Update from ThePlanet.com

This evening at 4:55pm CDT in our H1 data center, electrical gear shorted, creating an explosion and fire that knocked down three walls surrounding our electrical equipment room. Thankfully, no one was injured. In addition, no customer servers were damaged or lost.

We have just been allowed into the building to physically inspect the damage. Early indications are that the short was in a high-volume wire conduit. We were not allowed to activate our backup generator plan based on instructions from the fire department.

This is a significant outage, impacting approximately 9,000 servers and 7,500 customers. All members of our support team are in, and all vendors who supply us with data center equipment are on site. Our initial assessment, although early, points to being able to have some service restored by mid-afternoon on Sunday. Rest assured we are working around the clock.

We are in the process of communicating with all affected customers. we are planning to post updates every hour via our forum and in our customer portal. Our interactive voice response system is updating customers as well.

There is no impact in any of our other five data centers.I am sorry that this accident has occurred and I apologize for the impact.

-Kevin Hazard

NCSXSHOP down at the moment due to...

Dear Valued Customers,

In the interest of keeping you updated, tonight at 5:45 p.m. here in Houston, a transformer in our H1 data in Houston caught fire, which required us to take down all generators as instructed by the fire department. All servers in the H1 data center are down, as is our ServerCommand customer portal, which are working to move to another data center. None of our other data centers are affected.Our management team and facilities staff are on site evaluating the situation. In our latest assessment, we have determined that networking gear has not been damaged, but we are without power so assessments continue. All disaster recovery systems are in motion, and we have teams already working in the data center.We are posting messages in our forum, in Orbit and on our customer support phone system.We appreciate your patience. We are working around the clock to resolve these critical issues.This link will give you updates as well:

http://forums.theplanet.com/index.php?showtopic=90185

GA-KO Alarm Clock - Preorder, Ships on July 31

In the upcoming Metal Gear Solid 4 game, there's a scene where Naomi Hunter and Sunny Gurlukovich cook three sunny-side up eggs on a frying pan. The tender sequence is punctuated by a cooking timer in the shape of a no-nonsense duck. To get the cooking time for the eggs proper, Sunny sets the GA-KO Timer so that it'll shake and sing out "Dah-Dah" when the eggs are ready.

Konami brings the GA-KO Timer home this summer but the company transitions the product into a more useful GA-KO Alarm Clock which tells time and gets you out of your slumber with insistent "singing" sounds. Note that the duck's wings are on its hips which means you better get up when the alarm sounds off.

The product measurements are H:160mm x W:102mm x D:107mm and the clock runs on two AAA batteries. The clock is constructed of ABS but the timepiece face cover is polycarbonate. The distributor's solicitation notes that only 2000 units will be produced and preorders are welcome today.

Square Enix Music Compilation Vol. 1 - New, In Stock

NCS started reservations a few months ago for a Square Enix exclusive (http://member.square-enix.com) soundtrack which collects 24 tracks of music from various Squaresoft games including FFVII, Front Mission 4, and Saga Frontier. After waiting patiently, the soundtrack is now in stock and shipping to all preorders. Similar to the Mario Galaxy OST Platinum Edition which was exclusive to Club Nintendo, the Square Enix Music Vol. 1 soundtrack is only available on Square Enix's website for members. The track list starts with J-E-N-O-V-A from the FINAL FANTASY VII Original Soundtrack and follows up with The Man with the Machine Gun which was originally from the FINAL FANTASY VIII Original Soundtrack. Many more selections from popular soundtracks stream afterwards...

Shokera Renai Otona no Tame - New Import, In Stock

Milestone's new Shokera Renai Otona no Tame no Metabo Dassutsu Training software + accessory pack is designed to help users keep track of their daily caloric intake and exercise. The software runs on the NDS and serves as a diet diary to record your daily meal regimen. Photographs for roughly 500 dishes are included in the food database in case you're not sure what a hamburger looks like. Two accessories are included - a plastic pedometer with belt clip which tracks your daily walking distance and a tape measure so you can measure how big your belly is. If you're pudgy and want to lose the tire around your stomach, you can track your eating habits and exercise over a period of time and then reduce the consumption or boost the exercise accordingly to meet your target weight.

