NDS DS Bimoji Training - New Import, In Stock

Beautiful penmanship is a rarity nowadays what with the Blackberry and texting doing all of our written notes for us. Perhaps proper handwriting and calligraphy are dying relics but it doesn't have to be like that. Instead of the chicken scratches that you create on paper, Bimoji Training teaches users the proper way of writing kanji characters so they curve, slant, and come together like they should in the classical style.

The software features a total of 3,099 kanji characters which are categorized into eight stages of proficiency. As you conquer one level of difficulty, move onto the next level to hone your kanji writing skills until you're like an old master. You know, the ones who have grizzly goatees and gnarly hands who look like they're really wise and learned.

Duel Love: Koisuru Otome wa Shouri no Joshin - New Import

Girl gamers used to be a rare breed but their numbers have grown in recent years. Bandai targets the fairer demographic with a new romance adventure where lanky boxing boys are the objects of affection. Players attend Sakura Katsura Private Academy and make friends with a bunch of classmates and possibly find love amongst the rabble. Similar to other dating games, Duel Love features interactive scenarios where characters converse by way of multiple choice selections. For example, if a boy says he likes wrestling as much as boxing, you should agree that wrestling is fun to win his heart even if you secretly despise wrestling with every fiber of your being. All preorders will ship with a bonus Sakura Katsura Entrance Guide DVD which is being given away by the publisher.

Edo Culture History Kentei DS - New Import, Restock Soon

Students of Japanese history have a friend in Marvelous' new NDS non-game which schools users on the world of old Edo. Before Tokyo was named Tokyo, it was known as Edo. Grand old Edo, which once held the seat of power for the Tokugawa Shogunate for over two centuries.

By plugging the Edo Culture card into an NDS, users may take virtual tours, learn about the culture, visit the Edo Museum, and view important landmarks. There's also a map function which compares modern Tokyo to Edo. Once you've absorbed enough information, test your proficiency by answering approximately 500 questions in a quiz format exercise. In addition to the scholastic appeal of Edo Culture, there's a few mini-games to whittle away the time and a collection of woodblocks to view.

Jigsaw Puzzle DS: DS de Meguru Sekai Isan no Tabi - New

Take a tour around the world by completing jigsaw puzzles where virtual cardboard pieces are manipulated and fitted together by using the NDS stylus. Over 80 famous sites and landmarks are featured in the game including the Great Sphinx of Giza and Pyramids in Egypt, the Great Wall in China, the Taj Mahal in India, Easter Island, and the Acropolis in Athens.

When the puzzle gaming begins, the top NDS screen features a photograph of the landmark and the touch screen contains the jigsaw action area. Puzzles can consist of 36, 48, 81, or 108 pieces for varying levels of difficulty. Once a puzzle is finished, the word "Completion" appears and you'll be privy to a little travelogue.

Kage Densetsu: The Legend of Kage 2 - New Import

Ninja shenanigans resume this Spring when Taito revives The Legend of Kage for a new generation of gamers. Players control a bare-chested ninja named Kage who jumps across obstacles, swings across ceilings, and throws stars at fiends to dispatch them. Kage attacks with conventional blows but he can call upon special flaming attacks to get out of hairy situations.

A second playable ninja named Chihiro is armed with a spear with a hook at the end. Chihiro's secondary weapon is a chain of sorts which she throws out. She's just as versatile as Kage in terms of mobility and attack skills. The game utilizes both NDS screens for an vertical aspect gaming experience where enemy ninjas attack from above and from the sides. Interaction sequences take place on the top screen for added dramatics.

Simple DS Vol. 34 The Haisha - New Import, In Stock

If you're a dental school dropout who nevertheless wants to practice dentistry, you'll have a chance to ply your skills in D3P's The Haisha. By using the stylus, players get to drill into innocent teeth, fill cavities, and install crowns on hapless patients - all on the touch screen of the Nintendo DS. If your skill is palpable and the anaesthesia is working, the patient will experience little or no discomfort during a procedure. She might even smile after it's all over. However, if you're a butcher without any sense of tactile precision, the patient's pained expressions will be a testament to his/her anguish as he/she experiences mortal pain, cries out for mama, and vows vengeance upon your entire bloodline.

Parodius Portable [The Best] - New Import, In Stock

The dead serious Gradius games were dark, somber, and stone cold. Konami realized this back in 1988 and decided to lighten things up by parodying their flagship shooter series with a little game called Parodius. Instead of powerful space ships such as the Vic Viper or the Lord British, Parodius gave players control of a pink octopus named Takosuke which flew and blasted away with blazing lasers. From there, the Parodius series gained more characters, more bizarre bosses, and enraptured fans with light-hearted visuals that were very Japanese.

