Sega Ages Vol. 33 Fantasy Zone Collection - Import Preorder

Sega has already released Fantasy Zone under the Sega Ages (Vol. 3) banner. That was 5 years ago when the Sega Ages series was still young in the tooth and its footing was unsteady. Thirty volumes later, Sega has marked Vol. 33 as Fantasy Zone Complete Collection which compiles the original releases of four Fantasy Zone games as follows:

» Fantasy Zone
» Fantasy Zone II Opa Opa no Namida (Original and Remake)
» Fantasy Zone Gear Opa Opa Jr no Bouken
» Super Fantasy Zone

In addition to the four primary Fantasy Zone games, a number of Fantasy Zone "gaidens" are included such as Fantasy Zone In the Maze. A Gallery section on the disc will include bonus historical material for fans to peruse and cherish. Similar to all other Sega Ages 2500 games, a one-page leaflet is included which includes developer information and background details on the game. NCS will post a full feature list once we receive the game and get to test it thoroughly. Preorders are welcome to ship on Sept 11, 2008.

Super Robot Wars Z - Import Preorder

Banpresto tickled the fancy of Super Robot Wars fans earlier this Spring by announcing SRW Z and then opening up a new website devoted to the game. News has slowly trickled out from the company which is a fairly routine marketing tactic used by publishers. By releasing bits of SRWZ news online and in print, the fan base gobbles every morsel up and gets stoked for the game's eventual release.

The latest Super Robot Wars features highly impressive new animation sequences, characters and mechs from newly inducted series including Eureka Seven and Aquarion, and oodles of mechs from a total of 22 animation properties (Zeta Gundam, Turn A Gundam, UFO Robo Grendizer, Zambot 3, The Big O, Xabungle, and many more).

Preorders are welcome to ship on September 25 at JPY7800 or US$73.90 from NCS. According to the preorder details, a bonus Premium Z Disc will be given away in 50% ratio to early reservations. This means that if we preorder 500 copies of SRWZ, we will only receive 250 bonuses which will be given away to the first 250 preorders. Thanks.

PC Engine Best: Soldier Collection - Import Preorder

The golden age of the PC-Engine was a wonderful time for gamers. NCS still recalls the first time we ever played R-Type on the Engine which was on a meager 4M Hu-card. The conversion was nigh perfect and a testament to the power of console. There were many more shooters back in the day which were coin-op conversions as well as original fodder for shmup fans to eat up at JPY5800 a pop. Over the years, one of the publishers that produced a steady stream of shooters for the Engine was Hudson and their flagship franchise was the Star Soldier series.

From 1990 to 1992, Hudson released four Star Soldier games as follows:

» Super Star Soldier
» Final Soldier
» Soldier Blade
» Star Parodier

Nearly two decades after Super Star Soldier, Hudson compiles all four games onto a single UMD for the Sony PSP. To give fans a little something extra, a gallery section includes bonus material including video of a perfect player blowing through the games without making a single mistake. Preorders are welcome to ship on September 25, 2008 at JPY2800 or US$28.90 from NCS.

Excellent Model Capcomaniax Felicia

Megahouse started accepting reservations for two Capcomaniax figures earlier this year - an Ibuki figure and a Mika figure. Ibuki was a popular preorder as expected but Mika... not so much. To bulk up their Capcom offerings, Megahouse has announced another Capcomaniax figure which ships in September - the wily Felicia of Vampire fame in 1/8 scale.

In her 'Maniax turn, Felicia pounces down a grey section of banister with perfect feline form. If the lights were turned down low, the sculpture would exhibit a light and airy silhouette that's evocative of Felicia's wily ways. The Vampire heroine is decked out in her regulation issue fighting threads and the blue tresses are wavy as usual. The height of the figure is listed at 23cm or approximately 9" tall and roughly that much in length.

Preorders are welcome to ship in late September 2008 at JPY6800 or US$68.90 from NCS. Jan Code: 4535123711220

Hello Kitty ATM Bank - Import Preorder

Through the years, Hello Kitty has been many things to many people. Cultural icons have a tendency to appeal to a broad spectrum of devotees and Kitty has shown her mettle in spades. When the autumn of 2008 rolls around, the plain white cat with the simple facial structure serves another role: Banker.

The upcoming Sanrio licensed Hello Kitty ATM Bank features a flip-top lid which pops up to reveal an keypad, a digital readout, and a coin slot which accepts 500-yen coins. Since a 500-yen coin measures 2.65cm or 1.04" in diameter and a USA quarter (0.25 cents) is slightly less than an inch in diameter, the Kitty Bank will store up to 500 quarters. Three styles are on offer for preorder and reservations are welcome today.

Star Wars USB Hub - Import Preorder

You could be like everyone else and buy a boxy USB hub that was designed by an engineer. A by-the-book engineer who wears a polyvinyl pocket protector that holds exactly five Energel 0.5mm ballpoint pens. You could also pay tribute to your Star Wars inner geek by snagging an R2-D2 or Darth Vader USB Hub. If you should opt for the R2-D2 version, you'll get four USB ports to plug devices into and a little droid which swivels its dome and makes beep-boop sounds. Purchasers of the Darth Vader USB Hub will also get four USB ports but instead of a little droid, they'll get the ominous visage of the dark Jedi Knight with blinking red eyes.

Pricing in Japan is set at JPY7140 (ouch) or US$73.90 from NCS and preorders are welcome to ship in mid-late August 2008.