Friday, August 03, 2007

Trigger Heart Exelica 1/8 Scale Figure

NCS has enjoyed a fruitful relationship with the Trigger Heart Exelica game for the Naomi and the Dreamcast. Whenever new DC games reach market, they still sell like they're going out of style... which they are... sort of.

To prolong NCS' fruitful relationship with the Trigger Heart game, Toy maker Alter has started preorders for a 26cm or 10.23" tall figure based on the purple-maned Exelica. Perhaps a matching Cruel Tear figure will be made sometime next year. Exelica is decked out in her trademark armor from the game which looks awfully delicate and intricate in the photos we're posting up today. Preorders are welcome to ship in mid-late December 2007. Since we have an affinity for Exelica, we'll have these shipped from Japan by themselves once they're released so we can have them before Christmas. Pricing is set at JPY15,540 or US$149 from NCS.

Slide Adventure: Mag Kid

Back in the late 70s, Atari came up with the trakball controller for a little game called Football which represented the players with Xs and Os. As the video game market exploded in the 80s, the trakball was used on games such as Missile Command, Centipede, and Millipede. The trakball was essentially a big marble mounted in a receptacle with rollers underneath which mapped its X and Y position. For example, to move the cursor in Missile Command, players rolled the trakball with their palm(s) to target incoming missiles.

The Slide Adventure: Mag Kid game includes a special controller that's similar to the trakball but in reverse. Instead of rolling it with your palm, you roll the controller on a flat surface to move a creature known as Mag Kid.

Melty Blood Act Cadenza Ver. B LE

The cast of Shingetsutan Tsukihime gather together and settle blood feuds once and for all in a fast-paced 2D fighting game. Originally released on the PC in December of 2002 and made into a Naomi-based arcade game in 2004, the PC Act Cadenza Version B is based on the coin-op release which features a new Tag Team mode and fixes some glitches. The Limited Edition of Act Cadenza Ver. B includes an official soundtrack CD in addition to the game.

Melty Blood Act Cadenza plays a fierce fighting game with a cast of 23 fighters who all wield magic and in the case of Nrvnqsr Chaos, rabid animals that strike out from various parts of his body. A Magic Circuit gauge for each fighter builds up with every contact hit and allows the ignition of special attacks as well as the ability to go into powerful attack modes. Fighters may perform cancels, guard against attacks, double jump for air, chain attacks together, and conclude a monstrous attack sequence with a mighty magic blast.

J.League Winning Eleven 2007 Club Championship

Soccer is a game of back and forth where the players ebb and flow like the waves slapping on a beach. Attack and retreat. The key to winning is a careful balance of both actions where strikers on the field attack with careful precision and trudging motion while retreating defenders parry opposing strikers. NCS likens soccer to one of the principles in the I Ching where there is a time to be strong and a time to hunker down.

Konami's J-League Winning Eleven 2007 Club Championship game features all 18 J.League Division 1 clubs and 13 J.League Division 2 clubs for a total of 31 professional teams. In addition to the home grown talent, European and South American pro teams are also featured in the game for some international flavor. Real world 2006-2007 season data is utilized for the stats to keep it current. For added authenticity, the team uniforms and each player's unique likeness are featured in the game.

Game modes include World Tour, Master League, World Cup, and the new Fantasista Mode where players take on the persona of one player and develop skills to become a superstar on the field.

Goku Makaimura Kai

Twenty two years ago, Capcom rehashed the age old yarn about a damsel in distress. Instead of sending a plumber to do a man's job however, a more traditional hero archetype was summoned to perform the rescue. Jumping and throwing weapons like a banshee, a knight in shining armor went on a mission to save his betrothed from a demonic kidnaper.

The original PSP version of Goku Makaimura released last year recreated the original adventure from over 2 decades ago but with rich and vibrant visuals along with a revamped game engine that runs in 2D but also features 3D sequences as well. In the first level which is titled "Forest of Evil," the action is reminiscent of the classic Makaimura where the knight battles a crowd of enemies that approach on the ground and from the air. A spitting Venus flytrap sends deadly kisses through the air and a gruesome mid-level boss shoots squishy eye creatures.

