Friday, April 09, 2010

PSP Judie no Atelier Guramnat no Renkinjutsu - New Import

NCS Product Synopsis - Update: April 09, 2010
«©NCSX» The fourth game in Gust's popular Atelier series of games stars an alchemist named Judie who performs work requests from patrons. One day, a mysterious cowled traveler approaches Judie and asks her to help him fabricate an object called the "Dragon's Hourglass" which is made of two globes of glass encased in a metal framework. The special property that the hourglass possesses is the ability to halt the flow of time. As Judie dutifully goes about her work and the mixing of reagents, one of her hairs falls into the bubbling cauldron and dissolves. When a drop from a beaker of newly mixed material is dripped into the cauldron, she's enveloped in white light and hurtled 2 centuries into the future.

A newly minted stranger in a strange world, Judie is fortunate enough to meet a banker named Vitus who decides to bankroll her fledgling alchemy enterprise. By establishing a new Atelier in the town of Vern, Judie works to repay Vitus and build another Dragon's Hourglass so she can return home. The alchemy action in the game requires that Judie go out into the world and procure ingredients which she uses to create objects. Judie can also hire supporting characters such as Vitus, Esmeralda, and Hemina who accompany her and battle monsters. By going on adventures with hired hands, their level of loyalty towards Judie grows and they'll share recipes and reveal more about themselves. The PSP conversion of Judie no Atelier features widescreen visuals and new dungeons to explore that are larger than the labyrinths found in the PS2 original.

PSP Monochrome - New Import

NCS Product Synopsis - Update: April 09, 2010
«©NCSX» When Taiki Kirioka was just a young'un, his parents were involved in an accident which left him an orphan and an amnesiac. Taiki's best friend's parents adopted him and as he comes of age, an angel named Yui is sent from heaven to help Taiki in his transition to adulthood. Borrowing the "angels in training" theme found in Kid's Tentama games, players guide Taiki through a digital novel which features static-screen artwork and voice acting to bolster the story. By reading the storyline and making choices at junctures in the game, Taiki finds love with one of his classmates at school.

In addition to the regular edition of PSP Monochrome, NCS is also shipping out the limited edition which is bundled with a BGM soundtrack and an illustrations booklet which features the girls from the game.

X360 Death Smiles [Platinum Collection] New Import, In Stock

NCS Product Synopsis - Update: April 09, 2010
«©NCSX» Three female warriors with a lolita-goth bent serve as the selectable protagonists and maidens of destruction in Death Smiles. Windia is a red-haired moppet which wears a petticoat and seems too staunchly gothic for her own good. The demure Follet looks like a junior maid-in-training and the last member of the DS sisterhood is a blonde named Caspar. Each gal is accompanied by a winged and invincible familiar which bolsters her firepower and offensive attacks.


The game is a horizontal shooter that's somewhat similar to Sol Divide with rendered graphics and hordes of monsters that attack from the front and the back. To address the assault from both sides, Death Smiles uses three buttons - one button fires to the right, another button swivels the heroine to shoot to the left, and the third button throws out a bomb. The bosses are an odd and varied lot which include a mooing bovine named Mary that's photo-realistic, an animated corpse-like face that protrudes from the ground, and a ghastly tree with hollow red eyes and claw-like branches. The bullet patterns in Death Smiles are fairly challenging to maneuver through but the cross-fire never gets too unfair. A deft and skilled player can get through the entire game on a single credit by way of twitchy moves, bullet memorization skills, and maybe a little bit luck.

PSP Hatsune Miku: Project Diva 2nd - Preorder

NCS Preorder Synopsis
«©NCSX» Hatsune Miku is making a return to the PSP in a second Project Diva which promises more rhythm action, new music, and a duet feature where two performers dance and sing simultaneously. Similar to the first Project Diva, players watch the button cues on screen and tap the appropriate buttons as the cues hit their targets. New costumes and game modes also bolster the Diva 2nd experience.
Early preorders will include a bonus Hatsune Miku charm which is being given away by Sega in 50% ratio. Reservations are welcome to ship on June 24, 2010 at JPY5800 or US$63.90 from NCS.

