Elite Banana Air Bubble Keychain

American citizens have a favorite fruit over all others. It's not the apple nor the orange as one might suspect. It's the banana and the average American gobbles up 28 lbs of of the yellow fruit per annum. Maybe it's the delicious flavor or the fact that bananas mesh with ice cream that keeps it at the top of the charts.

Bananas are also a favorite in Japan and pretty much everywhere else in the world. Tangent time: humans have a tendency to humanize objects, animals, and other living things. For example, a distinctive rock might be said to possess human-like "facial" features and Woofy the 10 year old dog might be described as being like gramps - slobbery and occasionally incontinent.

Add one more human attribution victim to the list - Elite Banana which is a sentient piece of fruit with anthropomorphic facial features who enjoys the good life. Elite Banana products sell well in Japan but are unknown in pretty much the rest of the world. NCS stocked the Elite Banana Motion Plush last week and today, we import the Elite Banana Air Bubble Keychain which features a banana encased inside a plastic air bubble. Four styles are in stock today which all look alike but each one has subtle nuances that distinguish one from the other. «Photo Gallery»

Caltoy UJ Hamster Plush

Approximately a decade ago, NCSX kept a fancy hamster habitat on the premises. The rodents were purchased from a local pet shop along with bags of litter, food, and treats. We started with two hamsters. Within 1 month, the female gave birth and we suddenly had eight of them. With ample supplies of food and water at their disposal, the rodents would eventually grow into a pack of 67. Ravenous, furry, and unrelentingly fertile, the hamsters were on a meteoric population explosion that would soon eat the NCS corporation out of warehouse and office.
Something had to be done.
After rubbishing the "hamster space voyage" idea where we would launch them to the moon on a colonization mission, NCS settled on a more mundane solution. We marched down to the pet shop and donated them back to the store. They agreed but we had to give them back in increments as they gradually sold off our "inventory." Sega's Caltoy plush hamsters are unique. They won't breed and they don't eat. Perfect for us and any other friends of hamsters who can't keep up with the upkeep. Each Caltoy UJ Hamster plush measures 40cm tall by 26cm in depth and its profile is reminiscent of Totoro. Preorders are welcome to ship in January 2008.

Human Skeleton - Resin + Silicone Construction

If you've ever needed a human skeleton made of resin and silicone (for whatever reason), you're in luck. Preorders were opened up a few days ago in Japan for a skeleton with dimensions measuring 160 x 36 x 22cm or 62.99 x 14.17 x 8.66" which weighs 13kg or 28lbs. The rib cage looks a tad out of proportion but the bones and skull appear to be near accurate representations of the human skeletal frame.

According to the preorder details, the jaw may be unhinged and the top of the skull may be lifted up for an inspection of the cranial cavity. The skeleton ships in its own dedicated carton and is packaged with a stand for display purposes. Metal bolts and pins are used to keep the skeleton together and allow for movement of the limbs. Preorders are welcome to ship later this month (September 2007) at US$379.00 each.

Japanese Import Outlook

NDS	Deltora Quest: 7-tsu no Houseki	Bandai
	Hitman Reborn! DS Flame Rumble Kaien Ring	Takara
	Kyouryuu Ikusei Battle RPG	MTO
	Simple DS Series Vol. 22: The Zero Yon Shinya	D3
PS2	Jojo no Kimyouna Bouken: Ougon no Kaze - BEST	Capcom
	Kiniro no Corda 2 Anchor	Koei
PSP	Bleach Heat the Soul 3 - BEST	Sony
	Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops Plus	Konami
	Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops Plus Deluxe Pack	Konami
	Playstation Portable Slim System - Ceramic White	Sony
	Playstation Portable Slim System - Felicia Blue	Sony
	Playstation Portable Slim System - Ice Silver	Sony
	Playstation Portable Slim System - Lavender Purple	Sony
	Playstation Portable Slim System - Piano Black	Sony
	Playstation Portable Slim System - Rose Pink	Sony
	R-Type Tactics	Irem
Wii	Sengoku Musou Katana	Koei

USA Release Outlook

NDS	Digimon World: Dawn	Bandai
	Digimon World: Dusk	Bandai
	Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights	THQ
	MySims	EA
	Namco Museum DS	Namco
	Nancy Drew: Deadly Secret of Olde World Park	Majesco
	Sonic Rush Adventure	Sega
PS2	Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights	THQ
	Digimon World Data Squad	Bandai
	Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror	Sony
	Warriors Orochi	Koei
PS3	Stuntman Ignition	THQ
PSP	Coded Arms: Contagion	Konami
	Yu-Gi-Oh! GX Tag Force 2	Konami
Wii	Cosmic Family	Ubisoft
	Fishing Master	Konami
	MySims	EA
X36	Eternal Sonata	Bandai
	Warriors Orochi	Koei

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Bundle - In Stock

Square Enix announced the FFVII Crisis Core 10th Anniversary PSP bundle at the Playstation Premiere event earlier this year and the news spread around the world in a twinkling. NCS opened up preorders about a month afterwards and garnered a fair share of reservations. By our count, we scored ~1% of the production of the FFVII PSP Bundle today. The following items are included in each limited edition box:

» Silver PSP-2000 - The new redesigned version that's sleeker and sexier
» Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII game
» Stubby silver Buster Sword cell phone stray that's pudgy but sexy
» Regulation issue battery charger with zero sex appeal

The limited edition PSPs are serially numbered from 00000 to 77777 and we're guessing someone important at Square Enix is going to keep 00000 for himself but one of the unwashed has probably got a shot at 00001 and 77777.

All preorders and new orders for the bundles are shipping today. If you received an email about a transaction being declined yesterday or this morning, please feel free to submit new billing details before 4PM EST and we'll be able to get your order out today as well.

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII - In Stock

Spoilers Ahead
The spiky-haired Zack Fair is a Soldier Second Class in the employ of the Shinra Electric Power Company. Young, strong, and impressionable, Zack is a member of a private army known as SOLDIER that works for Shinra Power. Zack aspires to become a Soldier First Class which is an elite branch of SOLDIER where the best of the best are assigned. At the outset of the game, Zack engages in a thrilling virtual reality sequence where he races across the top of a train, battles soldiers, and flies through the air to disconnect some train cars from the main caboose group. The sequence is entirely CG with some beautiful visuals to appreciate.

Soon after the VRS sequence, Zack is summoned to a briefing room where his supervisor named Lazard gives him an assignment. A Soldier First Class named Genesis has gone missing along with a number of other elite soldiers. Zack is to investigate their disappearance and determine what has happened. He is allowed to bring a Turk with him and their first area of exploration is a mountainous region in Wutai...

Crisis Core: FFVII takes place before the events of the original Final Fantasy VII game and features a recognizable cast of characters which include Cloud Strife, Sephiroth, Aerith Gainsborough, Tifa Lockhart, Reno, Rude, and Yuffie Kisaragi. The whole gang's back...

Pokemon Fushigi no Dungeon Toki no Tankentai - In Stock

Amidst hazy colors and a little touch-pen interaction, a lad is transformed and transported to the world of Pokemon where action and adventure awaits. At the outset of the game, players are asked to choose a Pokemon friend from seven types including Torchic, Mudkip, Naetoru, and Pochama. After a short naming ceremony, the game opens up with the protagonist lying on a beach. The Pokemon that you chose at the outset of the game eventually finds you on the beach and a new friendship is soon forged. Together, the two Pokemon venture deep into dungeons where treasure is plundered and monsters are vanquished by way of simple touch screen tapping action. By accepting different missions handed out by a guild, the ultimate goal is to return to the human world.