Wednesday, November 01, 2006

Shadow of the Colossus Cold Cast

In Shadow of the Colossus or Wanda to Kyouzou as the game was known in Japan, players took control of a valiant hero who took on the mission of defeating colossi that lorded over a land. Seeking to resurrect a sacrificed maiden and compelled by a disembodied voice to venture forth and strike down the colossi, the hero performs his task with a sword and a faithful steed...

Instead of celebrating the hero of the game, Kotobukiya fetes the first Colossus that attacked with a heavy cudgel and stomped around in an attempt to destroy the hero of the game. The mighty colossus is mounted on a replica stone slab where its haunches are seemingly coiled and ready for action. The beast measures 195mm or 7.67" tall and looks imposing with its dark demeanor and furrowed brow. The sculpt from Shinsukei Kataoka is excellent with detailed ridges, grooves, and ripples throughout the body of the monster. On the ground in front of the Colossus is a tiny figure of the hero who raises his sword defiantly.

Pricing is set at Y10,290 or US$110 from NCS and the coldcast is fully assembled and pre-painted. All preorders are shipping today.

Dragon Ball Z TV Game 2

When saiyan fight and pummel each other with turbo-powered punches and massive blasts, their arms and hands wave around with lively animation. Goku gesticulates like a champ when it's time to pull off the mighty Kamehameha. Late last year, Bandai released a TV game which used a motion sensor and hand transmitters to detect a player's punches and special attacks.

This year, DBZ loving couch potatoes and active fans alike will move their hands and act out attacks again with the DBZ tv game sequel. The hand transmitters are again used to relay a player's physical motion into virtual attacks. Housed in a compact box with plugs for the AC adapter and A/V cables, Bandai's new game uses Xavix technology to detect motion. When faced with an opponent on screen, pump your right fist forward and a punch will be thrown like magic. Pump again to chain a double punch. To squeeze out a laser blast, throw both hands forward with palms facing outwards and a streaming path of destructive light emanates forth. Additional moves may be performed by waving, shoving, thrusting, and other lively hand jive clowning.

Naruto Television Game

Join Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura on a mission where the three ninja face off against foes head-on. Viewed from a first person perspective, Naruto crew roam the land and get to check out the effects of their attacks first-hand.

Bandai's dedicated Naruto television game is housed inside an ergonomically challenged box and the controls consists of two hand transmitters who are fitted over one's fingers down to the knuckles. A sensor on the Naruto game console detects one's gestures and converts them into actions on screen. To throw a star, purse your fingers together and perform a quick horizontal swish across the air. When a foe is begging for a punch, make a fist and strike. Repeat for good measure to raise up a few plums. Jutsus and weapon slashes may also be activated by performing simple hand motions.

Lucy Maria Misora 1/8 Scale Figure

Good Smile Company releases a Lucy Maria Misora (aka Ruuko Kirei na Sora) 1/8 scale figure where the pink-haired alien carries a regulation issue schoolbag and wears a pretty pink shirt and a short red dress. Lucy measures 180mm or 7.08" tall and is constructed of PVC plastic. A circular patch of dirt and grass serves as a base for the figure.

Lucy hails from the To Heart 2 game where she befriends a lad named Tataki and experiences human behavior, interaction, and social mores. She appears to be on Earth temporarily for a learning excursion with the looming possibility of leaving the planet after her stint is done. However, at the conclusion of her adventure, Lucy seemingly leaves Earth but gamers soon find out that Lucy's family joins her on Earth and she lives with Tataki.

Chubby Series 1: Star Wars Matryoshka

Japanese manufacturer Hot Toys has started preorders for six sets of Star Wars Matryoshka figures or nesting dolls which feature recognizable characters from the popular movies. Hailing from Mother Russia, nesting dolls consist of a large figurine which cracks open to contain a smaller doll which in turn cracks open to container an even smaller doll. The Star Wars matryoshki keeps the diminishing scale simple at three dolls and preorders are scheduled to ship in mid-late December 2006. Pricing is set at JPY1200 per set or US$13.50 from NCS.

Animal Crossing House Gashapon Series 3

The Animal Crossing House Gashapon toys have been the best selling capsule toys for the past year and Yujin capitalizes on the series once again. Featuring new characters and a new assemblage of trinkets to place inside the houses, the homes add to collectors' Animal Crossing neighborhoods. Please note the houses in Series 3 are the same design as the ACH Series 2 pre-fabs but the roofs are now colored yellow, orange, purple, and green as opposed to regulation-issue red. NCS will gather together all six types and sell them in complete sets at US$22. Preorders are welcome to ship in February 2007.