welcome to ship in early September.
Four re-releases of Takara's most popular Transformers Collection toys are on the way to market this summer. They're the most popular TFC toys in the series as follows:| NDS FFXII Revenant Wings leads preorders for the week. | |||
| NDS | Final Fantasy XII Revenant Wings | Square | |
| | Momotarou Dentetsu DS Tokyo & Japan | Hudson | |
| | Panel de Pon DS | Nintendo | |
| PS2 | Negima!? Dream Tactic... Maihime Edition | Konami | |
| | Negima!? Dream Tactic... Utahime Edition | Konami | |
| PSP | Minna no Chizu 2 | Zenrin | |
| Wii | One Piece Unlimited Adventure | Banpresto | |
| | Wii de Yawaraka Atama Juku | Nintendo | |
| DVD | Little Children | New Line | |
| | Music and Lyrics | Warner | |
| NDS | SNK vs Capcom Card Fighters | Capcom | |
| PSP | Generation of Chaos: Aedis Eclipse | NISA | |
| | Seven Wonders of the Ancient World | Mumbo | |
| Wii | Bionicle Heroes | Eidos | |
All backorders for the Gyakuten Saiban 4 Limited Edition bundle will ship today and new orders are welcome. The bonuses included inside each pack are as follows:
Two music students named Shinichi Chiaki and Megumi Noda find themselves involved in a special kind of relationship as chronicled in the Nodame Cantabile manga. Together, the two overcome their own weaknesses and build each other up like two parts creating a whole. Or something like that. We're not interested in the love today however. We're more interested in the radical music rhythm game in NDS Nodame Cantabile which strays from convention and offers challenging stylus-tapping action. Along with the rhythm game which uses classical music for the background songs, a medley of mini-games which test dexterity and memory are also playable for a bit of variety. At the outset of Nodame Cantabile, the protagonist finds himself in a city with spots to tap and visit... «more»
