X360 Espgaluda II Black Label Regular - New Japanese Import

NCS Product Synopsis
«©NCSX» Espgaluda II is a vertically scrolling shooter but firing away isn't the only gist of the game. There's also gems to be collected. Lots of them which burst out of enemies when they're destroyed. Players will also find themselves weaving and dodging a maze of bullets which spiral and scatter throughout the screen. By strategizing and going into three types of Kakusei mode, players can maximize the score multiplier, throw up an auto-barrier, and affect bullet velocity. Game modes in the Xbox 360 port include an Xbox mode, a Novice mode, Arcade mode, and an Arrange mode for a bit of variation on the horizontal shooting action. In the sequel, a girl named Asagi joins the cast of Ageha and Tateha from the original Espgaluda as a playable hero. She's a scrawny runt at the outset of the game but watch how she does when she's at maximum power.

Region-Free Japanese Import
The Regular Edition of Espgaluda II Black Label is Region-Free and playable on USA or European Xbox 360 consoles in addition to Japanese consoles. Preorders that were submitted before 1:57PM EST yesterday are all shipping today. The remaining preorders will ship on Monday.

X360 Espgaluda II Black Label Limited - New Import, In Stock

NCS Product Synopsis
«©NCSX» Espgaluda II is a vertically scrolling shooter but firing away isn't the only gist of the game. There's also gems to be collected. Lots of them which burst out of enemies when they're destroyed. Players will also find themselves weaving and dodging a maze of bullets which spiral and scatter throughout the screen. By strategizing and going into three types of Kakusei mode, players can maximize the score multiplier, throw up an auto-barrier, and affect bullet velocity. Game modes in the Xbox 360 port include an Xbox mode, a Novice mode, Arcade mode, and an Arrange mode for a bit of variation on the horizontal shooting action. In the sequel, a girl named Asagi joins the cast of Ageha and Tateha from the original Espgaluda as a playable hero. She's a scrawny runt at the outset of the game but watch how she does when she's at maximum power.

Region-Locked Japanese Import
The Limited Edition of Espgaluda II Black Label is Region-Locked and only playable on Japanese Xbox 360 consoles. All preorders and new orders are shipping today. The limited edition of Espgaluda II ships with a bonus Ceceri faceplate which is an attractive and compelling collectible.

NDS Nazotte Oboeru Otona no Kanji Renshuu Kaiteiban

NCS Product Synopsis
«©NCSX» Language learners can take on kanji and keep at it for their entire lives and still not master every single character housed in Chinese and Japanese dictionaries. Thankfully, it's unnecessary to learn every single kanji character since modern Chinese and Japanese documents use approximately 2,000 characters. Even though 2,000 is a manageable amount, some adults might find that quantity daunting and that's where Nazotte Oboeru Otona no Kanji Renshuu Kaiteiban steps in to lend a helping hand. The software includes practice exercises for kanji characters that are in daily use along with 196 new characters that have appeared in recent news media. The program features improved handwriting recognition and the ability to capture more than one written kanji character at a time.

NDS Super Robot Taisen OG Saga: Mugen no Frontier EXCEED

NCS Product Synopsis
«©NCSX» Take another trip to the Endless Frontier where a lad named Aldy Nash is on the hunt for a mech known as Alcon. According to the Official Mecha Wiki, the Alcon is a mech which can operate on its own volition and impetus which makes it a valuable bit of kit. Aldy hopes to find Alcon and become its expert pilot. Joining Aldy in the new character category is Neige Hausen along with the original cast of characters from the first Mugen no Frontier game in another tactical battle RPG. When an encounter is in play, the two sides stand face to face and attacks are shown in fluid motion accompanied by pounding sound effects, vocal exhortations, and the occasional visual firework. Similar to the original game, gamers may view short animated sequences during battles where the attributes of female characters juggle themselves with undulating abandon.

NDS Super Robot Taisen OG Saga: Mugen nF EXCEED LE

NCS Product Synopsis
«©NCSX» The limited edition of Super Robot Taisen OG Saga Mugen no Frontier Exceed includes the following bonus items in addition to the game card:

» Illustrations Booklet featuring 32-pages of character and mech art
» Soundtrack CD which contains 80 tracks of BGM
» NDS game storage case which holds three game cards

All preorders will ship today but please note this item is currently sold out. We'll post an update if we're able to restock additional quantities.

PSP BlazBlue Portable - New Import, In Stock

NCS Product Synopsis
«©NCSX» Join Ragna the Bloodedge, Jin Kisaragi, and Noel Vermillion as they face off against a motley assortment of fighters who seem oddly familiar. If you look at the design for Iron Tagar, he looks awfully like Potemkin from Guilty Gear X while Bang Shishigami is sorta like Sol-Badguy. If we squint, Haku=Men could be mistaken for Justice. The character similarities shouldn't be much of surprise however since BlazBlue is the successor to the Guilty Gear X franchise from ArcSys. Toshimichi Mori is the lead designer for BlazBlue and 12 fighters are featured in the game who fight on sharp and brilliantly colored 2D stages. The presentation hearkens back to Arc System's GGX series with bright visual polish, snappy animation, bold voices, and feverish action that's executed with nary a hiccup.