Hanayoi Romanesque: Ai to Kanashimi - New, In Stock

A breathless audience of over 120,000 players has already enjoyed the visual novel charms of Hanayoi Romanesque on their mobile phones. Those throngs are clamoring for more so Marvelous brings the game home for a bigger and brighter adventure to explore.

Players take on the role of a school teacher named Tamami Kirihara who works at an academy that's been around since the Meiji era. The scions and other blood relations of the prominent Housyou family attend the school but they're all cursed. Tamami happens to be able to view the curse known as "Logos" on the boys and she's also able to lift the curse and free the lads from its effects. Along the way, Tamami may find romance with one of the Housyou sons. Hanayoi Romanesque is a interactive romance adventure that's targeted at girl gamers. By reading a lot of text, looking at nifty artwork, and making a few choices during the story, players help Tamami find love. Some choices will take the Tamami to different scenarios and conclude her story in different ways which opens up the replay potential for the game. Upgrades in the PS2 update of the game include full voice acting for the characters and new CG events.

Togainu no Chi: True Blood - New Import, In Stock

Boys Love games aren't screaming up the sales charts but they have their loyal audiences. Sometimes all one can hope for is a successful niche in the wild, woolly, and fickle world of gaming. Togainu no Chi was originally released for the Japanese PC in 2005 and has garnered a devoted (mostly female) fan base over the past few years. The backdrop of the game is a dystopian Japan after the ravages of a third World War. The story follows the tribulations of a reluctant warrior named Akira who fights for his freedom in the Igura Tournament which is administered by a drug kingpin. Fighters in the Igura battle each other to the death and gather their opponents' dogtags as they move their way up to the final conflict against the kingpin of the Vischio mob.

The mature content in the PC original has been wiped from the console conversion of the game to make it somewhat family friendly. The characters in the game are invariably chiseled, dark, somber, and apparently appealing. The PS2 version features a new character named Yukihito who's voice is provided by Hiroshi Kamiya, a new opening movie, exclusive CG events, and updated music. Every copy of the game will ship with a bonus dogtag and a True Blood Remix audio CD.

Togainu no Chi: True Blood LE - New Import, Sold Out

The limited edition of Togainu no Chi includes a book titled "TOSHIMA 20XX Periodical Report" which is bundled with the game DVD inside a nifty slipcase. The book is all about... Togainu no Chi.

Boys Love games aren't screaming up the sales charts but they have their loyal audiences. Sometimes all one can hope for is a successful niche in the wild, woolly, and fickle world of gaming. Togainu no Chi was originally released for the Japanese PC in 2005 and has garnered a devoted (mostly female) fan base over the past few years. The backdrop of the game is a dystopian Japan after the ravages of a third World War. The story follows the tribulations of a reluctant warrior named Akira who fights for his freedom in the Igura Tournament which is administered by a drug kingpin. Fighters in the Igura battle each other to the death and gather their opponents' dogtags as they move their way up to the final conflict against the kingpin of the Vischio mob.

The mature content in the PC original has been wiped from the console conversion of the game to make it somewhat family friendly. The characters in the game are invariably chiseled, dark, somber, and apparently appealing. All orders include a bonus dogtag and a True Blood Remix CD.

Jikkyou Powerful Pro Baseball Portable 3 - New, In Stock

Year in and year out, NCS can rely on Konami to release a few new versions of Powerful Pro Baseball on the popular consoles of the day. About a decade ago, the consoles of choice were the Sega Saturn and Playstation. This year, the PS2, Wii, and PSP will all get the 2008 versions of the Powerful Pro game. Maybe one day, the PS3 will supplant the PS2. In any case, it's the Playstation Portable's turn this week.

Jikkyou Powerful Pro 3 features updated 2008 season data for all twelve professional teams, updated uniforms that the players wear, and the latest player stats. A number of game modes are playable including:

» Success Mode - Create a baseball player who starts his career in high school and makes his way to the major leagues.
» My Life Mode - Join the big leagues as a rookie and be a team player.
» Pennant Mode - It's a new season and the pennant race is on

The controls rely on a cursor targeting system where every pitch or swing of the bat is governed by a reticule which pinpoints the area of impact. The fielding isn't as precise as the pitching and batting but players in the infield or outfield can efficiently sidle left and right to home in on grounders as well as fly balls that pop upwards momentarily. Two players can link up wirelessly to play a versus game.

