TOYS Mario Kart Wii Sound Drop Compact - Japanese Preorder

NCS Product Synopsis
«©NCSX» The sounds, chimes, and jingles of the Mario Kart Wii game are captured in Bandai's upcoming Mario Kart Wii Sound Drop Compact Repeat toy collection which ships in April of next year. A total of eight drops are featured in the set which include a "STAR" version, "MYSTERY BLOCK," a "BANANA SKIN" version, "BLUE SHELL" and four others. By pressing a button on each Sound Drop, the sound chip inside each toy plays a sound effect whichs plays for roughly 1-2 seconds in length. To play a variant sound effect that's built into each Sound Drop, press and hold the button to force the chip to retrieve its alternate programmed sound.

   Pricing is set at US$28.90 for the complete set of 8 toys as pictured in the product photo. Reservations are welcome to ship in April 2011.

TOYS Star Wars Sound Lightsaber Flashlight - Preorder

NCS Preorder Synopsis
«©NCSX» A couple of weeks ago, we had one of our locks replaced because the Medeco cylinder assembly apparently went bye-bye. The locksmith that did the work needed a flashlight but the first light we tried was dead. Did you know that you're supposed to change the batteries in flashlights at least once every 10 years? We didn't. The second flashlight we tried was one of those shake-lights where you joggle it around for a minute or two to charge up the internal battery. That worked and the locksmith was so grateful, he only overcharged us by 50% instead of the usual 80%.

The next time the need arises for a flashlight, we might reach for Taito's Star Wars Sound Lightsaber Flashlight (say that three times quickly) which shoots out a beam of white light to scare away the darkness. A second function on the 20cm saber allows it to make energy-swooshing sounds to impress the girls, the Star Wars nerds fans, and the occasional light-needing locksmith. Preorders are welcome to ship in mid-late September 2010 at US$18.90 each. Two styles are available.

TOYS Street Fighter II Imagination Sound Game - New Import

NCS Product Synopsis
«©NCSX» The sweet sounds from the original version of Street Fighter II still reverberate in our heads (not really, but pretend with us just this once) and Capcom's landmark fighting game went on to spawn a whole generation of fighters. Fast forward two decades and Street Fighter's still going strong so Bandai pays love and respect by releasing the Street Fighter II Imagination Sound Game which is being sold in three variants:

» Black - Features the voices and grunts of Ryu, Blanka, and Sagat
» Red - Listen to the utterances of Ken, E. Honda, and Guile
» Blue - Chun-Li, Dhalsim, and Balrog sound off

In addition to the sounds of SFII, an imaginary game of Street Fighter II may be played. Press the "P" button and the SFII theme song starts chiming and that's your cue to mash the buttons and perform semi-circle moves on the D-Pad to simulate fireballs, dragon punches, and helipcopter kicks. If your button mashing is satisfactory, you'll receive a "You Win" congratulatory message. If your button pressing performance is below par, you'll get a "You LOSE" message from the announcer. Such are the spoils and disgraces of war. All orders are shipping today. «NCS Gallery»

TOYS Namco Classic Game Sound Controller - Import Preorder

NCS Preorder Synopsis
«©NCSX» If we were commissioned with the task of creating sound keychains based on classic Namco games, Xevious and Famista wouldn't have been our first choices. The music in Xevious is distinctive but it's also numbingly monotonous in a loopy sort of way. Famista's BGM isn't distinctive at all and fits into the "ditty" category of music. Bandai has no qualms however and the first two Namco Classic Game Sound Controllers are based on the sound effects and BGM clips from Xevious and Famista.
Preorders are welcome to ship in mid-late March 2009 at JPY900 or US$13.90 each from NCS.

TOYS Street Fighter II Game Sound Controller - Import Preorder

NCS Preorder Synopsis
«©NCSX» The sounds from the original version of Street Fighter II still reverberate in our heads (not really, but pretend with us just this once) and Capcom's landmark fighting game went on to spawn a whole generation of fighters. Fast forward two decades and Street Fighter's still going strong so Bandai pays love and respect by announcing the Street Fighter II Game Sound Controller which is being sold in three variants:

» Black - Features the voices and grunts of Ryu, Blanka, and Sagat
» Red - Listen to the utterances of Ken, E. Honda, and Guile
» Blue - Chun-Li, Dhalsim, and Vega speak and sound off

Preorders are welcome to ship in March 2010 at JPY900 or US$13.90 each.

TOYS Star Wars Darth Vader Sound Tsuke Strap - Import Preorder

NCS Preorder Synopsis
«©NCSX» Darth Vader is an imposing figure when he's on his feet and swinging a light saber while a swishy cape billows behind him. Respect the dark knight. However, decapitate Darth and he's not that imposing anymore. That's what you'll get with the Star Wars Darth Vader Sound Tsuke Strap which makes Darth noises and may be tethered to a set of keys, a phone, or another device fitted with a loop. Preorders ship in late September 2009 at JPY1280 or US$16.90 each.

Metal Gear Solid 4 Ration Sound Toys - New, In Stock

«©NCSX» Solid Snake is the strong and silent type. He's not one for lengthy conversion but when he does talk, people tend to listen. Fans of the Snakester can listen to him talk all day with the Metal Gear Solid 4 Ration Sound Keychains which feature choice phrases that have been clipped from the game and stored on a computer chip. To listen to a short snippet of dialogue or sound, simply push the button on the front of a keychain and a somewhat tinny and hollow-sounding voice or sound effect will blare forth. Use it to wake the neighbors, scare the cat, or terrorize the kids.

A total of six keychains were released by Konami Digital Entertainment which are sold in Japan through gashapon dispensers in random fashion. To make things easier for collectors however, NCS gathers together all six keychains and sells them as a complete set at the price of US$29.90. That way, you won't be stuck with unwanted duplicates which will only take up space in your sock drawer. All preorders have shipped as of last Friday and new orders are welcome today. «NCS Photo Gallery»

Bomberman Bakuhatsu Plush

The Japanese word "Bakuhatsu" means "Explode" and that's what Bomberman's bombs do. To capitalize on the decades old Bomberman craze, Banpresto unleashes a plush bomb which sports a lit fuse on top and a sound emitting mechanism inside. When the sound device is smacked and triggered by pounding on the Bomberman plush, two sounds roar forth from the innards of the toy which are meant to recreate explosive video game aurals from yesteryear.

In the original manufacturer product solicitation from late 2006, the flyer mentions that each plush makes two sounds: "BOOMB!" and "POM!" which are lovingly sampled from the Bomberman games. We listened to the sound effects and the first one sounds like the effect when Bomberman drops a bomb in the maze. The second effect sounds like a burning fuse which leads to a rocking explosion. Two color variants are on offer and all preorders have shipped as of yesterday. New orders are welcome.