Makai Senki Disgaea: Hour of Darkness - Preorder

Laharl faces his demons once again in the Nintendo DS re-release of the original Disgaea game. The setting takes place two years after the death of the Devil King who was Laharl's father. Instead of counting on his birthright and an easy ascension to the throne, Laharl has to battle and connive against pretenders before taking his place as ruler of the Netherworld. The NDS conversion is based on the PSP remake from 2006 which included new dungeons and new characters who joined the original cast of Etna, Flonne, etc.

All preorders will ship with a bonus Prinny touch pen which is being given away by the publisher in 1:1 ratio. Reservations are welcome to ship on June 26, 2008 at JPY4800 or US$48.90 from NCS.

Jigsaw World: Daigekitou! Jig-Battle Heroes - Preorder

Jigsaw puzzles are as old as the hills but jigsaw-battles are a relatively recent development in the world of gaming. Nippon Ichi's upcoming Jigsaw World for the Nintendo DS pits gamers against COM-controlled characters in rounds of competitive jigsaw puzzle solving action. Eight heroes and heroines designed by Teruhiko Imaizumi are featured in the game and Etna of Disgaea fame is a marquee player. A wireless mode allows two players to jigsaw-battle against each other.

All preorders will ship with a bonus Jig-Battle songbook CD which is being given away by the publisher in 1:1 ratio. Preorders are welcome to ship on June 26, 2008 at JPY4800 or US$48.90 from NCS.

The King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match - Preorder

A decade has passed since the original KOF '98 graced the gaming world with its presence. We still play it every once in a while to test fighting strategies and admire its perfect balance before shuttling it back into storage. KOF '98 is one of those rare fighting games where any fighter featured in the character roster can become a tournament level champion if the player is good enough.

The Taito Type-X coin-op version of KOF '98 Ultimate Match was released just a few weeks ago in Japan but SNK starts preorders for the PS2 version this week. The new game features updated 3D backgrounds, new moves for the characters, 13 additional fighters, a revised Extra Mode, and an entirely new mode dubbed Ultimate Mode. An online mode is also available so gamers can link up online and bout it out against each other.

According to the preorder details, SNK Playmore will give away a bonus KOF '98 cell phone strap in 50% ratio for early preorders. Reservations are welcome to ship on June 26, 2008 at JPY4800 or US$48.90 from NCS.

Neo-Geo Online: Sunsoft Collection - Preorder

SNK pretty much produced all of the software for the Neo-Geo gaming hardware. There were some third-party publishers who supported the platform but it was up to SNK to keep the games rolling consistently on both the MVS and AES Neo-Geo formats. One of Neo-Geo's supporters was Sunsoft which produced a bevy of games for the Famicom, Mega-Drive, and Super Famicom back in the day but the company also gave the Neo-Geo a shot with two fighting games:

» Galaxy Fight - Eight motley fighters (emphasis intended on the word motley) fight with punches, lasers, and kicks on different planets.
» Waku Waku Seven - An enjoyable fighting game which features a cast of seven likable combatants such as the floppy Mauru.

SNK digs both games out of Sunsoft's archives and re-releases them on the PS2 this summer. Per usual Neo-Geo Online Collection convention, both games have been updated with an online fighting mode (BB Multi-Matching), a character color-edit facility, and the ability to view a fighter's complete list of moves at any time by pausing the game. Preorders are welcome to ship on June 26, 2008 at JPY4800 or US$48.90 from NCS.

Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit - Preorder

Goku and Vegeta lead the cast of DBZ into battle once again with a new 3D fighting game installment - the first on the Playstation 3. Burst Limit follows in the footsteps of previous DBZ games where saiyan fly, soar through the sky, thrust earthward, and commence attacks on the ground or from the air. New to the DBZ histrionics are "drama" events which are animated cut-scenes that are spliced right into the fighting action for seamless theatrics during the heat of battle. The use of bonus "drama pieces" also add to the fireworks. There's also a charge-up gauge dubbed the "Aura Spark" where a saiyan becomes a better being with more power, speed, and moxie. An online mode allows fighters across the globe to link up and battle each other.

Preorders for the Japanese version of Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit are welcome to ship on June 5, 2008 but please note the USA version will ship a mere five days later on June 10. Early preorders will include a bonus setting data collection in 30% ratio.

Super Robot Wars A Portable - Preorder

Originally released on the Gameboy Advanced many moons ago, Super Robot Wars A gets ported to the PSP with updated visuals, voice acting, and updated BGM and SE. A bonus SRWA guidebook will also be given away in 50% ratio. Pricing is set at JPY6300 or US$60.90 from NCS and preorders are welcome to ship on June 19.

Super Producers Mezase Show Biz Kai - Clearance

Way before American Idol, there was Super Producers which was originally released on the Dreamcast in 1999. Players take on the role of a Hollywood-esque music mogul who manages, trains, and syncopates singers, dancers, et al for a shot at the top of the J-Pop charts and album gold. If you're really good, maybe you can become a virtual Quincy Jones.

Sale Offering: NCS' remaining inventory of Super Producers Mezase Show Biz Kai is new and factory sealed. Pricing is set at US$15.90 per copy which includes free shipping by USPS Media Mail within the U.S. Larger Photos.