Family Trainer - New Import, In Stock

Back in the summer of 1986, Bandai released a fitness game titled Family Trainer: Athletic World on the 8-bit Famicom which shipped with a flimsy mat controller. The idea was to get kids off the couch and in motion with simple mini-games that were played by stepping on the circular cues located on top of the mat. Sales were mediocre and Bandai eventually abandoned hopes of starting a video game fitness craze.

Fast forward two decades later and Bandai's at it again. Emboldened by the recent success of Nintendo's Wii Fit, the company revives Family Trainer for a new generation of gamers. Similar to the original incarnation, Bandai includes a flexible mat controller with the game which looks suspiciously like Konami's dancing pad. The mat is designed for use by one or two players who are able to step lively side by side. This means the entire brood can take turns engaging in gaming exercises which take place upon the mat controller. That's not all folks - the Wii Remote is also used in some games for arm waving antics so the whole body gets a workout.

Bandai touts over 15 cooperative and competitive games in Family Trainer including one where players make like lumberjacks and leap over rolling logs by jumping on the mat.

Garou Densetsu Battle Archives 1 [Best] - New, In Stock

Relive the early years of the brothers Bogard as they sought revenge for the murder of their father, Jeff Bogard. Joining the siblings was one Joe Higashi who kicked up a storm with his Thai boxing discipline. Together, the three formidable young men would show the underworld of Southtown their collective Fatal Fury... «cue the corny music»

To commemorate the 15th anniversary of the series, SNK Playmore reaches back in time and collects four Garou Densetsu games and stamps them onto one DVD. Since this is volume one of the Battle Archives, the second volume should contain the Real Bout games and perhaps Wild Ambition. The games in vol. 1 in the order of release are:

» Garou Densetsu aka Fatal Fury
» Garou Densetsu 2 aka Fatal Fury 2
» Garou Densetsu Special aka Fatal Fury Special
» Garou Densetsu 3 aka Fatal Fury 3

GDBA is a near 1:1 conversion overall with online multi-matching mode and character color mods to change Andy from trademark red to nouveau blue.

Garou Densetsu Battle Archives 2 [Best] - New, In Stock

The Fatal Fury series went past trilogy status about a decade ago and the story of Geese Howard continued in the Real Bout series. With his star on the rise once again, Geese moves to retake control of SouthTown and is opposed by the Bogard siblings, Joe Higashi, and a host of others. Fatal Fury Battle Archives 2 collects the following games on one DVD:

» Real Bout Fatal Fury
» Real Bout Fatal Fury Special
» Real Bout Fatal Fury 2: The Newcomers

The most impressive game is Real Bout 2 with shiny visual gloss and intuitive, fluid gameplay that plays true to the Neo Geo source code. Plug in a Neo Geo joystick and you're home again. The "Newcomers" in Real Bout 2 refer to Li Xiangfei and Rick Strowd who joined the usual Fatal Fury stalwarts in the 2D, 2-plane fighting action. New to the PS2 game is a Practice Mode and online connectivity where bouts may be fought against other players on the Multi-Matching BB service.

Fuuun Super Combo – SNK Best - New Import, In Stock

It's been over a decade since Savage Reign aka Fuun Mokushiroku and Kizuna Encounter: Super Tag Battle aka Fuun Super Tag Battle gobbled up credits in arcades across Japan. While neither game was particularly memorable or unique, Kizuna Encounter has the distinction of being a very rare and thus very expensive Neo Geo home cartridge.

In Savage Reign, a hulking bruiser named Shishioh announces the Battle of the Beast God Tournament where he throws out a televised challenge to the greatest fighters in the world. From all corners of the planet, a motley assortment of nine combatants converge on Shishioh in respective bids to win untold wealth and fame.

Kizuna Encounter takes place after the events of Savage Reign where Shishioh announces another Battle of the Beast God Tournament. In the first challenge, Shioshioh was soundly defeated by the boomerang-wielding Hayate. In the new contest, Shioshioh mandates that the fighters battle in teams of two - thus the "Tag Battle" distinction in the game title.

