Miniature Art Collection: Van Gogh Museum - Preorder

Toys don't just have to be about cartoon characters with squeaky voices or superheroes in skintight skivvies. Toys can be about the works of influential artists who weren't successful during their lifetimes. In the case of Van Gogh, he only sold one painting before he died and his work was recognized as masterpieces post-mortem.
Japanese manufacturer System Service pays homage to Van Gogh with a collection of toys which collect 10 of his works in miniature recreations. There's three self portraits including "Self Portrait with Straw Hat" and the famous "Vase with Fifteen Sunflowers" which sold at auction for nearly $40 million US dollars back in 1987. Other works featured include "The Yellow House" and "The Potato Eaters." The preorder info mentions a secret painting which is probably, "The Starry Night." Preorders ship in March 08.

Propeller Gun 2 - Preorder

A wave of nostalgia may wash across the over-30 crowd when the words, "propeller gun" are uttered. Popular amongst children in the 1950s through the 1970s, propeller guns are made of plastic and use a wind-up mechanism to launch lightweight plastic propellers which fly 10-30 feet in distance. Yujin's product flyer threatens a range of 10m or nearly 11 yards.

Six toy guns are included in the Propeller Gun 2 product which all sport a bright red tip to distinguish them from real guns. The miniature size is another giveaway that these firearms aren't real. NCS will supply the propeller guns in complete sets of six (as shown) at US$20. Preorders are welcome to ship in mid-late March 2008.

Seikatsu Oshiri Strap - Preorder

The Japanese word "Seikatsu" translates to "life" or "living" and the word "Oshiri" refers to "butt" or "posterior." Put those two words together and you have "Living Butt Strap," the latest masterwork from the Epoch crew. Six toys are featured in the set which consist of sports balls such as a basketball or a soccer ball with human appendages sprouting from it. In addition to the arms and legs, there's also a pair of butt cheeks squeezing out of the rear of each sphere.
Each strap is meant to be tethered to a cellphone and we're guessing that there's nothing else like this... in the universe. Preorders are welcome to ship in mid-late March 2008 at US$20 for the complete set of six.

Japanese Import Outlook - Arrivals on Wed-Thurs

NDS	Arkanoid DS	Taito
	Arkanoid DS + Paddle Controller	Taito
	Arkanoid DS Paddle Controller DS - Black	Taito
	Arkanoid DS Paddle Controller DS - Pink	Taito
	Arkanoid DS Paddle Controller DS - Silver	Taito
	Arkanoid DS Paddle Controller DS - White	Taito
	Tales of Innocence	Namco
	Tales of Innocence Accessory Set	Hori
PS2	Ryu ga Gotoku [The Best]	Sega
	Ryu ga Gotoku 2 [The Best]	Sega
PSP	Chronicle of Dungeon Maker II	Global A
	Mahjong Haoh Portable Dankyuu Battle	NCS
	Minna no Golf Portable 2	Sony
	Silent Hill Zero	Konami
	Yuusha no Kuse ni Namaikida	Sony
X360	Lost Odyssey	Microsoft
	Virtua Fighter 5 Live Arena	Sega
	Virtua Fighter 5 Live Arena Stick	Hori
Wii	Doraemon Wii Himitsu Douguou Ketteisen!	Sega
	No More Heroes	Spike
	Wii Fit [Please note: Price increase to US$185]	Nintendo

USA Release Outlook - Arrivals on Tues-Thurs

NDS	Draglade	Atlus
	Left Brain Right Brain	Majesco
	The Golden Compass	Sega
	Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship 2008	Konami
PS2	The Golden Compass	Sega
PS3	The Golden Compass	Sega
PSP	Atari Classics Evolved	Atari
	Beowulf	Ubisoft
	The Golden Compass	Sega
Wii	Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3	Atari
	The Golden Compass	Sega
	Godzilla Unleashed	Atari
X360	Dance Dance Revolution Universe 2	Konami
	The Golden Compass	Sega

Yes! Precure 5 - New Import, In Stock

Nozomi Yumehara leads the Pretty Cure 5 team against an evil cabal known as Nightmare Company. Imbued with the power of "Pretty Cure," the five girls use exotic attacks to subdue their enemies and dispatch opposing overlords. The NDS game is based on the recent televised animation of the same name (Debuted in Japan on February 4, 2007) and features strategy-rpg action where the team members move on isometric battlefields and use their powers against the forces of evil. Rounding out the cast are Coco, Nuts, and Milk which are rascal-like rodents who hail from the Palmier Kingdom. The game uses a scribbling system to transform a girl from average teenager to Pretty Cure heroine where the outline of letters are doodled on the touch screen.

Datui Yakyuken Janken - Recent Import, In Stock

Play rock-scissors-paper against three Japanese gravure idols and strip them of their garments like a rollicking bandit. The three models featured in the UMD-Video game are:

Aki Hoshino - The princess wearing the tiara on the game cover
Rina Dison - A Leah Dizon sorta-look-alike capitalizing on the Nevada expat
Yume - Her name means dream or perhaps a reverie of some sort

Similar to other Yakyuken games that NCS has stocked in the recent past, the girls perform a spirited twirl before throwing out their concealed hands. At that point, you'll choose rock, scissors, or paper to counter the idol's action. For example, if you select rock and Aki woefully shoots scissors, she'll be forced to remove a piece of clothing. The goal is to eventually strip Aki and watch her cavort in a short video sequence.

After careful review of the game this morning, the producers apparently thought that cosplay would mesh well with the Yakyuken trade. The girls are decked out in assorted costumes and/or clothing themes. For example, Aki Hoshino dresses like a fairy princess of some sort while Yume looks like the prim office manager down the hall. Rina Dison has one getup where she bears a passing resemblance to Aya of Oneechan Bara fame and another where she plays the part of a schoolgirl. Jan Code: 4571284390010

USB Illumination Stand - New Import, In Stock

Mount your Nintendo Wii on a sturdy vertical stand which patches through one of the USB ports on the back of the console to a USB port located on the front of the stand. Once mounted and properly set up, simply plug a USB device such as a keyboard or an external drive right in the front without any muss nor fuss. In addition to the convenience of a forward facing USB port, the Illumination Stand glows with blue light which shines from the inner sides of the stand. Note however that the illumination function requires that one of the USB ports on the back of the console be used for the cabling to provide power for the LEDs. Two color variants are in stock today: White and Black. Jan Code: 4961818007963