Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Knights in the Nightmare - Import Preorder

In Sting's upcoming S-RPG, players take control of a discarnate spirit known as a "Wisp" who guides a battalion of knights by taking over their bodies and bending them to its will. By commanding the knights thusly, skirmishes are fought against opposing forces on isometric grid-based battlefields.

Similar in style to other S-RPGs, the game is broken up into missions where objectives are presented along with a snippet of storyline. As missions are conquered, the Wisp and party level up in experience and are given the opportunity to improve weapons and items by utilizing material collected from the battlefield. Party members may also transfer vitality to compatriots in a process dubbed "Tran-Soul." Please note that NCS is currently only accepting preorders for the regular edition of Knights in the Nightmare since our suppliers have warned us that the limited edition will be difficult to stock. Preorders will ship on July 17, 2008.

Sangokushi Taisen Sora (Arcade Shutsujin Bundle) - Preorder

Sega's Sangokushi Taisen game was originally released in Japanese arcades in 2005 and made its way to the Nintendo DS last year. Since then, Sega has upgraded the game in the arcades and NDS players get to enjoy the new release this summer.

Sangokushi Taisen Sora is a card-based simulation game where armies are marshaled into battle through the NDS touch screen. By tapping on contingents of soldiers and then directing them, the grunts will move and attack opposing armies. NCS is accepting preorders for the special Arcade Shutsujin Bundle of the game which includes four exclusive bonus cards, plastic sleeves to store the cards, and a copy of the Arcade version's operator manual. Preorders for the Regular Edition of the game are also welcome starting today to ship on July 10, 2008.

Tears to Tiara: Kakan no Daichi - Import Preorder

A millennium has passed since a white-haired demon named Arawn (that's the correct spelling according to Aquaplus) was imprisoned inside a tomb. On the day of his awakening, a maiden named Riannon is all set to be sacrificed as an offering when she's saved by her brother Arthur. After a conspiracy of events, Arawn befriends the siblings and gathers together a party of adventurers to go on a world spanning adventure.

Mixing interactive sequences with conventional RPG elements and strategy-rpg encounters, Tears to Tiara is a adventure game tour-de-force that will be enhanced with new animated sequences for its PS3 turn.

Tears to Tiara was originally released in a regular and limited edition for the Japanese PC in 2005. The Playstation 3 conversion follows the same convention with a regular edition priced at JPY6800 and a limited edition at JPY8800
. The Limited Edition will ship with a Tears to Tiara Original Soundtrack and an art booklet. Early preorders for both editions will ship with a bonus poster and a Vocal CD in 50% ratio. Preorders are welcome to ship on July 10.

Beijing Olympics 2008 - Import Preorder

The 2008 Summer Olympics will begin on August 8, 2008 and athletes from around the world will compete in 302 events that'll show their skill, endurance, and mettle. Every time the Olympics roll around, a video game publisher snags an official license to produce a tie-in game. Sega nabs the honor this time and Beijing Olympics 2008 will ship on July 31 so it'll have a week's lead time on the actual festivities. A sampling of the 10 sports held over 35 events featured in BO 2008 include:

» Track and Field
» Swimming
» Canoeing
» Judo
» Weightlifting
» Table Tennis

Sega spent time capturing the movements of actual athletes as they participated in the sports so that the virtual athletes featured in the game move realistically. Sega also pored over the blueprints of the Beijing National Stadium to make sure the venue was recreated properly and true to life. Please note the USA version of this game will be released on July 8, 2008 and preorders are welcome. NCS is also accepting preorders for the Japanese edition of the game which will ship on July 31, 2008.

Shinseiki GPX Cyber Formula VS - Import Preorder

Hayato Kazami jumps into the Super Asurada 01 once again and races in the Cyber Grand Prix against a host of ambitious contenders and competitors. The Shinseiki GPX series has been a stalwart on Playstation consoles since 1999 and the upcoming PSP game is the first portable release since Varie published a Gameboy version of Shinseiki GPX in 1992.

One of the hallmarks of the series on the PS2 is the smooth sailing motion of the cars as they speed through the roads at 700 km/h and muscle for rank against the other drivers. NCS expects more of the same on the PSP version based on the screenshots and previews released thus far. Racers who are lagging behind may rely on the Aero Boost which
throttles a vehicle to maximum speed for a few seconds until the booster gauge dwindles to nothing. A car customization system allows vehicles to be upgraded to higher levels of performance. Preorders ship on July 10.

Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus - Import Preorder

When Arc System released Guilty Gear XX Accent Core for the PS2 in 2007, there was a flaw that wasn't debugged before the code went to production. Reports of the glitch appeared on Japanese gaming message boards soon after the game hit retailers. Roughly one year after the hiccup, Arc System fixed the problem with a PS2 append disc.

In order to double-dip on the recent release of the game, Arc System announces a PSP conversion which includes the append disc upgrades (two new characters, Story Mode, and Mission Mode) found in the PS2 original. New features in the PSP conversion include a 4-player ad hoc mode, the ability to transfer data from the PS2 game, and a 3-vs-3 tag team battle mode.

The preorder solicitation mentions a bonus guidebook will be given away to early reservations but no ratio information is listed. We'll update accordingly if the ratio allocation is announced in the next few days. Preorders are welcome to ship on July 31, 2008.

General Updates

Gamecube White Controller
Another production of Ninty's GC white controller will be ready to ship on Friday and NCS expect our shipments to arrive on Thursday of next week. Backorders are welcome to ship once we restock.
Hori Real Arcade Pro 3
A new production of the HRAP3 was shipped from Japan last night and we expect to fill all pending backorders on Thursday. New orders are also welcome to ship tomorrow.

Running High - Clearance

Originally imported by NCS into the States on April 25, 1997, Running High is a straightforward racing game where the "vehicles" of choice are cyborgs. Each of the six racers in game game is imbued with mechanically enhanced limbs and performance boosting suits that sport colorful racing designs. If you're a collector of obscure Playstation games, Running High was the first and last game published by Rex Entertainment which was a subsidiary of the Kotobuki Seihan Printing Co., Ltd.

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