King of Fighters NESTS Collection [Best] - New, In Stock

In a three part arc of the King of Fighters games, the NESTS Saga chronicled the machinations of a secretive mercenary cabal known appropriately as NESTS. Following the events of King of Fighters '97, Kyo Kusanagi and Iori Yagami have gone missing after they defeated Orochi. As KOF '99 starts, invitations fly out to the world's greatest fighters summoning them to a new underground battle royale. SNK revisits the NESTS Saga by collecting all three games on one DVD as follows:

» King of Fighters '99 Evo (Dreamcast conversion and Neo Geo original)
» King of Fighters 2000 (Playstation 2 conversion and Neo Geo original)
» King of Fighters 2001 (Playstation 2 conversion and Neo Geo original)

KOF '99 introduced Strikers to the fighting action and KOF 2000 and 2001 built on that system where special characters could be called into battle for a momentary burst of muscle power. Along with the games, the PS2 compilation features a character color-edit function, selectable BGM (normal and arrange), and a Multi-Matching Online BB fighting mode where players link up through the internet to bout it out.

Haze - New Import, In Stock

From the Publisher: Haze is a first-person shooter from the developers of Timesplitters, where things look set to get very strange very quickly. Play both sides of the same war and experience two unique game systems, exclusively for the PLAYSTATION3 computer entertainment system.

Set in the year 2048 in a world where governments have outsourced military operations to private military corporations (PMCs), you play as Shane Carpenter, a newly enlisted soldier seeking fulfillment and thrills by fighting for a good cause. As the leading PMC, Mantel Global Industries offers an array of cutting-edge military equipment, including a high-tech arsenal of vehicles, deadly weaponry, and the performance-enhancing drug Nectar. Your conflict begins in a war-torn country where you have been sent to fight a vicious rebel faction, the Promise Hand. At first all is well, but things quickly begin to look a little strange?

Uncover the truth, switch sides, and break away from Mantel's manipulative grip when you join your former enemies, the Promise Hand.

Skygirls Vic Viper Model Kit - Clearance

The Skygirls are a quartet of youngish looking moppets who pilot mechs. Those two ingredients alone will allow them to take over the entirety of Japan. But we don't care about that right now. What perked our ears was Atelier Sai's recent announcement about doing the Vic Viper (of Gradius fame) in the sky blue and white color scheme of the Skygirls. Proportioned at 1/60 scale, the stylish Vic Viper toy measures 20cm (7.87") in length and features exacting details and clean lines for an attractive starship that'll look good on any shmup fan's mantle. We plan on hanging ours from the rafters. This is a model kit which requires assembly with glue, paint and a lot of patience. Larger Photos

English of the Dead - New Import, In Stock

In Japan and many other Asian countries, English is a popular scholastic pursuit and there is a sizable demand for teachers. For eager learners in Nihon who can't quite make it to an English class, there is another way.

English of the Dead

You read that right. Instead of whacking out the undead with a gun, players translate Japanese words or phrases into English and watch as zombies are obliterated. Similar to Sega's Typing of Dead, the English of the Dead uses the House of the Dead 2 game engine for all of its language teaching stages. For players who need help with their English comprehension skills, a hint button may be tapped for clues and cues.

Front Mission 2089: Border of Madness - New, In Stock

Square Enix brings Front Mission full circle back to its roots with Border of Madness for the Nintendo DS which was originally a mobile phone game released in 2005. The 3D battlefields from the recent big console versions of Front Mission are gone but the isometrically viewed encounters from the Super Famicom original are back.

The setting takes players back to Huffman Island where the Oceanic Community Union and the United States of the New Continent are at war once more. A new OCU team led by a lad named Storm tackles assignments on Huffman and skirmishes are fought by touchpen tapping. Character interaction sequences help to relay the story as soldiers and mech handlers go from mission to mission.

Mugen no Frontier: Super Robot Taisen OG Saga - In Stock

Enter the realm of Endless Frontier which is comprised of six worlds where fighters roam the land and battle it out in step-by-step action. Billed as an adventure game with a strategic fighting element, players visit the worlds of Dune Polis, Elfe Tale, Varna Kanai, and others to bout against enemy squads. Unlike the average 2D fighting game where a player controls a character directly and throws out every punch and kick, Mugen no Frontier is a more measured affair. Attacks and combos are triggered by pressing a button or button sequence which is then played out on screen ala Super Robot Wars style.
Some early preorders will include a bonus Special Drama Soundtrack that Banpresto gave away in 50% ratio.

