Space Invaders Headphones - New Import, In Stock

«©NCSX» Taito loves Space Invaders. The game debuted in 1978 and the company has been minting ducats off the back of the franchise for thirty years. The latest product in Taito's ongoing Space Invaders 30th Anniversary celebration is a pair of old school headphones. Nothing clever or revolutionary. Just standard headphones. The kind you plop on top of your head to listen to Bowie, Broadus, or Black.

Two styles are on offer - black circumaural headphones with a single white-pixel Invader and the original logo imprinted on each phone or a pair of pink headphones decorated with the Space Invaders logo and two miniature Invaders on the top and bottom of the text. We're partial to the black headphones but that's just us. The design of the headphones is one of easy adjustability so that the phones swivel freely just like the Koss UR 20 headphones that we use from time to time. An adjustable headband allows users to lengthen the distance between the phones and the band.
The sound quality that the phones deliver is acceptable but we're keeping our pairs of headphones solely as curiosity items for future generations to ponder. Maybe in 2108, they'll look at NCS' archive of products and marvel at the interesting times we lived in. Preorders have mostly shipped as of last Friday and new orders are welcome to ship today. Photo Gallery.

Tales of Hearts CG Movie Edition - New Import, In Stock

«©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.

Tales of Hearts Accessory Set - New Import, In Stock

«©NCSX» Hori has a long history with Namco's Tales franchise where the company has produced tie-in merchandise for a few years now. When Tales of the Abyss was released for the PS2 in 2005, Hori was right there with a Luke Fone Fabre + Tear Grants 8M Memory Card and Tales of Symphonia for the Nintendo Gamecube was accompanied by a Lloyd Irving Memory Card.

The Nintendo DS doesn't use memory cards so Hori has been doing something different to dovetail with important NDS game releases. Most players can use a replacement touchpen or a cellphone strap so Hori issues another accessory set which ties into Tales of Hearts. Lucky buyers get the following three items as follows:

» NDS Lite Protect Case which wraps around the entire handheld
» A retractable stylus that's imprinted with the Tales of Hearts logo
» A puffy sticker cell phone strap which features Shing and Kohak

The NDS case is made of hard plastic and the front is etched with the name "Mutsumi I" on the left while Shing Meteoryte and Kohak Hearts sit back-to-back on the right. Behind them, a heart-shaped wreath may be spied. Please note the case cannot be used with the DSi. Preorders have shipped as of last Friday and new orders are welcome to ship today.

Dragon Quest 9 Protect Case DSi - Import Preorder

«©NCSX» Square Enix recently proclaimed that Dragon Quest IX would be a Nintendo DS exclusive. This is big news in Japan and Hori is one of the first companies to sign a licensing pact which allows them to produce and peddle assorted products based on the DQIX juggernaut.

The first DQIX product is a Nintendo DSi Protect Case which features the likeness of two Slimes on the front. Since the NDSi has a little camera on its lid, the upcoming case features a cutout so that the eye of the camera may peer through. The compatibility chart on Hori's product preorder sheet shows that the case is only for the Nintendo DSi and won't be compatible with the original Nintendo DS or the NDS Lite. This will undoubtedly put a crimp on potential sales but NCS expects all future Protect Case accessories from Hori to be NDSi exclusive.

Preorders are welcome to ship on March 28, 2009 at US$18.90 from NCS.

Dragon Quest Slime Speaker Stand - Import Preorder

«©NCSX» NCS has known for a few years that Slime are useful and versatile beasts. Hori is also cognizant of this factoid and they've put their knowledge to work by producing a Dragon Quest Slime Speaker Stand for the Nintendo DS. "What exactly is that $#!&," you may mutter under your breath so as to not awaken your roommate. Well, it's exactly what the product title states. It's a DQ Slime Speaker but it's also a Stand which will hold your Nintendo DS upright and aloft like a little desk.

The NDS speakers are generally of good quality but if you're the type who needs a quirky external speaker shaped like a Slime, then this is for you. The product sales sheet indicates that the Slime of covered with satiny material that depresses when touched. The stand attachment seems pointless but who are we to question Hori's wisdom? They've been around for decades and will probably outlive us all. Pricing for the Speaker Stand is set at JPY4800 or US$58.90 from NCS. We're hoping that by the time the item ships next year, the exchange rate between the dollar and yen won't make the price closer to US$300 after the $/¥ conversion.

Japanese Import Outlook - Arrivals on Tuesday-Friday

NDS	Phantasy Star Zero	Sega
PS3	Royds Stick EX	Sonata
	Shirokishi Monogatari (White Knight Chronicles)	SCEI
PSP	Cherry Blossom Portable	Takuyo
	Zill O'll Infinite Plus	Koei
	DoDonPachi Daioujou Black Label Extra	5pb
Wii	BioHazard	Capcom
	Pikmin - Wii de Asobu	Nintendo

General Updates

Early Import Arrival NCS expects to process and ship preorders for NDS Phantasy Star Zero tomorrow or Wednesday. The game was released in Japan on Saturday and our shipment's in transit. The remainder of this week's new import arrivals are scheduled for delivery on Friday due to the Christmas holiday on Thursday.

Disgaea Rosalinde and Oneechanbara Aya Preorders for the Rosalinde figure from Griffon and Alter's Aya figure will ship today. A shipment containing the Persona Metis figure is also on the way but hasn't arrived yet. We'll update accordingly once it's in stock and ready to ship.

Real Arcade Pro Joystick 3.SA All preorders for the new Hori RAP3.SA joystick for Playstation 3 will ship tomorrow or Wednesday. We're sold out of the sticks as of this morning but we'll update accordingly if we're able to import another batch after the holiday this week. Pricing is currently set at US$189.90 but may be revised higher due to the dollar/yen exchange rate. In related news, the standard Hori Real Arcade Pro 3 is currently in stock and available for shipping.

VF CG Portrait Series Vol. 7 Shun Di - Clearance

NCS Sale Synopsis - Original Update: Jan 26, 1996
«©NCSX» A collection of hi-resolution images featuring a drunken old man named Shun-Di who fights in the Virtua Fighter fighting game series. Shun Di hails from Northern China and partakes of the alcohol liberally. Drunken style fighting is his mainstay as he spins and tumbles about in the ring. View Shun on his boat and practicing his kung-fu style in this collection of artwork which includes a bonus musical karaoke section.

Sale Offering: NCS' remaining inventory of Virtua Fighter CG Portrait Series Vol. 7 Shun-Di is new, factory sealed, and in excellent condition. Pricing is set at US$8.90 per copy which includes "free" shipping by USPS Media Mail within the continental United States.