Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Bleach Versus Crusade - New Import, Ships Today

«©NCSX» Ichigo and Rukia lead the cast of Bleach on another 3D fighting game designed by Treasure for Sega. The basic storyline is based on the Arrancar Saga where three factions go to war. Two fighters face off against each other on expansive battlegrounds which provide enough space to run, dash, and in the case of one winged fighter, fly. In addition to the one-on-one fighting action, team battles are also possible in 2-vs-2 tag team challenges. Battlefields where combat takes place include a parking lot at night, an arid desert area, and a darkly lit location that's dotted with crags which is best described as forlorn. The Wi-Fi option allows to online connected fighters to battle each other in split-screen.

As mentioned earlier, Bleach Versus Crusade was developed by Treasure for Sega so collectors of all things Treasure have another game to add to the library. The developer's game design sensibilities and superior coding skills are in evidence with a responsive fighting game that runs fast and fluid.

Early preorders will ship with a bonus Bleach Versus card calendar which features 7 cards decorated with artwork to count down the months (2009).

Let's Tap (レッツタップ) - New Import, Ships Today

«©NCSX» Ever sit at your desk and drum your fingers on the tabletop with a carefree staccato to break the tedium that is your life? If so, you've already had ample practice in mastering Sega's Let's Tap which is being touted as the first game that doesn't require direct handling of a controller. The basic gist is this: You're supposed to lay the Wii Remote face down on a cardboard box, a plastic slab, or anything else that will undulate when your fingers drum its surface. By tapping steadily, the Wii Remote will pick up the vibrations and register the "hits" as in-game movements for runners, fireworks, colors, water, and other objects in the Let's Tap universe.

One of the best examples of the tapping functionality of the tap games is Tap Runner where rhythmically thumping a surface makes an onscreen runner move. By thumping the surface with a harder thwack, the runner jumps over obstacles. Another tapping mini-game dubbed Bubble Voyager features horizontal shooting action where a red mech shoots thick missiles at objects on screen. Tapping keeps the mech aloft and fires off ordnance. Every copy of the game is bundled with two cardboard boxes which may be used as playing surfaces. Two boxes are included since Let's Tap can be played by two players at once. Sega is thoughtful like that.

Ragnarok Online DS - New Import, Ships Today

«©NCSX» Gravity hit it big with their Ragnarok Online MMORPG which enthralled gamers with an adventure based largely on Norse mythology and introduced the cuddly Poring to the world. Developer GungHo Works releases a new Ragnarok Online game for the Nintendo DS which features an original storyline and pretty much the same gameplay found in the MMORPG original. Players may create a character with a certain job class and then develop him or work into an extended class with additional abilities or specialized skills. The default protagonist is a red-haired lad named Ares who is looking for his father who has gone missing.
All reservations will include a bonus Ragnarok Online data collection booklet which the publisher is giving away in 1:1 ratio.

Space Puzzle Bobble - New Import, Ships Today

«©NCSX» One day while Bub and Bob and relaxing outside, a disc-shaped vehicle crashes into the ground and digs a few feet deep into the Earth. Bub and Bob investigate and encounter a luminous fairy-like entity who requests their assistance and recruits them to do what they do best - bust bubbles. After playing a few rounds of Space Puzzle Bobble this morning, the first thing that came to mind was... where's the "Space" part of the equation? Sure the backgrounds take place in outer space but we were expecting new gravity modifiers, special galactic bubbles, and other spacey twists on the tried and true Puzzle Bobble franchise. Alas, the starry backgrounds and a few weird bosses are the extent of the space theme.
Note: The Arkanoid Paddle Controller may be used to play the game.

Bokujou Monogatari: Youkoso Kaze no Bazaar - New Import, Ships Today

«©NCSX» When the world becomes too complicated with hedge funds blowing up and wealth managers literally making off with the money, there has to be an alternative. Answer: The simple life. Forego the big city and head back to the farm where animal husbandry, raising crops, and manual irrigation are on the daily schedule.

In the latest Bokujou Monogatari (aka Harvest Moon), players take on the role of a farmer who weeds a plot of land, sows assorted seeds, and takes the crops to market to reap the proceeds. In the case of the new game, the market is a big Bazaar where the goal is to make lots of cash by selling unique products and produce that your competitors can't touch. It's a sounds like a simple plan but adverse challenges invariably pop up.

Tales of Hearts Anime Movie Edition - New, Ships Today

«©NCSX» Hisui Hearts and his sister Kohak are running along in the rain with urgency when they fall down an embankment. The two watch the lightning in the distance when they're approached by a shrouded female stranger with a deep voice. The shrouded figure proceeds to launch a ball of energy at the siblings which sends them over a cliff and into the rapids below. From this inauspicious beginning, the latest Tales game kicks off.

Players adopt the role of a feathery-haired hero named Shing Meteoryte who befriends the Hearts siblings when he finds them washed ashore on a beach near his home. When Shing first spots them, he comments that Kohak is attractive and proceeds to perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. His heroic effort is met with a punch in the face when Kohak revives herself and finds Shing's actions (maybe it was his pursed lips) disagreeable.

Character Vocal Series 01: Hatsune Miku - Restocked

«©NCSX» Vocaloid (Vocal + Android) is a Japanese song simulator from Yamaha and Crypton Future Media where users type in lyrics and the software engine sings out the words in rapid fire staccato. Voice actress Fujita Saki provides the voice for Miku Hatsune in the software and she sounds like a mix between a munchkin and a generalized cartoon character. Vocaloid 2 has enjoyed strong sales since its release last year and Miku has been making the rounds on the merchandising circuit.

Good Smile Company's Miku figure features the tall and lanky version of the songstress as opposed to the squat super-deformed Nendroid toy which was released recently in Japan. Normal-size Miku is sculpted to 1/8 scale and measures 18cm or 7.08" in height. A party dress, thigh-high boots, and a huge amount of greenish hair completes her look. Yoshi (Trepang) / Nendoron provided the sculpting work. A circular display base is included inside the package. New orders are welcome to ship today.

Fraulein Revoltech Yoko Action Figure - Ships Today

«©NCSX» Kaiyodo's 1/10 scale Yoko Revoltech measures 15cm or roughly 6" in height. The figure features 19 points of articulation so she's highly posable. Yoko has an hourglass figure which accentuates her outfit which consists of a bikini top and a bikini bottom. As an added bonus, an extra Yoko head is included in the package so that her expression and demeanor can be changed depending on the situation.

General Updates

Early Import Arrivals
A number of this week's Japanese import software (as noted above) arrived earlier than expected and preorders will begin shipping out today. Preorders that are shipping with overnight service will arrive tomorrow instead of Friday as originally scheduled. If anything sells out this afternoon, NCS will restock again by Thursday of this week.
Tatsunoko vs Capcom Wii
We've restocked Capcom's latest release a couple of times already and another batch arrived earlier today. If we sell out again this afternoon, we already have another shipment on the way for delivery on Thursday.
Japanese Xbox 360 Arcade Systems
Turnover for Japanese X360 consoles have been brisk in the past few weeks but a few days ago, suppliers sold out. We're assuming that the next batch of systems will invariably contain the new Jasper chipset but we'll verify this information once our next shipment arrives. Consoles fitted with the Jasper chipset are apparently less prone to the fearsome RROD.