13-Sai no Hello Work DS - New Import, In Stock

In Ryu Murakami's book titled 13-sai no Hallo Work (Job guidance for 13 year-olds) which was originally published in November 2003, the author introduced children to the concept of work and the immense possibilities that sprawled before them. In an interview, Ryu opined, "One must decide its own fate. People get connected to the world through their work. That's why I want to say that one should achieve freedom through becoming economically independent through a job that one enjoys."

Publisher Digital Works has adapted Murakami's book to a Nintendo DS game which features a 13 year-old time traveler from the year 2023. She looks like a normal girl but she's really a robot (MIBO) who's capable of handling a wide variety of menial tasks, jobs, and professions. As the story in the game goes, the robot has been sent back from the future to experience various jobs and bring that specialized knowledge back to the future to benefit the world at large.

The 13-sai no Hallo Work game features 30 occupations and 90 types of mini-games that are related to the jobs that people do. Some jobs featured in the game include soccer player, news announcer, boxer, police officer, and private detective. By using the stylus, players will get to cook, groom dogs, build machines, and cure little tykes of their ails. The soulless melodic voice of MIKU Hatsune (Vocaloid2) is featured in the game for the musician profession.

Beatmania IIDX 14 Gold - New Import, Restock Soon

Few games have gone on to last as long as the Beatmania series but when it's a genre-defining pioneer with a devoted fanbase, maybe it's only fitting that the game endure into perpetuity. Or somewhere close to that. Konami's Beatmania IIDX 14 Gold was released over a year ago in arcades but home consumers will soon get a chance to "Make It Money!"

BMIIDX 14 is all about the bling. Gold. Appropriately enough, there's a highly energetic song dubbed "Gold Rush" by DJ YOSHITAKA-G feat. Michael a la mode where the lines, "Make It Make Money" and the recitation of all the Beatmania game title iterations such as "Shioa Sty!" may be heard. The CS version features roughly 90 songs from the usual suspects such as Sota Fujimori (Andromeda), Kosuke Saito aka kors k, Toshiyuki Kakuta aka L.E.D. and more. New songs include "Golden Cross" by dj REMO-CON vs dj TAKA, "Treasure X Star" from NAOKI & Ryu¤, "Guilt & Love" courtesy of The Plastic Ambition, and "SEQUENCE CAT" by SLEDLAKE (SLAKE & L.E.D.). The standard game modes such as Beginner, Tutorial, Free, Expert, etc make their expected return. New features include selectable difficulty levels for 2-player games and a new points system for unlocking songs.

Mana Khemia 2 + Bonus Puni - New Import, In Stock

Vain Aureolus, Philomel Hartung, Gunnar Damm, and the other heroes from the original Mana Khemia have moved on and a new cast of characters star in the sequel. Players join Roseluxe Meitzen (blue-haired lad on the game cover) or Ulrika Myberg (blonde lass) in a new adventure where the two heroes are incoming students at an academy of alchemy known as Al-Revis.

As the story begins, the school has lost its luster as the premiere vocational institution for aspiring alchemists due to student body apathy and the gradual dissipation of Mana. As a sort of parallel, the academy has also physically fallen from the air to ground level. To rectify its flagging status, the prefects decide to expand the school's specialties to include other disciplines outside the alchemical arts. Roseluxe and Ulrika view alchemy differently and take divergent paths to reach their goals. Roseluxe harbors ill feelings towards alchemy while Ulrika embraces it. The new students spend their time in class and out in the wilds hunting for ingredients, reagents, and monsters. The highly detailed item creation system from the first Mana Khemia returns where weapons and equipment may be synthesized for use by party members.

Mana Khemia 2 Limited Edition - New Import, In Stock

Fans of Mana Khemia not content with just the regular edition of the game may pay an additional $40 for the limited edition. What do you get for the extra dosh? A nifty diorama which features Roseluxe and Ulrike in SD form inside a workshop.

Battle Fantasia - New Import, In Stock

Battle Fantasia plies the 2D fighting game trade where twelve warriors duke it out with weapons and magic across 24 stages. There's a warrior named Urs who's an unevenly armored bruiser armed with a gun-sword and a maiden named Coyori who carries a serving dish and jumps around like the dickens. Her look is reminiscent of Chun-Li. Although the game is 2D, the fighters are polygon models which allow for somewhat more fluid animation when they walk, jump, and throw down. The game is highly dynamic with moves that can send opponents juggling up into the air while luminescent fireworks blaze across the screen.

