PS3 Biohazard 5 Alternative Edition - New Import, Restock Soon

From the Publisher
Biohazard 5 Alternative Edition includes the original game plus all additional content, making it the ultimate Biohazard 5 experience. Previously only seen during cut scenes of the original Biohazard 5 Alternative Edition, the first new episode titled “LOST IN NIGHTMARES,” finds BSAA agent, Chris Redfield, working with his partner, Jill Valentine, as they investigate Ozwell E. Spencer’s hideaway. Spencer, the evil mastermind and co-founder of Umbrella Corporation, has been hiding a new evil deep within the basement of his mansion. Chris and Jill discover this grotesque evil standing in their way as the two enter deeper into the catacombs beneath the mansion.

Simultaneous with the release of “LOST IN NIGHTMARES”, new costumes for Chris and Sheva will be made available, allowing the player to experience Biohazard 5 Alternative Edition with a fresh new look and feel through both game play and cut-scene playback. A new refresh of Mercenaries Mode, “THE MERCENARIES REUNION”, gives players new playable characters and weapon load outs which provide players additional challenges as they aim to shoot down as many enemies as they can.

PS3 Shin Sangoku Musou Online Kamishou Ranbu - New Import

NCS Product Synopsis
«©NCSX» During the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history (220 A.D to 280 A.D.), the armies of Shu, Wu, and Wei were on the march. China was split into three major partitions with Wei to the north, Shu to the southwest and Wu in control of the southeast. Countless battles and skirmishes between the three kingdoms erupted across the land and soldiers were needed to wage war. Lots of grunts trudged to war in support of the generals and their military tactics.

In Koei's Shin Sangoku Musou Online Kamishou Ranbu, players become one such soldier who fights for one of the three Kingdoms. After registering and setting up an account, a unique hero is created from an assortment of body parts. Knight the character with a name and you'll get to choose a city to start in. The early part of the game may be spent exploring the town but it's the Musou fighting action that inevitably kicks off where your soldier and cohorts attack opposing forces on 3D battlefields. Playing SSM Online does not incur any monthly fees but please note that in order to purchase items in the game, you'll have to pay for "Musou Coins" which serve as the currency of the realm.

TOYS Miku Hatsune Bandana - Import Preorder

NCS Product Synopsis
«©NCSX» A bandana is a piece of cloth that can be wrapped around one's head to restrain hair or sop up beads of sweat. The bandana has a place in some work environments such as cow herding where it serves wearers well by wicking away perspiration. Outside of these work environments, the bandana may also be used by some individuals as a fashion accessory or to make a personal statement. That's the "bandana look" where a bandana is worn without any obvious functional utility. For example, a short-haired gentleman who wears a bandana when the temperatures are comfortably balmy is only wearing it to complete his "look."

Not many people can pull off the "bandana look."

John Rambo was successful but mainly because he had big guns and a snarling sneer that drew attention away from the bandana. Jack Sparrow pulled it off as well but he wears eyeliner and has beads in his hair. He can get away with anything. Aunt Jemima also wore one until the sensitive suits at Quaker Oats took it away.

Despite the fact that the "bandana look" can only be successfully worn by select people in society, Japanese manufacturer Dicokick (ディコキック) is releasing a trio of Miku Hatsune Bandanas in April. Each bandana measures 520×520mm in area and is made of 100% cotton. A camouflage pattern is evident along with a little Miku Hatsune stitching that appears on one corner of the bandana. Preorders are welcome to ship in mid-late April 2010 at JPY900 or US$15.90 from NCS.

TOYS Ikkitousen Kakouen Myousai Shitagi Version - Preorder

NCS Product Synopsis
«©NCSX» Kanu Unchou garners most of the attention when it comes to Ikkitousen toy figures in the Japanese marketplace because she's so pretty and smart. Kanu is but one person in the expansive Ikkitousen cast roster but she's a superstar and sculptors are expected to continue churning out figures for the forseeable future.
Occasionally, toy producers take a chance on other characters from Ikkitousen and the "Kakouen Myousai Shitagi Version" is one such gamble for the heart and soul of the figure-buying-public. Kakouen wears a 2-piece bikini which is decorated with heart-shaped designs that might evoke feelings of love. Kakouen is sculpted in a squatting position and her arms arc backwards - she must have learned the pose by watching the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit video. Preorders are welcome to ship in April 2010.