The PS3 and X360 versions of BlazBlue were released last this summer and the PSP conversion ships this week in Japan. New features include updated skills for all 12 fighters and a special "Legion Mode" where a hero leads forces against enemy contingents. An ad hoc linkage facility allows up to four players to hook up and participate in 1-on-1 bouts.

Bonus Schwag
Early reservations will include a bonus Soundtrack CD which is being given away in 50% ratio by Arc System Works. If we're able to locate any surplus CD inventory in the Japanese aftermarket within the next few days, we'll ship the bonus at no cost to customers who didn't receive it with their orders that are shipping today.

PSP Kenka Banchou 4: One Year War - New Import, In Stock

NCS Product Synopsis
«©NCSX» High school delinquents and well-coiffed tough guys are in vogue once again when Spike unleashes Kenka Banchou 4 this week. The hero in the game is a miscreant named Yuuta Hayami who has ambitions to become the baddest badass in Minami High School. Before he can reach the pinnacle of thugs however, he'll have to battle other delinquents, run errands, and harass the neighborhood girls with impudent behavior. When he's ready, he'll get a chance to dethrone a bruiser named Eichi Akutsu who's the current King of the Yankii-styled truants.

Yuuta and his fount of budding male testosterone battles enemies with a flurry of punches and kicks but he is also in the process of mastering a power known as the Menchi Beam. Don't ask your father, uncle, or girl cousin to explain the glory of the Menchi Beam because they won't have a clue that it even exists. Only street thugs, hoodlums, and members of the criminal fraternity are capable of conjuring up the Menchi Beam which is used to stare down rivals with beams of blazing eye-energy. If Yuuta bests an opponent in a Menchi Beam stare-down, he'll gain first attack advantage which may ultimately decide the tide of battle. Minami High School houses over 300 students so Yuuta will be a busy freshman as he gets acquainted with fellow pupils and rivals within the halls of learning.
In addition to 1-player action, multiple participants may link up via ad hoc mode for all-out fighting tournaments.

PSP Minna no Tennis Portable - New Import, In Stock

NCS Product Synopsis
«©NCSX» Anybody can play the sport of tennis but playing the game well is another matter entirely. Everybody can play virtual tennis however and play it well without even leaving the comfort of the futon. The red one with the beaded seat.

Developer Clap Hanz of Minna no Golf fame directs their design conventions and creative animus at another sport and comes up with yet another winner. Minna no Tennis follows the simplicity and elegance of Minna no Golf except players now swing a racket instead of a nine iron. Upon starting the game, a rotary menu appears which allows access into a single-player Challenge Mode, a multi-player Minna Mode, Training Mode, Options, and Data.

Minna no Tennis Portable is Sony's latest PS2-to-PSP conversion which features singles-play, doubles-play, and a training mode to get gamers up to speed. To get a feel for the mechanics of the game, the training sessions test a player's skill by lobbing tennis balls via automated ball launcher. When returning the serve, portions of the court are highlighted and designated as the areas to aim for. When swinging the racket, the analog nub or D-pad may be maneuvered to aim the ball. The strength of the swing may also be controlled by pressing one of three buttons. The TRIANGLE serves up an overhead lob, the CIRCLE thrashes out a topspin ground stroke, and the X-BUTTON may be tapped for a weak slice shot which sends the ball sailing low and slow. Features in the PSP game include new cast members, customization for the tennis players, and a multi-player ad hoc mode for singles or doubles matches.

PSP QIX++ - New Import, In Stock

NCS Product Synopsis
«©NCSX» The original coin-op version of Qix gobbled up quarters back in 1981 when the competition consisted of Kangaroo, Donkey Kong, and Pac-Man. Fast forward nearly three decades and Qix++ has already been released on Xbox Live Arcade to mediocre reviews but that's not stopping Taito from porting the game over to the PSP.

Qix is a simple block-building game. Players control a diamond-shaped vehicle which draws straight lines in order to create squares and boxes. The aim of the game is to isolate an electrical being called Qix in as small a space as possible by building blocks on the playfield while avoiding the deathly touch of the Qix. The PSP conversion will include all of the downloadable content that's available for the Xbox Live version.

When playing Qix, NCS recommends a tree-building strategy where gamers start by building the trunk of a tree with smallish to medium-sized rectangular shapes. The origin of the trunk can be seeded on the center of the screen or you can even start it on one of the corners. Once the trunk has been established, start working on the branches of the tree which should sprout out in at least four or five separate segments. The goal is to use the tree branch design to trap the Qix and box it into as small an area as possible. By accomplishing this feat, players will score big points and attain the temerity to pat themselves on the back.

