Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Metal Gear Solid 4 Premium Pack - Preorder

Suppliers in Japan started preorders for the MGS4 games last week but it was only last night that they started accepting reservations for the MGS4 Premium Pack which includes a special "Hagane" or steel-tinted version of the Playstation 3 40GB console and a matching Dual Shock 3 controller. The Premium Pack bundle includes the following items:

» PS3 Hagane 40GB Console (Note: multi-voltage 100V to 240V)
» Metal Gear Solid 4 Special Edition Game (two-disc set)
» PS3 Hagane Dual Shock 3 Controller
» Bonus MGS4 "Making Of" Blu-Ray Bonus Disc

The top side of each Hagane console is imprinted with the following text:
"Metal Gear Solid 4 Limited Edition" which is located below the Playstation 3 mark on the top of the unit.

Konamistyle is already sold out of the bundles but NCS is able to guarantee preorders that are submitted today. Based solely on the three preorder offers we've received thus far, vendors will be charging a premium for the bundle. The official retail price in Japan is set at JPY51,800 but NCS will be charging US$689 for the bundle. Since we're fairly certain that the U.S. dollar will hold up against both the Japanese Yen and the Euro for the remainder of the year, we don't expect any price volatility based on currency fluctuations.

Preorders are welcome to ship on June 12, 2008. Reservations for the MGS4 Special Edition game and Regular Edition game are also welcome.

Ryu Ga Gotoku 2 Kiryu Kazuma Lighting Figure - Preorder

Kiryu Kazuma isn't a messianic comic book hero nor is he a super-powered wunderkind out to save the world. He's just muscle. A battle-hardened Yakuza street enforcer who's tactics are brutal. NCS wouldn't go so far as to ascribe the title of "anti-hero" to Kiryu since he has redeeming qualities and a heart of gold when the occasion calls. Maybe we'll coin the term "semi-hero."

Kiryu's broad shoulders have carried three commercially successful games for the House of Sega but toys have been lacking. That changes this summer when Sega Toys releases the Ryu Ga Gotoku 2 Kiryu Kazuma Lighting Figure which features a shirtless gangster who stands on a lit pedestal. The lighting is for dramatic effect. Three weapons are included with the figure for a menacing effect. Preorders ship in late July 2008.

Transformers Binaltech BT-21 Arcee - Preorder

There was a lull with the Binaltech series but Takara/Tomy renews their BT dedication with two new toys which ship on July 17, 2008.

Binaltech BT-21 is based on Binaltech BT-12 which was originally released in 2005 but the roof, steering wheel, and spoiler are new. The pink and feminine robot is none other than Arcee who transforms into a Honda S2000 Hardtop with platinum on pink color scheme. Preorders are welcome to ship in late July 2008.

Transformers Binaltech BT-22 Convoy - Preorder

There was a lull with the Binaltech series but Takara/Tomy renews their BT dedication with two new toys which ship on July 17, 2008.

Binaltech BT-22 which features Convoy looks thicker than normal but that's probably because he has to transform into a muscular Dodge SRT10. Please note the photo to the right is a prototype image and the final product will be colored red. Preorders are welcome to ship in mid-late July 2008 at JPY5000 or US$53.90.

General Updates

Umihara Kawase Portable
A couple of weeks ago, distributors changed the date of PSP Umihara Kawase to an indeterminate date in the Spring of 2008. We noticed however that the game has shipped last night and we'll receive it tomorrow. Preorders will ship on Thursday.
Old Store Shut-down
We'll be shutting down our old shop within the next few months. We're targeting a 6-month timeframe for the closure so customers have time to check their order histories and perhaps save their order logs from the past 10 years. All upcoming preorders will be listed on our new preorder shop at www.shopncsx.com. The main shop will always be at www.ncsxshop.com.
Unfortunately, the new shop can't import customer accounts over but if you wish to place a preorder, please create a new account on our new preorder shop. Apologies for the inconvenience and thanks for your attention. The new shop is more versatile and new features will continually be added. This old shop simply can't be upgraded and new technologies are not available to it. We figured it would be best to shut it down instead of maintaining three separate shops.

Pokemon Dash - Clearance

The first sound that blares forth from the NDS' speakers once Pokemon Dash boots up is "Pika!" as bellowed by a squeaky-voiced monster. That's your cue to get ready for some serious fun. Repeat: serious fun. Pikachu appears on a cobblestone pathway with another monster beside him. The gist is to race Pikachu along the road and touch all of the Pokeball markers on the track while on the way to the goal. The mechanism by which the racing motion is accomplished is repetitive stylus swishing across the touchscreen.
Sale Offering
- Every copy of Pokemon Dash is new and factory sealed. Pricing is set at US$23.90 per copy which includes free shipping by USPS Media Mail within the United States. Larger Photos.