PSP Hatsune Miku: Project Diva (Best Version) - Preorder

NCS Preorder Synopsis - Update: April 09, 2010
«©NCSX» Hatsune Miku is a merchandising superstar who started her career representing a piece of software called Vocaloid2 from Yamaha. The Vocaloid software gives amateur musicians the tools to compose songs that are sung by a computerized voice. In the case of Miku, a voice actress named Saki Fujita provides her high-pitched and highly ebullient vocals. From relatively humble beginnings, Miku went on to inspire manga episodes, promotions, and numerous toy figures that have sold very well and probably better than their makers anticipated.

Project Diva is a rhythm action game where the PSP's face buttons are tapped in time to the flying cues on screen so Miku sings, dances, and swirls on stage like a generic J-Pop idol. A diva, if you will. In addition to the rhythm action, there's also a dress-up feature where Miku can be adorned in 39 different costumes including the Space Channel 5 Ulala costume, devil girl cosplay, cat girl (with paws), and a pirate outfit where she wears knee-high boots and a pirate hat. Preorders for the Best Version of Project Diva are welcome to ship on June 24, 2010 at JPY3200 or US$36.90 from NCS.

PSP Hatsune Miku: Project Diva LE (Best Version) - Preorder

NCS Preorder Synopsis - Update: April 09, 2010
«©NCSX» Project Diva is a rhythm action game where the PSP's face buttons are tapped in time to the flying cues on screen so Miku sings, dances, and swirls on stage like a generic J-Pop idol. A diva, if you will. In addition to the rhythm action, there's also a dress-up feature where Miku can be adorned in 39 different costumes including the Space Channel 5 Ulala costume, devil girl cosplay, cat girl (with paws), and a pirate outfit where she wears knee-high boots and a pirate hat.

As is the case with most popular games in Japan, Project Diva is being re-released under the "Best" series of games at a lower price point to draw in fans who missed out on the first printing. In an unusual move however, Sega is re-releasing the game in a so-called limited edition bundle which includes the Nendoroid-Petit Miku Hatsune figure that was given away with early preorders in the original printing. Preorders for the Best Version of Project Diva with the Puchi Nendoroid are welcome to ship on June 24, 2010 at JPY3980 or US$50.90 from NCS.

PS2 Scared Rider Xechs - Import Preorder

NCS Preorder Synopsis - Update: April 09, 2010
«©NCSX» When an alien invasion gets into gear, six boys are recruited to combat the threat from outer space. In any other genre of game, there'd be a cast of trigger-happy grunts who blast away in blazing action sequences. However, Scared Rider Xechs isn't a shooter nor is it a tactical simulation. SRX is an otome game or a boy's love adventure where the protagonist is girl named Akira Asagi and she's surrounded by six hunky guys whom she directs against the aliens. Similar to the male archetypes found in other otome games, the boys in SRX are chiseled, lanky, and have fine features that are almost feminine.

As normal humans, the boys wouldn't stand a chance against the aliens but they're capable of transforming into superhumans who have fighting skills and moxie. To allay suspicions concerning their super powers, the boys form a rock band which Akira manages.

Preorders are welcome to ship on July 1, 2010 at JPY6800 or US$70.90. In addition to the regular edition, NCS is accepting reservations for a limited edition which includes a Drama CD and a 64-page fan booklet.

PSP Chaos; Head Noah - Import Preorder

NCS Preorder Synopsis - Update: April 09, 2010
«©NCSX» Times Square in New York City is a happening place with throngs of people, heavy traffic, and bright lights that never dim. Times Square got nothing on Tokyo's Shibuya. The amount of foot traffic in front of the JR Hachiko station exit in Shibuya is the heaviest in the world.

Chaos;Head Noah takes place in Shibuya and follows the story of a high school student named Takumi Nishijo. As the game kicks off, we learn that strange deaths have taken place in Shibuya which have stymied the local authorities. Group teenage suicides and an odd reverse caesarean performed on a young man are the introductory horrors but more are on the way. Takumi's baptism into the death trade begins online where he chats with someone named Shogun who seems to have foreknowledge of the gruesome events. The next day, Takumi runs into a crime scene where he sees two corpses that match the images presented by Shogun in their online chat. Fearful of what he might have stumbled onto, Tak searches for answers and finds allies over the course of the narrative as the murders mount. Takumi also endeavors to stay a few steps ahead of the killer.

Along with the regular edition of Chaos;Head Noah, preorders are welcome for a limited edition which includes an illustrations booklet.