General Updates

Melty Blood Actress Again The latest edition of Type Moon's Melty Blood 2D fighting game ships in September in Naomi cartridge form. Pricing is set at JPY248,000 or US$2580 from NCS which includes Express Mail shipping direct from Japan to pretty much any address in the world. Except maybe Antarctica. Don't think the Postal Service will get there this year. Express Mail is a trackable and insured service. Preorders for the Japanese Naomi cartridge Melty Blood Actress Again will ship on or around September 30, 2008. The Naomi kit includes a Naomi-compatible game cartridge, cabinet artwork, and marquee header. Please note the Naomi hardware is not included in this offer.

Soul Calibur IV USA Early... in Hong Kong A few of our vendors in Hong Kong offered us the USA version of Soul Calibur IV for Playstation 3 last night. They've been selling the game in Hong Kong shops as of yesterday. Apparently, a North American distributor was able to ship the game to Asia on Friday or Saturday of last week. We've also heard from customers about shops in the USA selling the game early. Our own USA distributors will be shipping the game out on Wednesday or Thursday of this week. If they don't sell it now, they probably won't be able to sell (as many) later. Breaking street date seems to be in season.

Rumble Rapid Controller for Wii/GC - Clearance

We've been playing Virtual Console games on the Wii and using up our Japanese Wii Points cards when we should be selling them. During normal gaming sessions, we might use a White Gamecube pad but for those times when a little something extra such as rapid-fire is needed, we turn to CyberGadget's Rumble Rapid Controller.

Designed for use with the Gamecube or the Virtual Console, the vibration-capable controller features rapid-fire functionality for all of the buttons on the pad. That's not all however. The sensitivity of the analog nub may be adjusted from Low, Normal, or High. The general shape of the controller is similar to a standard GC pad and CyberGadets adds rubberized grips for slippage-free gaming.

Sale Offer: NCS' remaining inventory of the Rumble Rapid Controller from CyberGadget is new, factory sealed, and in mint condition. Price: US30.90 per controller which includes "free shipping" within the United States by USPS Media Mail Service. Jan Code: 4544859007453

The correct legal term is "Wii Remote™"

Last week, we received a letter from a law firm representing a company which holds the "Weemote™" trademark. The letter stated that we were to stop using the term, "Wiimote" in our product descriptions and NCS Game Notes™ because our actions could possibly cause confusion in the marketplace. NCS respects trademarks and ©opyrights since we also own trademarks and copyrighted material so we're obliging even though we think it's a bit of a stretch... but whatever.

From this day forth, the word "Wiimote" has been banished from N©S' shopping sites and replaced with the word "Wii Remote™." We wasted spent about an hour on Friday making sure the term "Wiimote" was waxed from the NCS shopping experience. We'll endeavor to search and replace instances of the word "Wiimote" on our other websites by the end of the month. We wouldn't want the "Weemote™" trademark holder to be supposedly damaged by our conjunction of the words "Wii" and "Remote." We're thinking of coining a new word - "Wii-rote" or maybe just "Wote." As in, "Wave your Wote in the air. Wave it like ya just don't care."

Quick, someone trademark that.

So, if you're a vendor who's foolish enough to use the word "Wiimote" in your literature and product descriptions, watch it. You're liable to get a letter from a law firm. Can the word "Wiimote" be banned from every shopping site on the internet? Maybe. Maybe not. In any case, the word "Wiimote" will be stricken from this posting in approximately 24 hours lest we receive another letter. Y'know, a letter from a law firm.

Star Wars Kubrick Series 9 - New Import, In Stock

A petulant Anakin Skywalker finds love in Star Wars Episode 2: The Attack of the Clones while Obi-Wan Kenobi finds a secret Republican Clone Army on the stormy planet of Kamino. Medicom's ninth Star Wars Kubrick set gets its inspiration from Episode 2 and the standard characters in each box are:

» Clone Trooper with Blaster Rifle (Ratio: 4 per box)
» Jango Fett with Wester-34 Blaster (Ratio: 3 per box)
» Obi-Wan Kenobi with Lightsaber (Ratio: 1 per box)
» Count Dooku with Lightsaber (Ratio: 1 per box)
» Yoda with Lightsaber (Ratio: 2 per box)
» Anakin Skywalker with Lightsaber (Ratio: 1 per box)

In addition to the six standard figures, two rare Chase figures are randomly packaged in miniscule ratios in every eight factory boxes as follows - Shaak Ti Jedi Master (1/96 ratio) and Clone Trooper Commander (2/96). Pricing is set at US$108 for a factory sealed box of 12 figures.

Binaltech BT-21 Arcee - New Import, In Stock

There was a lull with the Binaltech series but Takara/Tomy renews their Binaltech dedication with two new toys which shipped in Japan on July 17, 2008. NCS brings in Arcee so we can sell it expeditiously.

Binaltech BT-21 is based on Binaltech BT-12 (Overdrive featuring Honda S2000 Roadster with canvas top) which was originally released in 2005 but the roof, steering wheel, and spoiler are new. The pink and feminine robot is none other than Arcee who transforms into a Honda S2000 Hardtop with a platinum on pink color scheme. Price US$53.90 each.

Transformers Encore 10: Bumblebee & Minibots - In Stock

Bumblebee is only one part of the quintet of Autobot Minobots included in Takara's Transformers Encore 10. The package contains:

» Wave (aka Swerve in the States)
» Tailgate
» Outback
» Pipes

Each robot measures approximately 5cm or 2.0" in length and transforms from vehicle to robot. All orders will ship today at US$32.50 per box.

Dragon Quest V NDS Lite Accessory - New, In Stock

Square's re-release of Dragon Quest V for the Nintendo DS has prompted an action from Hori. The prolific accessory manufacturer horns in on the DQ action with a Dragon Quest V themed case for the NDS Lite which is transparent and fits like a glove.

When Hori ties an NDS accessory product to a game, they usually add a strap or a touchpen together with the case but this time around, they're only releasing a case by it's lonesome. It's unclear why they're changing product tactics but maybe they're trying to drive down the price of their accessories in a soft domestic market.

The DQ case is sold in a cardboard-backed blister pack at US$13.90 each.

Hori Real Arcade Pro Stick [Orange] - New Import, In Stock

The new HRAP-Orange is an Amazon Japan exclusive item which was released last Thursday. To make sure we got to check one out quickly, NCS imported a batch with overnight express service and they're in stock today. Feels just like a HRAP 2 with sturdy Sanwa parts and a heavy duty base. The rapid-fire slider console on the upper left remains the same as well.

Preorders will ship today at US$135.90 each + shipping. Due to the heavy weight of the stick, NCS recommends UPS Ground for customers who reside within the continental UPS to avoid onerous air service charges.