Grim Grimoire + Bonuses

Millet Blaw has been accepted to the Magic Academy and she wings her way to Silver Star Tower atop a dragon. When Ms Blaw arrives, she's greeted by Gammel Drask, the head wizard, who takes her under his tutelage. Once inducted into the academy, Millet listens to Gammel's lectures and then engages in exercises where familiar forces are used to gather mana and battle enemy imps. At the outset of the game, the skirmishes are relatively simple affairs which are designed to teach proper movement techniques and battle tactics. The game tactfully nudges the player into the framework of the game with easy missions and training but later stages require an adept mix of planning, forethought, and quick action.

For gamers who need a reference point for the game play in Grim Grimoire, it can be compared to Warcraft where units are sent to explore and gather resources while other units are cobbled together into strike cadres that either defend the home "base" or are sent into enemy territory to conquer. When a unit is selected, it'll cheerfully acknowledge its commission and vocalize its pleasure when commanded. Games such as Grimoire are highly addictive and if you're immersed in mission after mission, it might be 7:00PM when you start playing but the next time you look up at the clock, it'll be 3:00AM in the dead of night. Time flies when you're that engrossed. «NCS Game Notes and Bonus Photos»

Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: MiniMini Daikoushin!

From the publisher: It seems folks love those Mini Mario toys. So much so that the Mario Toy Company has expanded the line to include Mini Donkey Kong, Mini Toad and Mini Peach figures to the series. With all these toys bringing him more money than he knows what to do with, Mario decides to fulfill his lifelong dream and open a theme park called Super Mini Mario World. The opening-day crowd includes Pauline and Donkey Kong, who immediately falls head over heels for the lovely lass. The proud ape tries to show off his Mini DK toy to Pauline, but she picks the Mini Mario toy over his and the jealous Donkey Kong becomes enraged. He smashes the displays, destroys the toys and takes Pauline to the top floor of the amusement park. Players must find Pauline and save the day. «more»

Gyakuten Saiban 4

Seven years after the events in Gyakuten Saiban 3, Ryuichi Naruhodo is no longer an ace attorney. Gone are the natty suits, the clean shaven face, and the booming courtroom dramatics. Ryuichi now sports stubble, wears ski bum clothes, and works as a pianist at a Russian restaurant called "Borscht". The new lawyer in Gyakuten Saiban 4 is an up 'n coming 22-year old named Housuke Odoroki and his first case in the game is defending Ryuichi. Odoroki's mentor is a blonde bespectacled attorney named Garyuu Kirihito and his assistant is a top-hat-wearing magician named Minuki. The previous Gyakuten Saiban game for the NDS was based on the Gameboy original but GS4 was tailored for the NDS and uses the touch screen for fingerprinting and evidence handling. «more»

Dead Rising Original Soundtrack Premium

Hard charging beats and synths out the wazoo are the order of the day in the Dead Rising Soundtrack. Los Angeles-based Hostile Groove contributes "Fly Routine" and "On a Mission" where lead singer Shawn McPherson roars out the lyrics in rapid fire staccato. The roaring lends itself nicely to the zombie slaughtering shenanigans of Dead Rising. Other tracks include Lockjaw's "Bored Again" and "Heaven's Creepin' In" by Supernova Syndicate. The multitude of BGM tracks were composed by Hideki Okugawa and Marika Suzuki.
The special edition of the DR OST includes a black t-shirt (large size) which features Frank West carrying a machete in his right hand and holding Isabella close. The Premium Pack is limited to only 2,000 sets. «more»

Jikkyou Powerful Pro Baseball 2

The boy of summer return to the PSP baseball diamond with a full complement of 2006 team data, stats, and 2007 team rosters. As the new season kicks off, the release of the latest Jikkyou Powerful Pro Baseball arrives in time for fans to join in the action. The eight game modes include Pennant where players forge through an entire season's worth of 144 ball games in a bid to participate in the Fall Classic. There's also a Pawapro Communication Mode where who players link up for head-to-head action and the a la carte Pawapota Mode which features game modes that won't require a large time investment. A PoTaCa Mode allows players to collect hundreds of baseball cards which feature photographs, birthdates, and data on ballplayers playing in the Japanese big leagues. Four other modes round out the offerings on the main menu. «more»

Super Mario DX Sofubi Figure 3

The Mario Sofubi Figure 2 toys that arrived last week sold well and we're emboldened by the rapid turnover. Banpresto apparently feels the same way and a third series of Super Mario Bros DX Soft Vinyl figures has been announced which is scheduled to ship in August 2007. This time around, five figures are featured in the set as follows:

» Mario (A)
» Luigi (B)
» Toad (C)
» Green Yoshi (D)
» Pink Yoshi (E)

The Mario figure looks like the same one that's in the Sofubi 2 set but we'll re-confirm this once we get a chance to check it out. With the exception of Toad, all of the figures have movable arms which may be posed. The approximate height of each figure is 8-9" tall. Preorders are welcome today.

Kinu Nishimura Mai Shiranui Update

The cries of a thousand toy collectors have apparently been heard and Max Factory has announced a second production of the upcoming Kinu Nishimura 1/6 scale Mai Shiranui figure which ships in November 2007. Please note that the first production will ship on August 31, 2007 so the second batch will arrive three months later.

According to our toy suppliers, we should be able to fill all of our preorders received in the past few days so everyone who has submitted a reservation already should be guaranteed a figure from the second batch. Since we're still four months away from the production of the first batch, anything can change in that interim and Max Factory may be able to push some production up so that additional supplies are available in August instead of November. We'll update accordingly once we receive news.

Kingdom Hearts 2 Final Mix+ Special Edition

Late last week, we received a small supply of the special edition of Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix game which includes two bonus items:

» Transparent slipcase with imprint artwork of the main characters
» A 64-page hardcover book entitled "Kingdom Hearts -Another Report-"

The table of contents of the book is as follows:

» Story Report
» Prototype Report
» Director's Secret Report XIII
» Manga by Shiro Amano
» Novel by Tomoco Kanemaki

The paper used in the book is thick and glossy for the first three chapters but the Manga and Novel portions use a rougher but bright paper stock for the black & white artwork and type. The Novel isn't a full length tale but more of a short story titled "Roxas - Somewhere in Time" which spans 8 pages of Japanese prose. «photos»