The PS3 conversion of Battle Fantasia includes the original Arcade Mode along with a Story Mode and an online VS Mode. For battlers who need a bit of training, the Practice Mode is probably where you'll want to visit first to try out different moves and hit combos. A Gallery Mode contains illustrations and artwork for fans to appreciate.

Battle Fantasia - New Import, In Stock

Battle Fantasia plies the 2D fighting game trade where twelve warriors duke it out with weapons and magic across 24 stages. There's a warrior named Urs who's an unevenly armored bruiser armed with a gun-sword and a maiden named Coyori who carries a serving dish and jumps around like the dickens. Her look is reminiscent of Chun-Li. Although the game is 2D, the fighters are polygon models which allow for somewhat more fluid animation when they walk, jump, and throw down. The game is highly dynamic with moves that can send opponents juggling up into the air while luminescent fireworks blaze across the screen. The fighter named Face can take out a bazooka and fire off a projectile attack while Olivia fights with a flag. Marco can call forth a little dragon dubbed Charsu which flies across the screen and throws out multiple attacks.

The X360 conversion of Battle Fantasia includes the original Arcade Mode along with a Story Mode and an online VS Mode. For battlers who need a bit of training, the Practice Mode is probably where you'll want to visit first to try out different moves and hit combos. A Gallery Mode contains illustrations and artwork for fans to appreciate.

Valhalla Knights 2 - New Import, In Stock

The original Valhalla Knights from 2006 was a decent game but it was unoriginal and followed tried and true design conventions to a tee. The sequel isn't radically different from the first game but MMV taps Miwa Shouda (previous work: FFXII, Legend of Mana) to write the scenarios featured in VK2 and adds a bounty of character customization options.

At the outset of the game, players choose a race from the usual archetypes such as Human, Hobbit, or Dwarf as well as the sex of the protagonist. NCS doesn't want to demean the Dwarves but the women look like sumo. Male sumo. Character features may be edited from a large number of options so that a unique hero/heroine may be crafted.

Valhalla Knights 2 is a 3D adventure game. The protagonist is maneuvered through the world which rotates and winds around in accommodating fashion. Battles against creatures are somewhat reminiscent of Monster Hunter Portable where your hero runs around a beast and strikes at opportune moments. Unlike Monster Hunter however, once a creature is vanquished, its body disappears entirely. That means there'll be no mutton chops to carve from the carcass.

Some early preorders will include a bonus Sound of Valhalla Knights soundtrack which contains melodic orchestrated BGM from the game.

Daytona USA 2001 - Clearance

Original Update: December 21, 2000
Sega's flagship racing game jumps into the new millenium with a mighty frame, pretty colors and silky moves. Sure, Ridge Racer V looks fancy but it cannot usurp the racing gameplay throne held by Daytona.

Sale Offering: NCS' inventory of Daytona USA 2001 for the Japanese Dreamcast is new, factory sealed, and in mint condition. Please note Japanese DC games cannot be played on a USA DC unless a circumvention device or boot disc is utilized. Pricing is set at US$12.90 per copy which includes free shipping by USPS Media Mail within the U.S. Larger Photos

Princess Crown Gradriel ver 1.5 Figure - New, In Stock

In the Princess Crown videogame for the Sega Saturn, a royal daughter named Gradriel served as the protagonist of the adventure. Despite her frail-looking frame and reserved demeanor, Gradriel swung her broadsword like a champ and proved her mettle against adversity. A couple of years ago, Atlus re-released the game on the PSP and gained a new legion of fans which led to toy merchandising.

Yujin released a Princess Crown Gradriel v1.0 figure on November 19, 2007 which sold well and eventually sold out. For an encore, the company releases Gradriel v1.5 which adds a silvery shield to the princess' repertoire. The posable Gradriel figure appears identical to v1.0 but it's roughly 2cm shorter at 16cm or 6.29" in height. All preorders have shipped as of last week and new orders are welcome. Jan Code: 4904790971938

Star Wars Kubrick Series 8 - New Import, In Stock

The Star Wars Kubrick series outsells pretty much every other Kubrick toy we've stocked thanks to a rabid devoted fan base. The eighth Star Wars Kubrick release seeks to thrill fans once again with fresh faces from the Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace movie. The six standard character featured in the set are as follows:

» Trade Federation Battle Droid with Blaster
» Darth Maul with Double-Bladed Lightsaber
» Anakin Skywalker in Pod Racer Outfit with Tools
» C-3PO Prototype Production Version
» Qui-Gon Jinn with Lightsaber
» Queen Amidala in Red Senator Gown

In addition to the standard figures listed above, rare Chase figures are also randomly packaged in the factory boxes but some Chase figures only appear once in every 4 factory boxes. Good luck in finding them. NCS supplies the Kubrick figures in complete factory boxes of 12 toys.