Wii Dai Kaiju Battle Ultra Coliseum DX Ultra Senshi - New

NCS Product Synopsis
«©NCSX» The original Ultraman and nineteen cohorts go to war against each other and an assemblage of 70 mighty monsters that bear names such as King Joe, Dada, Alien Baltan, Garamon and more. Although a game that's titled Dai Kaiju Battle Ultra Coliseum DX Ultra Senshi sounds like it'll be an all-out 3D fighting fest of epic proportions, NCS can assure you that it's not. Sure, there's battling but not in the conventional sense where monsters are controlled directly by the player. In Bandai's Wii interpretation of big movie monster battles, the Remote is wagged feverishly from side to side to perform certain moves which are then followed by other Wii Remote operations to ignite other fighting actions. In this manner then, the game is what NCS would call a flick-action fighting game since the moves are broken up into sequences that require Wii Remote movement before they're triggered. In other words, you won't control the monsters directly but your actions with the Remote decide how the beast under your control behaves and acts on screen.
In addition to the flick-action fighting, Bandai throws in three mini-games which also require Remote waving motion. One of the mini-games features tug-of-war between monsters. That alone is probably worth the price of admission. Or at least 1/4 the price of entry.

Wii Rajirugi NOAH - New Import, In Stock

NCS Product Synopsis
«©NCSX» The Naomi coin-op version of Rajirugi Noah was location-tested late 2008 in Japan, released in February 2009, and is making its way to the Wii a year later. Arcade operators have likely recouped their investment on the game already so the Wii conversion won't engender too much ill will from that beleaguered crowd.

Rajirugi aka Radirgy is a Milestone shooter which we didn't think would get a sequel because it was a fairly average game in terms of play mechanics and aesthetics. Rajirugi was apparently profitable for the company since they had enough confidence to release a sequel. The follow-up subtitled "Noah" didn't light a fire amongst the Japanese shmup literati but we're sure it'll grab a few sales on the Wii and possibly make its way to other territories either as a standalone release or as part of a compilation.

In the game, players control a ship that's capable of shooting, shielding, and slashing. The "slashing" is in the form of a little sword which swishes to and fro like a windshield wiper. By shooting and slashing, the ship levels up both offensive functions for improved performance. "Noah" features a simultaneous 2-player option and is viewed in the Yoko (horizontal) aspect which allows enough room for both gamers to maneuver and takes sides. Bosses in "Noah" include a bald-headed homo sapien in yellow pants who performs a spin attack that launches fireballs and an aerial platform that disappears in a puff of clouds when destroyed.

PS3 HEAVY RAIN (ヘビーレイン) - New Import, Restock Soon

From the Publisher
How Far Will You Go To Save Someone You Love? Experience a gripping psychological thriller filled with innumerable twists and turns, where choices and actions can result in dramatic consequences. Spanning four days of mystery and suspense, the hunt is on for a murderer known only as the Origami Killer - named after his macabre calling card of leaving behind folded paper shapes at crime scenes. Four characters, each following their own leads and with their own motives, must...

Key Features
» An evolving thriller in which you shape the story
» Mature content, reflecting a realistic world setting that explores powerful themes
» Stunning graphics, animation and technology support an emotionally driven experience
» Accessible gameplay via intuitive, contextual controls and interface

NEWS Japanese Customs Computer Bottleneck (JCCB)

UPS Shipment Delay
«©NCSX» When shipping "Express" packages from Japan, we tend to hope for quick delivery. Speed is the reason why the going rate for UPS Worldwide Express is what it is compared to a service like EMS which costs about 1/3 less and delivers 3 days later. Yesterday, the following tracking result popped up on all of our UPS shipments from multiple Japanese vendors:

COMPUTER SYSTEM BREAKDOWN-PACKAGE DATA PROCESSING NOT POSSIBLE-NO CONNECTION TO CUSTOMS SYSTEM / DELIVERY RESCHEDULED

Maybe it was an erroneous message so we spoke to a UPS representative and pointed out the error message to him. He'd never seen such a message in his entire life. He sounded like an old dude too. His supervisor who had "seen it all" hadn't seen that message before either. In the two decades that NCS has shipped with UPS, that message has never appeared on any of our packages. Guess it was about time that it did appear and it was great that it happened on the day that some of our biggest shipments of the year were trying to escape from Japan.

We're disappointed. Tonight was supposed to be "Espgaluda II Night NYC." As of right now, it looks more like "Frozen TV Dinner Night 2010." The fare will include greasy Salisbury steak, congealed gravy, and mushy peas. If we're lucky, the dessert brownie will have a rock baked into it.

As of this morning, the shipments are on the way but they're a day late and won't arrive until tomorrow. If there isn't any further botching of shipments, all preorders for Espgaluda II (Regular and Limited Edition) will ship out tomorrow along with preorders for the other new releases including PSP BlazBlue Portable, PSP Kenka Banchou 4, etc.