It's been five years since Sega released Initial D: Special Stage on the PS2. The game sold very well and a number of printings were made to fill demand in Japan, Asia, and abroad. Based on the sales numbers for the first home console conversion of Initial D, NCS can only assume that the new Initial D: Extreme Stage will do just as well if not better than its forebear.
PS3 Initial D: Extreme Stage is based on Initial D Arcade Stage 4 which was originally built on Sega's Lindbergh coin-op hardware. The game features seven main courses such as Lake Akina and Irohazaka but if you factor in the variations, the course count runs up to 28 tracks. There's 23 vehicles that may be driven including the Toyota Trueno GT-APEX (AE86), Mitsubishi Lancer GSR Evolution III (CE9A), Nissan Skyline GTR V-Spec II (BNR32), and the Honda Civic Type R (EK9). Finally, a total of 26 drift-savvy rivals provide drama and adversity for racing fans to contend with.
The Chocobo Fushigi no Dungeon line-up of games made the yellow-feathered Chocobo a superstar in Japan. With stardom comes merchandising. Lots of merchandising. Witness the latest exploitation of Chocobo's good name in Square Enix's new Uki Uki Chocobo toy. Rubber Ducky Chocky. Think of it as a herald of the next generation of bathing toys for the tykes of today. Chocobo measures W75mm x H90mm x D90mm (2.95 x 3.54 x 3.54") in size and floats above water like a swan.
The first batch of preorders will be going out today since only a partial shipment arrived. We envision Chocobo in select swimming pools across the land this weekend. If you placed your reservation after April 6, please note your order will ship in the next 2-3 days when the second batch arrives.
If you drop a mustache on Spelunker and remove the hardhat, you'll basically end up with Nintendo's Mario. Spelunker wears the same blue overalls, an identical red shirt, and the same brown shoes. Was it intentional hero design pilferage when the Spelunker game got localized for the Famicom in Japan? We think so. Actually, NCS knows so.
In any case, Spelunker got resurrected earlier this year in a Sofubi toy which sold moderately well. Later this summer, another toy is being offered which bears the Spelunker imprint. Sound bottle caps that play BGM and sound effects from the game. Trinkets that serve no utility other than being somewhat collectible with a bit of retro appeal. We'll buy a few cases for the NCS museum but we'll likely leave it at that. Preorders are welcome to ship in Sept 2008 at JPY4800 or US$48.90 per factory box of 8 toys.
