Server Update and Possible Changes

The second backup generator was installed at the data center yesterday evening and power was returned to the servers. Our site at www.ncsxshop.com is currently running and has been up since 5:38PM EST yesterday without interruption. There are still email issues however.

We've been with Rackshack and then EV1 Servers and now ThePlanet since 2002 when the "new" shop was built and released into the wild. It's been a great ride for all those years but this recent problem and a short server outage on www.ncsx.com from last Friday has got us thinking about selling the company to a larger operation. We don't have the onsite expertise to provision quickly against this type of critical issue when it happens and maybe it's time to relinquish the reins a bit and begin the search for a partner.

GitS Motoko Kusanagi 1/7 Scale Figure - Restocked

Vice went out of business last year and their Motoko Kusanagi collaboration with Alter sold out quickly afterwards. Today, NCS is offering the figure once again thanks to a reproduction by Beagle. Motoko stands at 1/7 scale and is dressed in two-tone ninja duds which complement her purplish tresses. Her pose is casual and the Major unzips her vest to reveal voluptuous attributes underneath. Repeat: Voluptuous. Kusanagi sports a pair of combat boots and wears enough padding to prevent major damage should she take a direct hit. For return fire engagements, she hefts a firearm in her right hand. The figure is fixed-pose and a transparent base is included for display purposes. Orders are welcome to ship today.

Blue Dragon Plus - Import Preorder

The story of Blue Dragon continues this autumn with a new adventure game that follows the escapades of Shu, Jiro, Zola, and the rest of the gang. Similar to the first Blue Dragon game on the Xbox, each character has a special Shadow which is modeled after a creature which attacks with powerful might. For example, Shu's Shadow is a blue dragon while Jiro is backed by a Shadow Minotaur which wears bracers. Zola's Shadow is a really big bat.

The battle system in Blue Dragon Plus is based on a real time tactical scheme where party members and enemies fight it out on isometric stages. When a Shadow attacks, it'll wallop foes in fluid animated motion. Preorders are welcome to ship on September 4, 2008.

Naruto Shippuuden: Saikyou Ninja Daikesshuu - Gekitou! Naruto vs. Sasuke - Import Preorder

Naruto and ninja cohorts are back again next month in a new side-scrolling action game where ninja prowess and kicked-up attacks are on display. Hewing close to the features found in previous Saikyou Ninja Daikesshuu games, players can look forward to:

» A large roster of characters led by Naruto and Sasuke
» Boss monsters that nearly fill the entire half of the top NDS screen
» Simultaneous four-player wireless play
» Touch pen tapping action to activate jutsus

Two ninja may also team up to perform special attacks and concerted offensive maneuvers.

According to Tomy's preorder solicitation, early preorders will ship with a bonus Naruto DS card case which stores three Nintendo DS game cards. Preorders ship on July 10, 2008. Jan Code: 4904810318361.

Fire Emblem: New Dark Dragon and Light Sword - Preorder

Back in 1990, a little company by the name of Intelligent Systems developed and released a Famicom (8-bit) game titled Fire Emblem: Ankoku Ryu to Hikari no Tsurugi which translates to Fire Emblem: New Dark Dragon and the Sword of Light. In the ensuing years, Intelligent Systems went on to remake the game for the Super Famicom and released another nine prequels and sequels for the Gameboy, Gamecube, and Wii. It's about that time again.

Intelligent and Nintendo have announced a second remake of the original Fire Emblem game which is titled Fire Emblem: Shin Ankoku Ryu to Hikari no Tsurugi. The word "Shin" after Emblem means "New"and the game features updated graphics, touch pen tactics, and the ability to play Wi-Fi games against challengers. For those unfamiliar with the Fire Emblem brand, players take control of troops who battle other troops or complete mission objectives on battlefields.

Preorders are welcome to ship on August 7, 2008 at JPY4800 or US$46.90 from NCS. Jan Code: 4902370516746

Japanese Game Guidebooks

«©NCSX» After a hiatus of a few years, some of our Japanese vendors are beginning to stock game guides and art books again. The following titles are available for delivery next week. Order inquiries are welcome.

Devil May Cry 4 - Devil Material Collection PS3 Final Fantasy 11 Official World Guide Vana'diel PS2 Official Guidebook Front Mission 2089 Border of Madness NDS Complete Guide Emblem of Gundam NDS Summon Night Perfect Summon Bible NDS Official Guide Book Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles Wii Etrian Odyssey Official Cels NDS MONSTER HUNTER FRONTIER Weapons Masters Guide PC MONSTER HUNTER FRONTIER Armor Masters Guide PC

Tales of Phantasia Quest Guide - Clearance

When NCS first got started in the business, there was a vendor in Tokyo who got us all sorts of odd-lot stuff that other vendors wouldn't dabble in. We also had a contact in Hong Kong who supplied us with left-of-center stock such as the Vib-Ribbon V-Shirt that we sold back in the summer of 2003. Has it really been that long? Seems like only yesterday...

Anyway, both vendors are gone but their wares from yesteryear are still in our hearts warehouse. Today's Tales of Phantasia Quest Guide was originally bundled with a copy of Famimaga Magazine. Our vendor didn't have the magazine but they sent a bunch of the Quest Guides which we suspect were overprints. There's about 110 copies that we found and they're all in mint condition. The pages are still crisp and factory fresh. To ensure that the guides arrive to our customers in mint condition, we'll bag 'em, board 'em and ship them flat. Each guide spans 64 color pages.

Sale Offering: NCS' inventory of Tales of Phantasia Quest Guide is new and in mint condition. Pricing is set at US$8.90 per copy which includes free shipping by USPS Media Mail within the U.S. Larger Photos