Monsieur Bome Collection Vol. 18

Go to Google. Type in "gunbuster bome" and check out all of the stores that cribbed (read: plagiarized) NCS' write-up for this product from our preorder listing. Even well known shops had to resort to cribbing. So Lam3.

Mech handlers in big-robot-animation-series' generally fit into 2 basic molds. The first mold is that of an ace pilot with innate skills who takes to maneuvering a robot like a duck takes to water. The second mold follows a more humble path where the hero has potential but must work hard to get to the lofty levels of the aforementioned prodigies. In the Gun Buster animation, Noriko Takaya fits squarely in the second mold. Unsure of herself at the outset of the animation, Noriko eventually grits her teeth, finds her impressive abilities within and pushes them forward to help the cause. To celebrate all that is Noriko, Kaiyodo has marked the eighteenth Monsieur Bome for the Gun Buster pilot. The figure measures 23cm or 9.05" tall and Takaya seemingly thrusts her dukes up as if ready to engage in fisticuffs. She wears the regulation issue Gunbuster uniform with the recognizable design on top and the stretchy red fabric which grips her posterior in a vice-like grip. A circular stand is included in the blister pack which features "Gunbuster" in English and "Top wo Nerae" in katakana on the base.

Illuminate Cube

Back in the day, Rubik's Cube was a toy phenomenon which sold hundreds of millions of units worldwide. Those numbers are unthinkable nowadays since there's so many product choices and such high saturation in the toy market. Even Elmo won't touch those numbers... but we'll never know for sure since Fisher Price doesn't release sales figures. Revisit the old school flavor of the Rubik's Cube with Megahouse's "Illuminate Cube" which looks like the legendary toy but there's something special built into its innards. Instead of rickety plastic pieces inside, the Illuminate Cube sports stereo speakers and an array of LEDs which sync, shine, and blink like a hyperactive Christmas light ornament.

The Illuminate Cube sports a total of 54 squares on its cube surface. Every square's surface may flash one of three colors - red, green, and yellow. Each corner cube features three LEDs inside which are capable of shining independently of each other. The Illumination Cube can stand alone and blink its lights in random fashion but it was designed to accept the output from a music player via physical cable connection (3.5mm stereo mini plug). Once the music starts to play through the built-in 125mW stereo speakers, the lights sync to the beat and blink in unison to the tempo of the tune. Depending on the music, all sides may flash at once with solid colors or colorful patterns will undulate through the surfaces of the cube with near perfect coordination as the music plays.

NCS found pleasing effects when classical music was played while rock and rap produced what we would describe as interesting visuals. Use it in a disco dive and replace the glittering mirror ball of yore. All preorders will ship today and new orders are welcome.

General Updates

PS3 Blu-Ray Remotes Additional supplies of the Japanese Blu-Ray Remote arrived today and all backorders will ship this afternoon. New orders are welcome. Yes, we're aware that the USA version of the Blu-Ray Remote is sort of available in spotty quantities in select retail shops.

Wii Video Cables Japanese S-Video and D-Terminal cables for the Wii are in stock today.

PS3 Railfan

A railfan is a train enthusiast who's passionate about locomotives. When taking the Amtrak in New York City, we occasionally spot railfans talking to conductors and taking photographs of the trains as they roll into the station. Taito shared this passion for trains with a line-up of Densha de Go! games and the latest in their train simulation empire is the aptly named "Railfan." Similar to the Densa de Go! games, players take the reins of a locomotive and travel through miles of track while observing the rules and policies of proper conducting.

As the virtual conductor motors through the three main lines featured in the game, crisp Blu-Ray footage of the world spools by for a mesmerizing look at what train operators actually see while operating. When pulling into a station, the commuters on the platforms walk, shuffle, talk, and do what commuters do because they're actual commuters that were captured when the Railfan team took to the tracks with their cameras and started spooling miles and miles of footage for the game.

PSP Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology

The world of Terejia is under siege by demons and the massive tree that governs the life of the planet is slowly dying. In a last ditch effort to save itself and the world, the mighty tree births a hero to beat back the demons and save Terejia from ruin.
At the outset of the game, players create a male or female character who look strangely alike. They're both androgynous and wear the same burgundy-colored outfit. Once the sex is determined, the new hero may be outfitted with a new hair style, hair color, skin color, and choice of weapon from four possible selections. Players then choose the occupation of the hero from Fighter or Magic User and the story begins.

Spoiler Alert
In the first scene of the game, the camera rests on the hero lying prone on the forest floor. A squeaky voice hails him and he slowly gets up to greet a flying feline that's fluttering immediately above him. The cat with wings is named "Morumo" who does all of the talking for the hero who never speaks during the game. The hero does occasionally yell after a successful battle but dialogue isn't his thing. Soon after the introductions, the two encounter a pink-haired girl named Kanosono who is being accosted by a soldier. Kill him in a newtype 3D battle scenario and meet Chester Burklight who hails from the Tales of Phantasia game. After introductions, head on over to a town where many more familiar characters from the Tales games are met and interacted with. «NCS Game Notes»

PSP MGS Portable Ops Premium Pack

The Premium Edition of Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops includes the following items which are packaged in a largish cardboard box:

» Camouflage-colored Playstation Portable unit (PSP-1000CA)
» MGS Portable Ops game with special variant cover (ULJM-05227)
» Pack of three limited edition Metal Gear Solid pins mounted on a placard
» Naked Snake Hemp PSP Carrying Case
» Naked Snake Hemp PSP Strap
» Metal Gear Portal business card

PSP Tales of the World Premium Pack

The Tales of the World bundle includes the following items which are encased in a decorative cardboard carton:

» Metallic Blue Playstation Portable (PSP-1000MB)
» Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology game (ULJS-00093)
» PSP carrying case with Tales of the World icon art on front
» Tales of the World handkerchief/cloth
» 32MB Memory Stick Duo

General Updates

Week's Release Outlook No new USA titles are scheduled for this week but Japan's sort of lively. NDS Dragon Quest Monsters Joker and PS3 F1 Championship Edition are both scheduled to arrive on Thursday. No other imports are scheduled to arrive this week.

Japanese Wii Price Update The price for the Japanese Wii will drop to US$345 on Thursday or Friday of this week when we restock the next batch of consoles. If you have a backorder on file, we will process and ship your order once restock arrives.

Japanese PS3 Price Update The price for the Japanese PS3 60GB and 20GB models are scheduled to drop on Tuesday of next week. We'll post new prices once they are finalized. If you require a firmware update before we ship your order (because you don't have access to high-speed internet), you may request the service in the notes section of the online shop order form.