Konami collects five Parodius games on a single PSP UMD and throws in screen adjustment facilities, in-game modifiers, and a very convenient save/load function. The music in the Parodius games are bright, lively, and crisp so Konami included a BGM player in the software so gamers can listen to the tunes without having to play through the different games.

The five games contained in Parodius Portable are:

1) Parodius (1988, 2007) MSX Remake
2) Parodius Da! (1990) Coin-op version
3) Gokujou Parodius: Kakou no Eikou wo Momomete (1994)
4) Sexy Parodius (1996)
5) Jikkyou Oshaberi Parodius - forever with me - (1996)

Salamander Portable [The Best] - New Import, In Stock

In our opinion, the inclusion of "Xexex" in Salamander Portable made it an automatic must-have release. We've sold and traded a total of 27 Xexex arcade pcbs over the past 10 years at prices ranging from US$300 to US$800. It's a game that has been much sought after and we still keep 2 Xexex boards in our little shooter shrine for purely sentimental reasons. To see the game in a PSP collection and made available to everyone (legitimately) is a thing of beauty. The other games in Salamander Portable are bonuses but we would have paid the price of admission for Xexex alone. We're crazy like that.

The five games collected in Salamander Portable are:

1) Salamander (1986) Coin-op version
2) Gradius 2 (1987) Coin-op version
3) Life Force (1987) Coin-op version
4) Xexex (1991) Coin-op version
5) Salamander 2 (1996) Coin-op version

The game versions used in Salamander Portable are the original coin-op releases with the "Deposit Coin" text on the title screens. The default game screen for the shooters is a square viewing area surrounded by borders but the screen ratio may be changed to fit the PSP widescreen.

Twinbee Portable [The Best] - New Import, In Stock

When one thinks of Twinbee, pastel images and colored bells generally come to mind. Konami's Twinbee started out as a simple vertical shooter in 1985 and eventually led to sequels and gaming adjuncts such as a Twinbee RPG and a Twinbee platform action game. The unique feature of the Twinbee ship was its gloved hands which punched outwards as a secondary weapon. Twinbee game stages featured lots of clouds which released bells when shot. The bells served as power-ups when collected but keep shooting a bell and its color and attendant power-up changes.

The games in the PSP collection hail from the arcade originals except for Twinbee Da! which is a remake of the Gameboy original. The remake is a visual feast of pastel and widescreen shooting action.

The titles included in Twinbee Portable are:

1) Twinbee (1985) Coin-op version
2) Twinbee DA! (1990) Gameboy Remake
3) Detana!! Twinbee (1991) Coin-op version
4) Pop n' Twinbee (1993) Coin-op version
5) Twinbee Yahho! Fushigi no Kuni de Ooabare (1995) Coin-op version

Special PSP features include a screen modification facility, game setting toggles, and a save/load feature.

Freeloader for Nintendo Wii - New, In Stock

A batch of USA Wii Freeloaders arrived yesterday and all preorders have shipped as of Wednesday afternoon. New orders will ship today.

NCS tested the Freeloader yesterday on one of our USA Wii consoles (Firmware v3.1U) and found it to be as easy to use as the original Gamecube version which was released many moons ago. Simply tuck the disc into the Wii's motorized drive, boot it up, and wait for two instances of colorful lines to distort the screen. Next, tap the eject button to remove the Freeloader disc and insert your Japanese or European Wii game and you're on your way to becoming an international player. For our playtest, we loaded up Oneechanbara Revolution followed by Chocobo no Fushigi na Dungeon but we didn't have any European Wii games loose in our library. Datel however assures us with the following words from the product packaging, "Play Your Wii Games From Any Country On Your Wii Console!"

Who are we to doubt them? Please note the version that we have in stock is the USA Wii console version of the Freeloader. Pricing is set at US$23.90. Product SKU: DUS0264 / UPC Code: 89066400164

Pega 7" Adjustable LCD Monitor - Clearance Sale

Summer and summer vacation are just a few months away. If you're taking a road trip with the family, may we suggest packing a Wii, a Pega 7" LCD, and enough games to keep someone in the camper from bellowing out, "Are we there yet?"

The Pega monitor is designed to bolt onto the back of the Wii console so the two pieces of hardware become one laptop-like contraption. Please note that there is no power adapter included inside the packaging but you can use a DC12V power adapter from Radio Shack to supply the juice. A cigarette adapter for use in a car is included for powering up the LCD when inside your vehicle.

NCS Sale Offering
Pricing per Pega PG-WI032 7" Adjustable LCD Monitor is set at US$109.00 which includes free shipping by UPS Ground within the United States. All stock is new and orders will ship in carefully packaged cartons to ensure perfect LCD arrival. [Larger photos] Jan Code: 6900214002408