X360 Otomedius Gorgeous Platinum - New Import, In Stock

NCS Product Synopsis
«©NCSX» When Gradius first hit the coin-op arena in 1985, Konami basically launched a franchise that would engender numerous sequels, derivatives, and adjuncts. Over the years, the company also parodied the super-serious and grayish Gradius series with the pastel-tinted Parodius games. Since the market can never get enough of a good thing, Konami invokes the Gradius series once again with Otomedius Gorgeous. The default "ship" in Otomedius is a blue-haired gal named Aoba Aona who pilots a Vic Viper airframe but five other ships are selectable. Otomedius also pays homage to other Konami shooters of yore including Xexex and Salamander with familiar weapon systems, sound effects, and characters.

The first stage starts off in classic Gradius fashion where a stream of enemies appear on the upper portion of the screen. Shoot them all and collect the coins and bonuses that are dropped. Other enemies meander into the screen followed by additional streams of spherical enemies that appear on the top and bottom of the screen. Note that there's streaming slivers of lights that flow through the first level but they're not dangerous lasers... just screen effects. Midway through the first level, the scenery shifts from outer space to the ocean and the beach. That's right, the beach where tanks and penguins attempt to stop your assault.

NEWS General Updates

X360 Death Smiles IIX - Update A few Japanese distributors started preorders for the regular and limited editions of Death Smiles IIX last night. Similar to the release of Espgaluda II, the availability of the limited edition appears to be tied to how many copies of the regular edition are ordered. We'll post a formal preorder offer tomorrow since all of the other distributors should start their reservation campaigns tonight and we'll finalize our order quantity and pricing.

DC Ikaruga Every year around this time is when we receive more than the usual amount of sales and clearances from vendors and small shops in Japan. We think of it as a pre-emptive Spring cleaning. The offers have been coming in every other night and one common theme we've noticed is that old shooters from the Super Famicom, Mega-Drive, Sega Saturn, and Dreamcast command a hefty price premium. While other game genres such as mahjong, sports, and platform are discounted to the teens, shooters are priced roughly 30% above actual retail price. The standout selection over the past week was roughly 30 copies of the DC version of Ikaruga; the offer price was JPY10,000; that's $110.30 based on this morning's dollar conversion ratio. Note that this price is what's being offered on a wholesale trade basis. The pricing phenomenon indicates that there's probably a good reason for traders to hold onto popular shooters because they're in demand by a captive audience.

TOYS Kingdom Hearts Avatar Mascot Strap Vol 2 - In Stock

NCS Product Synopsis
«©NCSX» Square Enix releases five Kingdom Hearts Avatar Mascot Straps which feature characters from the beloved Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts franchises. From the left of the photo and swinging right:

Axel | Sephiroth | Sora (Halloween Town Version) | Leon | Vivi

Each figure is attached to a metallic Kingdom Hearts platelet and a length of keychain. New orders are welcome at JPY1000 or US$13.90 each.

PSP Fullmetal Alchemist: Yakusoku no Hi e - Import Preorder

NCS Product Synopsis
«©NCSX» Join the Elric brothers in an action-adventure game which takes Edward and Alphonse across the land of Amestris. The game features free-roaming exploration, interactive battle sequences, and a supporting cast of characters such as Winry Rockbell and Roy Mustang. Early preorders will ship with a bonus Fullmetal Alchemist Hagane Storage Box (50% ratio allocation) which can be used to store about a dozen PSP games or a few PS1 games.

PSP Daisenryaku Perfect - Import Preorder

NCS Product Synopsis
«©NCSX» The "Daisenryaku" series of war games from System Soft have been around since the days of the Famicom. Back then, war simulations got a lot more respect (and sales) than they do today but there's a dedicated core audience that remains a profitable niche for publishers who are willing to develop new material.

In Daisenryaku Perfect, players lead armies to war by way of strategic maneuvering and timely deployment of tanks, planes, and other weapons. By overpowering or outflanking opposing armies, players mow down enemies and conquer territories in order to expand military operations so that more enemies may be mowed down. The game is played on 3D battlefields where units are mobilized against opposing forces. Creative players who have the time and inclination may also opt to build their own battle maps with themes such as "Fantasy," "Space," and "Warriors" and engage in dream battles between massive forces. Preorders are welcome to ship on May 27, 2010 at JPY5800 or US$63.90 from NCS.

PS3 Fight Pad for PlayStation3 - Import Preorder

NCS Product Synopsis
«©NCSX» The product name for MSY's (Mad Catz) Fight Pad for Playstation 3 is unimaginative but it gets the point across succinctly and without a lot of chatter. It's a joypad that's designed for "fighting" but we're confident that "shooting," "running," and even "puzzling" can be conquered by using the Fight Pad. A meaty D-Pad mounted on a circular platform on the left side of the controller allows 8-way directional movement while the six face buttons on the right are arranged in two parallel rows. A turbo-fire option may be toggled so that 18 shots per second are fired by depressing any button. The joypad operates on 2.4GHz and a USB receiver is included with the controller. Preorders are welcome to ship on April 28, 2010.

X360 Monster Hunter Frontier Online Beginner's Package Preorder

NCS Product Synopsis
«©NCSX» Originally a PC-exclusive MMORPG, Capcom is porting Monster Hunter Frontier Online to the Xbox 360. When the PC version was released a few years ago, Capcom banned all foreign IPs from accessing the Monster Hunter Frontier servers. We think it was a case of gaming xenophobia. Despite the ban, savvy gamers outside of Japan were still able to play the game by using a proxy server based in Japan.

In Monster Hunter, players team up with like-minded gamers and go out into a virtual wilderness to slay some wild beasts. Lower-level creatures are easy to dispatch but larger and more formidable monsters take an entire gang of warriors to bring down. Missions and quests may be curried from the Hunter Guild which pay a reward upon successful completion. The Xbox 360 version of MHFO is based on the PC version of the game but Capcom lists 14 original weapons (swords, hammers, etc) that are available in the X360 edition. The preorder details also mention that a bonus DLC card will be given away to early reservations in 50% ratio.

Preorders are welcome to ship on June 24, 2010 at JPY5800 or US$63.90.

Wii Tales of Graces - Namco Bandai Exchange Program

«©NCSX» Customers who've purchased the Japanese Wii Tales of Graces game from NCS may begin sending their discs in for exchange starting today. Bandai's Japanese website which details the bugs in the software may be viewed here. The recall is voluntary; if you're happy with the game and don't wish to participate, that's all good.

Interested participants may send their Tales of Graces game discs to:

NCS Inc
Attn: TOG-RECALL
P.O. Box 527172
Flushing, NY 11354
United States

The replacement discs are expected to ship from Japan in late March 2010. Please note that there will be a fee of US$13.81 to cover shipping costs to and from Japan for this particular exchange. Payment may be made in the form of a money order or we can bill your credit card.

If you did not purchase Tales of Graces from NCS, please note that we cannot help you exchange your copy of the game. Sorry.