The Reader - New Release, Ships in 24 Hours

From the Publisher
The READER opens in post-WWII Germany when teenager Michael Berg (David Kross) becomes ill and is helped home by Hanna (Kate Winslet), a stranger twice his age. Michael recovers from scarlet fever and seeks out Hanna to thank her. The two are quickly drawn into a passionate but secretive affair. Michael discovers that Hanna loves being read to and their physical relationship deepens. Hanna is enthralled as Michael reads to her from “The Odyssey”, “Huck Finn”, and “The Lady with the Little Dog.” Despite their intense bond, Hanna mysteriously disappears one day and Michael is left confused and heartbroken. Eight years later, while Michael is a law student observing the Nazi war crime trials, he is stunned to find Hanna back in his life – this time as a defendant in the courtroom. As Hanna’s past is revealed, Michael uncovers a deep secret that will impact both of their lives.

THE READER is a haunting story about truth and reconciliation, about how one generation comes to terms with the crimes of another. The Reader stars Ralph Fiennes (Schindler’s List, The English Patient, Harry Potter series), up and coming actor David Kross and Acedemy Award nominee Kate Winslet (Titanic, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Little Children), and is directed by Stephen Daldry (the Academy Award nominated director of The Hours), from a script by David Hare, and based on the award winning novel by Bernhard Schlink.

Mario Print Face Towel Set - Japanese Import, In Stock

«©NCSX» New and factory sealed pair of Mario Print Face Towels which were imported from Japan. Members of Club Nintendo were able to redeem Nintendo Points for this item but it was never sold at retail in any capacity. Each towel measures 25 x 25cm (9.8 x 9.8") in area and is fairly thick and plushy. The two towels are:
1) Red Towel which shows a dot-graphics rendition of Mario leaping towards the top of a flagpole
2) Black Towel which features an enlarged Mario stepping towards a star

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Sacrifice - Euro Import, In Stock

From the Publisher
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Sacrifice combines third-person and first-person gameplay to create an experience like nothing else on Nintendo DS. The stakes are high for players as they take on the role of Buffy to seal the re-opened Hellmouth in an original story penned by Rob Deshotel, a writer from the TV series.

This action-packed 3D survival horror game sees Buffy using a range of special weapons, powerful spells and martial arts to take out vicious vampires and demons. In addition to these enemies, players also come across recognisable characters from the show, including Spike, Angel, the Master, the First Evil, Caleb and, of course, the Scooby Gang.

General Updates

PS3 Demon's Souls Asian A fifth batch of Demon's Souls has shipped from Hong Kong and delivery is expected tomorrow. All backorders and new orders will ship on Tuesday. With this new shipment, NCS expects to keep the game in stock for same-day shipping if ordered before 5PM EST over the next few weeks.

PSP Masterpiece MP-08 Grimlock All preorders for the latest Masterpiece toy will be shipping out today since our shipment is scheduled to arrive within the next few hours. We're sold out as of this morning but we'll update accordingly if additional supplies are available to us. Photos of the product packaging will be posted tomorrow.

TOYS Tuttuki Bako The green version of Banpresto's Tuttuki Bako augmented reality toy has been restocked and new orders are welcome. Please note the red and black versions should be restocked within 1-2 weeks.

Japanese Import Outlook - Arrivals on Thursday-Friday

NDS	New Shikakei Atama o Kore Kusuru DS	IE Instit.
	Pro Yakyuu Famista DS 2009	Namco
PS2	Winning Post World	Koei
PS3	Winning Post World	Koei
360	11 Eyes: Cross Over	5pb
	11 Eyes: Cross Over Limited Edition	5pb
Wii	Doala de Wii	Tera Box
	Winning Post World	Koei

USA Release Outlook - Arrivals on Tuesday-Thursday

NDS	Don King Boxing	2K
	Gardening Mama	Majesco
	Tokyo Beatdown	Atlus
PSP	Air Conflicts: Aces of World War II	Graffiti
Wii	Cradle of Rome	Destineer
	Don King Boxing	2K
	Major Minor's Majestic March	Majesco
	Ocean Commander	Valcon
360	Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust	Codema.
	Ski Doo: Snowmobile Challenge	Valcon

PC-Engine Blaster Joypad - Clearance

NCS Sale Offering: March 30, 2009
«©NCSX» New and factory boxed PC-Engine Blaster Joypad which was released for the Japanese market nearly 20 years ago. Although the controllers are new, the boxes have slight dings and some very minor color wear. Perhaps in a testament to the longevity of plastic however, the joypads themselves look great with shiny patinas and seem to have just shipped from the factory. Each joypad is wrapped in a little bubblewrap baggie and a 2-page user pamphlet is included inside each box. The back of the packaging lists the original retail price as JPY2880.

The Blaster is designed for use with the PC-Engine console and features the SELECT and RUN button on the center of the controller while the III, II, and I buttons are located on the right side of the pad. Each button may be empowered with turbo-fire by adjusting the slide lever above each one.

Sale Offering
Pricing is set at US$18.90 per PC-Engine Blaster Joypad. If you reside in the USA, you may select USPS Media Mail shipping on our shop which is about $2.50. International customers are encouraged to select USPS First Class Airmail at a cost of approximately US$10.

Space Invaders Game Bank - New Import, In Stock

«©NCSX» Back in 2003, Taito celebrated the 25th Anniversary of Space Invaders by releasing a replica of the Space Invaders tabletop game which was really a controller container which held a Dual Shock 2. It was highly collectible and NCS eventually sold out after keeping original inventory for 6 years. Taito shipped a boatload of Space Invaders products last year to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the franchise. This year, the 31st Anniversary of Space Invaders doesn't have the same cachet but that's not stopping Taito from keeping the Invaders merchandising train rolling.

Most piggy banks don't reward savers with entertainment. The Space Invaders Game Bank rewards coin-droppers with a thrilling (sorta) shoot 'em up. Players who insert a 100-yen coin in the coin slot will get to play a round of Space Invaders that's fairly faithful to the original from the sounds to the shields to the included color cellophane overlay. The game bank measures W200 x H105 x D95mm (7.87 x 4.13 x 3.74") in area and is listed as 1/6 scale on Takara's product sheet.

A 100-yen coin measures 2.26cm in diameter so the closest approximation that we have here in the USA is a nickel which spans 2.12cm. The nickel is slightly thicker at 1.95mm versus 1.75mm for the 100-yen coin but it's perfectly sized for the coin slot. Note that a quarter is too large but dimes and pennies may also be inserted into the slot for your personal savings. A little red trigger in the coin slot is activated whenever a nickel passes through. All preorders have shipped as of yesterday; new orders welcome.