The new Goku Makaimura Kai is an updated version of the PSP game where Arthur reprises his role but with some improvements that are evident in the first level. Arthur can perform a double jump immediately without having to power-up. Arthur can also pick up a shield in the first level that's slung to his back when not in use. To defend himself against attack, push down on the d-pad and he'll raise the shield to blunt projectiles. There's a red-white dragon shield which can be used as a temporary airlift to access otherwise unreachable areas.

Minna no Golf Jou Vol. 2

Hit the links with Sony's Minna no Golf Jou Vol. 2 which plays a satisfying game of golf across 120 courses and serves double duty as a digital caddy if you're enjoying a real world afternoon of golf at a supported course in Japan. PSP owners living in Japan armed with the GPS Receiver and a copy of the game can visit one of 34 golf courses in Ibaraki, Shizuoka, or Hokkaido and play golf with a virtual caddy. The game package includes two UMDs - the first UMD contains recreations of golf courses that are located in Ibaraki while the second UMD hosts courses from Hokkaido and Shizuoka. When choosing which course to play on either UMD, a colored map of the prefecture is shown and the location of each golf course is highlighted when you scroll through the different venues to play on.

Old hands to the Minna no Golf franchise will find a friendly game interface manned by affable characters as well as a challenging golf simulation. Select one of four possible virtual golfers (2 guys and 2 girls) to use as your onscreen agent and modify their appearance with different hairstyles, clothing, and accessories such as glasses or bows. Players may also decide to play on a sunny course or a rainy one to mix up the atmospherics. Once the golfer has been created, mosey onto the golf course and swing your way to eagle or maybe just bogey. For players who utilize the virtual caddy GPS function of the software, the distance to a hole may be calculated in real time to determine which club to use.

Minna no Golf Jou Vol. 2 + GPS Receiver

Hit the links with Sony's Minna no Golf Jou Vol. 2 which plays a satisfying game of golf across 120 courses and serves double duty as a digital caddy if you're enjoying a real world afternoon of golf at a supported course in Japan. PSP owners living in Japan armed with the GPS Receiver and a copy of the game can visit one of 34 golf courses in Ibaraki, Shizuoka, or Hokkaido and play golf with a virtual caddy. The game package includes two UMDs - the first UMD contains recreations of golf courses that are located in Ibaraki while the second UMD hosts courses from Hokkaido and Shizuoka. When choosing which course to play on either UMD, a colored map of the prefecture is shown and the location of each golf course is highlighted when you scroll through the different venues to play on.

Old hands to the Minna no Golf franchise will find a friendly game interface manned by affable characters as well as a challenging golf simulation. Select one of four possible virtual golfers (2 guys and 2 girls) to use as your onscreen agent and modify their appearance with different hairstyles, clothing, and accessories such as glasses or bows. Players may also decide to play on a sunny course or a rainy one to mix up the atmospherics. Once the golfer has been created, mosey onto the golf course and swing your way to eagle or maybe just bogey. For players who utilize the virtual caddy GPS function of the software, the distance to a hole may be calculated in real time to determine which club to use.

Forever Blue

A few years ago, Arika produced a PS2 game titled EverBlue and followed up with a sequel. In those earlier games, players searched for treasure in the briny depths of the ocean while enjoying underwater sights and the creatures deep below. Keeping with the theme of "ever blue," Arika's fascination with the ocean continues with Forever Blue on the Wii. Should Arika pursue the love affair further, we're looking forward to Forever Blue 2 or possibly Eternally Blue for their next ocean-based game.

Players take control of an expert diver who explores the depths of the South Pacific Ocean and interacts with sea creatures big and small which include whales, schools of fish, stingrays, and dolphins. When exploring the underwater environs, the time is tracked by the game engine which changes how the deep looks during the daytime contrasted with the night. When a new creature is encountered, it can be added to a scrap book of sorts so you can peruse its image later. In addition to areas of the ocean that are mapped by man already, unknown areas may be explored such as ruins and caves that may yield surprises. Players may serve as a diving instructor or an undersea photographer to earn coin. Two players may link up with the Nintendo Wi-Fi connection to enjoy a cooperative experience.