Revoltech No. 50 - New Import, In Stock

In the Tengen Toppa Gurren-Lagann animated series, the mechs are known as Gunmen. There's hasn't been enough TTGL toy merchandising in Japan so it's Kaiyodo's duty to induct a Gunman into the Revoltech toy line.

The beauty of the Revoltech toys lie in the "Revolver Joints" which allow for full freedom when posing the figure. Once a joint is positioned, it'll ratchet into place and stay there until you change its position. The Gunman measures 12cm or 4.72" tall and features a total of 19 joints. Thanks to the many points of articulation, the robot may be positioned into battle stances galore or even into thoughtful repose. An extra helmeted head, a golden drill weapon, and four extra hands are included in the product packaging. Preorders have shipped already and new orders are welcome.

Figma Kanu Unchou Figure - Preorder

Ikkitousen's brightest star is a raven-haired warrior named Kanu Unchou. She's been sculpted into many toys as we've chronicled over the past few months. NCS was hoping for Revoltech Kanu or Nendroid Kanu but we're going to be getting Figma Kanu instead. The Figma line-up from Max Factory features articulated PVC-ABS figures which are supported by a mounting stand. They're awfully popular and very well done in terms of construction quality.

Kanu's Figma turn measures 145mm or 5.70" in height. She wields a big honking Blue Dragon spear and wears a blue and white ensemble that hearkens back to old school Kanu. You know, before she became everything to everyone. Max Factory throws in extra faces, chunks of interchangeable battle-shredded clothing, and additional fists inside each package. Preorders ship in late July 2008 at US$30.90 per figure.

General Updates

Nintendo DS Arkanoid Paddle Controller After selling out last month, NCS has restocked a small batch of the Silver and White NDS Paddle Controllers from one of our Japanese suppliers. Please note that pricing is set at US$26.90 and new orders are welcome.

Hori Real Arcade Pro 3 Another shipment of HRAP3s is expected on Thursday of this week and any backorders will ship once the stock arrives. We'll also post an update if we're able to get another batch of the Hori RAP2 S.A.

Playstation Portable Delays Suigetsu Portable and Suigetsu Portable Limited Edition have been delayed from June 26 to August 28, 2008. If you've preordered either game, please mark your import calendar accordingly.

Tengen Toppa Gurren-Lagann Yoko MMS Figure - Preorder

When it comes to posable consumer toys from Japan, NCS is of the opinion that Max Factory's Figma series lords over Kaiyodo's Revoltech and Konami's MMS lines. They're all good but Figma has an edge in terms of quality and ease of posing. It's a shame that Yoko Ritona of Tengen Toppa Gurren-Lagann fame hasn't been Figma-tized yet but until that happens, we have Yoko MMS. Last year, Konami released a "Multi-Movable System" version of Yoko which sold out fairly quickly but Konami has announced a reproduction of the figure which ships in July.

The MMS version of Yoko measures 15cm tall and features jointed limbs so the figure may be posed in a variety of action stances. If you look to the left, Yoko may be seen aping Rambo. Preorders are welcome to ship in late July 2008 at JPY3500 or US$38.90 from NCS. Jan Code: 4988602134902

Sheep - Clearance

Docile lambs are easily guided by your sheepdog across levels of coercive puzzle-game action. Later levels require a higher level of precision and guidance as you marshall your flock across bodies of water, tricky obstacles and other perilous terrain.

Sale Offering: NCS' remaining inventory of Sheep for the Japanese PS1 is new, factory sealed, and in mint condition. Please note Japanese PS1 games cannot be played on a USA PS1 unless a circumvention device or boot disc is utilized. Pricing is set at US$13.90 per copy which includes free shipping by USPS Media Mail within the U.S. Larger Photos

Aqua Drop - Import Preorder

Back in the day, toy stores sold self-contained handheld maze games where a metal ball was moved from point A to point B. The toys were cheap, easy to break, and good enough to keep the attention of the kids while mom did the laundry or burned the roast.

