Virtua Fighter 5 National Tournament

If you attended the VF5 National Tournament earlier this year at the Differ Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan then you can relive the Virtua Fighter 5 love that was present. Enterbrain captures the electricity, the friendly competition, and the feel-good excitement of the event where teams of Virtua Fighter 5 players faced off against other teams for the top prize. Since the VF5 game requires a fairly intensive amount of time investment to become a tournament level player, it's a rare occurrence to be able to watch players with different styles going at each other with deft skills.

The DVD spans 240 minutes of grappling action where Akira, Jacky, Sarah, and the rest of the gang battle along with footage from the floor, the spectators, the crowds, and the challengers. For the record, the Arena has a capacity of 1200+ seats and is normally used for professional wrestling and fighting events. Fitting then that so many virtual fighters attended.

Please note that the DVD is a Region-2 disc that is only compatible with Japanese DVD players or all-region players. It will not play on a USA territory (Region-1) DVD player.

Animal Crossing Hand Puppets 2

Puppeteers and street theater performers may find a new act with Banpresto's line-up of Animal Crossing Hand Puppets. Crafted from a mixture of pliable plush material and cloth, the hand puppets are designed to twitch to the movement and rhythm of one's fingers. Your pinky and thumb serve as the engines for the puppet's arms and the other fingers move the head. Pop two Animal Crossing puppets on both hands and spout some rubbish impromptu dialogue for your own private pleasure and amusement. «photos»

Disney Chibizu Love² Plush

Love is the rage in Sega's new Disney Chibizu Love Love Plushes where three couples pair off. From the left and moving clockwise, the plush sets (which measure about 17cm tall) are:

(A) Mickey and Minnie - The two grab hands and dance
(B) Stitch and Angel - Prepping for a swing dance session
(C) Thumper and Miss Bunny are content with just sitting together

All preorders will ship today and new orders are welcome. «photos»

Ignis 1/7 Scale Painted Figure

In the UK, redheads are called "Gingers." Geri Halliwell of the Spice Girls was dubbed "Ginger Spice" because of her red hair. If Ignis ever stalked the streets of London, she'd receive the title of "Ginger Katana Wielding Killer of Demons." Or something to that effect.

Max Factory's rendition of Ignis isn't new. It's been out in Japan since late 2006 but some of our shipments tend to get forgotten or lost in the shuffle and bustle of the import business. Ignis is set at 1/7 scale and measures approximately 24cm or 9.44" tall. The warrior maiden wears a skintight outfit that's basically a corset which is split on the bottom into flaring segments that go every which way but loose. She also rocks a pair of boots that look like they could do some major damage if kicked in strategic areas. Ignis' hair looks fairly normal from the front but the back of her tresses look like they've been possessed by hurricane force winds. A mirrored base is included for display purposes... and for evil upskirt viewing without much effort or craning. «photos»

Mickey & Minnie Wedding Plush 2

Since the first Mickey & Minnie Wedding plushes sold remarkably well last year, Sega gives the wedding theme another go this year. In the new plush set, Minnie gets rid of the tiara from last season and goes with a tasteful flower array atop her noggin. A big pinkish heart between the two rodents is symbolic of their love. Or something like that.
The height of the two plushes stands at 22cm or 8.66" tall and the clothing of each plush is of the satiny smooth type. Mickey and Minnie also wear matching white gloves. For added value, a little pouch of edible heart-shaped candy is included. The arrival of the wedding plushes is timely because May was the start of wedding season. «photos»

Mister Donut Swing Gashapon

If given the choice between a donut and an apple fritter, most folks would reach for the donut. A fried blob of sweet dough that's been shaped into a ring is innately appealing for its simplicity. An apple fritter looks... complicated. Since donuts have mass appeal in Japan as well as the United States, Bandai and the Mister Donut chain collaborate on a set of Donut Swing keychains which feature a little 4cm donut that's tethered to a similarly little chain. Ten varieties are on offer including two French crullers, a Honey Churro, two varieties of Pon de Ring, a regulation-issue Honey-Dipped, a Golden Chocolate, and our favorite - the Old Fashion, which sort of looks like a flattened bagel-half that's been toasted.
NCS supplies the Donut Swings in a complete set of 10 chains at US$20. Preorders will ship today and new orders are welcome. «photos»

Milky Angel Vol. 10

In the past Milky Angel collections, the number of JAV actresses featured in each volume was limited to three models. With the tenth release in the series, the flesh peddlers behind Milky Angel bump up the number of idols to four. The JAV actresses featured in the set are:

» Mei Itoya
» Mihiro
» Miyu Sakurai
» Nao Yoshizaki

The collection features 72 standard cards, 9 SP cards, and a number of serially numbered limited edition cards such as Polaroid photos, Mihiro sweater cards, Mei's wedding top cards, lingerie cards, and others. «photos»

AVC Juicy Honey Special Edition: Mieko Arai

Mint has started preorders for a Juicy Honey Special Edition trading card set which features Mieko Arai of JAV fame. Although Mieko debuted at a more mature age (33 years old) than most of her JAV contemporaries, she's gained a devoted fan base nonetheless. Some Important Stats: Height 5' 3" / Measurements 35-24-35 / Blood Type O.

NCS supplies the Juicy Honey SE Mieko Arai set in factory cases of 12 packs/box. Each pack contains 8 cards inside for a total of 96 cards per factory case. According to the preorder solicitation, every factory case contains one or two special autograph or memorabilia cards.

Preorders are welcome to ship on or around July 28, 2007 at US$55 per factory case.

Japanese Import Outlook

X360 Trusty Bell: Chopin no Yume leads preorders for the week. Ninja Gaiden Sigma trails slightly but its USA release is due in a couple of weeks.
NDS	Days of Memories	SNK
PS3	Ninja Gaiden Sigma	Tecmo
XBX	Trusty Bell: Chopin no Yume	Namco
Wii	Mahou Sensei Negima!? Neo-Pactio Fight!!	Marvelous

USA Release Outlook

PS2 Naruto Ultimate Ninja 2 is the USA localization of Naruto: Narutimett Hero 2. Likewise, PS2 Raw Danger is the USA localization of Zettaizetsumei Toshi 2: Itetsuita Kiokutachi.
DVD	Bridge to Terabithia Widescreen Edition	Disney
	Reno 911: Miami	20th CFox
	Black Snake Moan	Paramount
NDS	Time Ace	Konami
	Zendoku	Eidos
	Fantastic 4 Rise of the Silver Surfer	2K Games
PS2	Crash Bandicoot Action Pack	Vivendi
	Naruto Ultimate Ninja 2	Bandai
	Raw Danger	Agetec
	Fantastic 4 Rise of the Silver Surfer	2K Games
PS3	Fantastic 4 Rise of the Silver Surfer	2K Games
PSP	Practical Intelligence Quotient 2	D3
	Puzzle Scape	Got Game
	Rainbow Six Vegas	Ubisoft
Wii	Big Brain Academy: Wii Degree	Nintendo
	Scarface: The World is Yours	Vivendi
	Sims 2 Pets	EA
	Fantastic 4 Rise of the Silver Surfer	2K Games
X360	Fantastic 4 Rise of the Silver Surfer	2K Games
	Tenchu Z	Microsoft