Space Invaders Pillow - Preorder

The 30th Anniversary of Space Invaders is in full swing and Taito's been celebrating the historic event with numerous product announcements and preorders. Over the weekend, the company started accepting reservations for two Space Invaders Pillows. Maybe Taito's trying to pique the interest of buyers who preordered the Space Invaders Towels from a few weeks ago.

The pillows are colored black and decorated with pixel images of Space Invaders in a shade of drab yellow and drab gray. The measurements per pillow are 45cm (17.71") in length and 22cm (8.66") in width which is enough to accommodate human heads, pets, and even fannies. Preorders are welcome to ship in mid-late July 2008 at US$29.90 each.

Demon Bane Another Blood 1/8 Figure - Preorder

In the Demon Bane mythos, a struggling sleuth named Kurou Daijuuji gets an offer he can't refuse. Charged with the retrieval of a mysterious tome for an inordinate sum of cash, Kurou bumps into a waif named Al Azif... who turns out to be the embodiment of the book he's looking for. In quick measure, Al Azif and Kurou form a bond and the two find themselves embroiled in the midst of a battle between two factions.
Al Azif has enjoyed a number of toy incarnations but the upcoming figure from Max Factory is based on the Another Blood persona from Kishin Hisho Demonbane. Scaled at 1/8 and measuring 14cm, A.B's hair is pink to match her frilly crimson attire, floppy hat, and blood-red eyes. Her pose may be likened to that of a blooming flower. Pricing is set at JPY7800 or US$78.90 from NCS. Preorders are welcome to ship in mid-late July 2008.

Japanese Import Outlook - Arrivals on Wed-Thurs

NDS	Kouchyann no shiawase! Kanntann!	Fonfun
	Meitantei Conan: Kieta Hakase to Machigai	Bandai
	Mitamekara Yomigaeru: Otona no Kikonash	Success
PS2	Muso Orochi Maosairin	Koei
	Muso Orochi Maosairin Premium Box	Koei
	Pro Yakyuu Spirits 5	Konami
PS3	Pro Yakyuu Spirits 5	Konami
PSP	Star Ocean 2nd Evolution	SquarEnix

General Updates

USA Release Outlook A single new USA game is expected this week - Mana Khemia for the Playstation 2 should arrive later this afternoon. Each copy of the first printing includes a bonus soundtrack and mini foldout poster. The game and soundtrack are packaged in a shelf-ready slipcase. Pricing is set at US$46.90.

NDS Release Delay Milestone has delayed Shokera Renai Otona no Tame no Metabo Dassutsu from its original date of April 17, 2008 to May 29, 2008. The software is designed to help a user track his daily food intake and exercise regimen (or lack thereof).

Restock Tomorrow All backorders for PSP Umihara Kawase, PSP Monster Hunter Portable 2 G, and NDS Bangai-O Spirits will ship tomorrow. Playstation Network Tickets for the Hong Kong PSN will also arrive tomorrow and all backorders will be processed and fulfilled by Tuesday afternoon.

Sidewinder F - Clearance

Asmik Ace has released three Sidewinder flight-sims in Japan as follows:

Sidewinder MAX - Originally released on December 7, 2000
Sidewinder F - Originally released on December 13, 2001
Sidewinder V - Originally released on August 21, 2003

Today's sale offering is for Sidewinder F which is the midway game in the series. Sidewinder is a realistic combat flight simulator which goes so far as to include a G-Simulator mode where the screen will go dark if you do a particularly gut wrenching move or barrel roll. That's the G-Forces hitting your onscreen pilot where he blacks out from the stress. The game also features limited caches of weapons, fuel, and chaff which add to the realism of the game as opposed to Ace Combat where the weapon and evasion systems are stocked beyond rational reason. A realistic damage model tracks hits taken by your fighter jet and reduces its performance accordingly. Sidewinder contains a total of 20 missions to conquer.

Sale Offering - NCS' remaining inventory of Sidewinder F is new, in mint condition, and factory sealed. Pricing is set at US$15.90 per copy which includes free shipping by USPS Media Mail within the U.S. Photos.