NEWS General Updates

OST Bayonetta Rodin's Selection Promo A Japanese vendor who visits our website to check up on what's happening has offered us a batch of the Bayonetta Rodin's Selection bonus soundtrack that was given away with preorders last year. We're considering purchasing their entire stake and if we decide to bring them in, we'll post a sale offer next week. The soundtrack contains six tracks composed by Hiroshi Yamaguchi, Masami Ueda, and Rei Kondoh which span 22 minutes of music. The first track is "One Of A Kind" by Yamaguchi and the final track is "The Gates Of Hell" which is also composed by Yamaguchi. A booklet is also included inside the little binder which holds the CD and the overall design is similar to the Senjou no Valkyria 2 Document of Gallia bonuses we imported recently. Another Japanese vendor has offered the bonus Oboro Muramasa art poster that we've been looking for but their prices are unreasonable. We'll do some haggling and perhaps a little bartering since we're interested in importing the poster for our own collection. We've never gotten this particular bonus but one of our Japanese customers describes it as "not a poster but a large fold-out and mural-like piece of paperboard with character artwork on one side and enemies on the other side." Sounds like a poster but if we are able to get the offer prices down, we'll post an sale offering next week along with a proper photo gallery.

Xbox 360 Espgaluda II Black Label Limited Edition With the news earlier this week of the region-free Regular Edition and region-locked Limited Edition of Espgaluda II Black Label, we've had some rejiggering of our preorder numbers. As such, we have available supply of the Limited Edition (The Region-Locked version) for new preorders which will ship on or around February 24-25, 2010.

TOYS Dragon Quest IX Smile Slime Tower Plush - New Import

NCS Product Synopsis
«©NCSX» In the original Dragon Quest games, the slimes were just enemies to be smacked and slain in very short order. In dungeon crawling lingo, the slimes were "cannon fodder." As the slimes grew in popularity and stature within the Dragon Quest universe, they began to take on other roles. There was even a couple of Dragon Quest games in which a Blue Slime played the part of protagonist. A veritable Slime-Hero without equal. Literally. It was in Slime Morimori Dragon Quest where we watched a Slime ricochet off walls, squeeze itself into a puddle, and dash through dungeons. The Slime could even stack fellow Slimes on top of itself by dashing into the beasts to launch them upwards and then catching the falling beasts on the top of its head to make a tower.

Square Enix brings the Slime Tower to life with their new Dragon Quest IX Smile Slime Tower Plush which features a Blue Slime on the bottom, an Orange Slime in the middle, and a Green Slime crowning the whole shebang. Preorders have already shipped and new orders are welcome for a "Small" version (US$15.90) which measures 16cm (6.29") tall and a Medium version (US$38.90) which towers 31cm (12.20") in height.

TOYS Toys Works Collection 2.5 Wolf and Spice II - New Import

NCS Product Synopsis
«©NCSX» The second season of Spice and Wolf started in the summer of 2009 and the adventures of the wolf-goddess Holo and a traveler-trader named Lawrence Croft continued onwards. As the new season starts, Lawrence seemingly loses Holo to another trader named Fermi Amati. To win her back, Croft machinates a plan involving the market price of pyrite (Fool's Gold) which has been on a stratospheric run. He hopes to crash the price of pyrite in order to win a "duel" that he has challenged Fermi to.
Toy manufacturer Chara-Ani releases a set of trading figures which feature multiple versions of Holo, one version of Lawrence, and one toy which represents a lad named Fermi Amati. He's the blonde-haired guy seen in the lower-left corner of the product photo with the staff in his right hand. Each PVC/ABS figure measures 7cm or 2.75" tall and each factory case of 12 toys will include eight regular figures along with a secret figure and a few duplicates.
Preorders have shipped as of yesterday and new orders are welcome at JPY8160 or US$95.90 from NCS.

TOYS Caltoy Max Jumbo FuwaFuwa Bear Plush - Import Preorder

NCS Product Synopsis
«©NCSX» Sega's been messing around with every species of animal in their Caltoy line of plush toys but they've never bothered to craft a classic good 'ole teddy bear. That all changes this Spring when Sega ships the Caltoy Max Jumbo FuwaFuwa Bear Plush to the Japanese market. The bears will join Caltoy pigs, whales, turtles, hedgehogs, hippos, stingrays, and many others that have already been released in years past.
The bears are made of a plushy and comforting polyester material that's soft to the touch. The bear on the left side of the photo is probably a Grizzly Bear because he's brown and ornery. The one on the right is most likely from the Polar Bear clan because he's the color of dirty snow. Each bear measures 45cm (17.71") in height and is stitched into a seated and relaxed position. Reservations are welcome to ship in late May 2010.