Bandai's aqua drop follows the gist of those old handheld games but instead of relying on a metal sphere, drops of water are used and maneuvered through a maze. The maze inside the aqua drop is made of a specially treated surface which causes water to bead and roll like a ball instead of dispersing into a mini puddle. Preorders are welcome to ship in mid-late July 2008 at US$18.00 from NCS.

Ginga Ojousama Densetsu Collection - Import Preorder

Better known as Galaxy Fraulein Yuna stateside, Ginga Ojousama Densetsu was a big deal in the 90s but the franchise has since faded from the mainstream. Unlike the everlasting phenomenon known as Evangelion, Yuna is an example of a once popular property that was once pervasive but its endurance petered out eventually. Hudson won't have any of that however. They don't care that Yuna is a fading memory. They're going to gather together three Ginga Ojousama Densetsu games from the PC-Engine, stamp them onto a single UMD, and sell it for the budget price of JPY2800. The games included in the collection are:

» Ginga Ojousama Densetsu Yuna (original release: Oct 23, 1992)
» Ginga Ojousama Densetsu Yuna II (original release: Jun 20, 1995)
» Ginga Fukei Densetsu: Sapphire (original release: Nov 24, 1995)

The first two games are interactive adventures which feature Yuna and her coterie of allies and friends. NCS is most interested in the third game, Sapphire, however since it's one of the best vertical shooters from the days of the PC-Engine. If you can find it in Japan, Sapphire can command a price of US$500 per copy but we're guessing that lofty price will take a hit once the PSP Ginga collection ships to market. Each of the three games is a direct port with no enhancements and a special Yuna illustrations gallery is also included on the UMD for fans of art and sketches. Preorders are welcome to ship on July 31, 2008 at JPY2800 or US$30.90 from NCS.

Uki Uki Chocobo - Delayed Again, Ships in June 2008?

When Square Enix announced preorders for the Uki Uki Chocobo earlier this year, NCS assumed that it would be a cinch to produce and ship the toys on time. After all, rubber duckies are common and the manufacturing process to produce them is out there and accessible.

Chocobo's pointy feathers must be causing a snag because Rubber Chocky has been delayed once again to "late June" from an original ship date of April and the revised date of May. We'll continue to track the progress of Uki Uki Chocobo and post another update once a confirmed ship date is announced. Preorders are still welcome at US$13.50 each.

Kingdom Hearts Formation Arts 2 - Reproduction Preorder

Fans who missed out on the first production of Square's Kingdom Hearts Formation Arts Vol. 2 toys will get another chance this summer. The six characters featured in the set as follows: Cloud, Kairi, Goofy, Oogie Boogie, Ansem, and Jafar. Each figure measures approximately 10cm tall and includes a base and an accessory or two inside each box. For example, Goofy's toy includes the main figure and a little spire for him to cling to while Ansem's figure is the most elaborate of the six and includes a Xehanort's Heartless figure and Ansem's Shadow Guardian which are both mounted on a pedestal.

Each factory sealed case of 8 toys contains a complete set of 6 color figures and 2 gray (monotone) figures. Preorders are welcome to ship in mid-late August at US$80.90 per factory box.

Japanese Import Outlook - Arrivals on Wed-Thurs

NDS	13-Sai no Hallo Work DS	DWorks
	Front Mission 2089: Border of Madness	Square
	Mugen no Frontier: Super Robot Taisen OG Saga	Banpresto
	Zombie Shiki - English of the Dead	Sega
PS2	BeatMania IIDX 14 Gold	Konami
	Fuuun Super Combo – SNK Best	SNK
	Garou Densetsu Battle Archive 1 – SNK Best	SNK
	Garou Densetsu Battle Archive 2 – SNK Best	SNK
	King of Fighters NESTS Collection – SNK Best	SNK
	Mana Khemia 2	Gust
	Mana Khemia 2 Limited Edition	Gust
	Togainu no Chi: True Blood	Kadokawa
	Togainu no Chi: True Blood DX Pack	Kadokawa	X
PS3	Battle Fantasia	Arc Sys
PSP	Jikkyou Powerful Pro Baseball Portable 3	Konami
	Valhalla Knights 2	Marvelous
X360	Battle Fantasia	Arc Sys
Wii	Family Trainer	Bandai