Thursday, May 29, 2008

English of the Dead - New Import, In Stock

In Japan and many other Asian countries, English is a popular scholastic pursuit and there is a sizable demand for teachers. For eager learners in Nihon who can't quite make it to an English class, there is another way.

English of the Dead

You read that right. Instead of whacking out the undead with a gun, players translate Japanese words or phrases into English and watch as zombies are obliterated. Similar to Sega's Typing of Dead, the English of the Dead uses the House of the Dead 2 game engine for all of its language teaching stages. For players who need help with their English comprehension skills, a hint button may be tapped for clues and cues.

Front Mission 2089: Border of Madness - New, In Stock

Square Enix brings Front Mission full circle back to its roots with Border of Madness for the Nintendo DS which was originally a mobile phone game released in 2005. The 3D battlefields from the recent big console versions of Front Mission are gone but the isometrically viewed encounters from the Super Famicom original are back.

The setting takes players back to Huffman Island where the Oceanic Community Union and the United States of the New Continent are at war once more. A new OCU team led by a lad named Storm tackles assignments on Huffman and skirmishes are fought by touchpen tapping. Character interaction sequences help to relay the story as soldiers and mech handlers go from mission to mission.

Mugen no Frontier: Super Robot Taisen OG Saga - In Stock

Enter the realm of Endless Frontier which is comprised of six worlds where fighters roam the land and battle it out in step-by-step action. Billed as an adventure game with a strategic fighting element, players visit the worlds of Dune Polis, Elfe Tale, Varna Kanai, and others to bout against enemy squads. Unlike the average 2D fighting game where a player controls a character directly and throws out every punch and kick, Mugen no Frontier is a more measured affair. Attacks and combos are triggered by pressing a button or button sequence which is then played out on screen ala Super Robot Wars style.
Some early preorders will include a bonus Special Drama Soundtrack that Banpresto gave away in 50% ratio.

13-Sai no Hello Work DS - New Import, In Stock

In Ryu Murakami's book titled 13-sai no Hallo Work (Job guidance for 13 year-olds) which was originally published in November 2003, the author introduced children to the concept of work and the immense possibilities that sprawled before them. In an interview, Ryu opined, "One must decide its own fate. People get connected to the world through their work. That's why I want to say that one should achieve freedom through becoming economically independent through a job that one enjoys."


Publisher Digital Works has adapted Murakami's book to a Nintendo DS game which features a 13 year-old time traveler from the year 2023. She looks like a normal girl but she's really a robot (MIBO) who's capable of handling a wide variety of menial tasks, jobs, and professions. As the story in the game goes, the robot has been sent back from the future to experience various jobs and bring that specialized knowledge back to the future to benefit the world at large.

The 13-sai no Hallo Work game features 30 occupations and 90 types of mini-games that are related to the jobs that people do. Some jobs featured in the game include soccer player, news announcer, boxer, police officer, and private detective. By using the stylus, players will get to cook, groom dogs, build machines, and cure little tykes of their ails. The soulless melodic voice of MIKU Hatsune (Vocaloid2) is featured in the game for the musician profession.

Beatmania IIDX 14 Gold - New Import, Restock Soon

Few games have gone on to last as long as the Beatmania series but when it's a genre-defining pioneer with a devoted fanbase, maybe it's only fitting that the game endure into perpetuity. Or somewhere close to that. Konami's Beatmania IIDX 14 Gold was released over a year ago in arcades but home consumers will soon get a chance to "Make It Money!"

BMIIDX 14 is all about the bling. Gold. Appropriately enough, there's a highly energetic song dubbed "Gold Rush" by DJ YOSHITAKA-G feat. Michael a la mode where the lines, "Make It Make Money" and the recitation of all the Beatmania game title iterations such as "Shioa Sty!" may be heard. The CS version features roughly 90 songs from the usual suspects such as Sota Fujimori (Andromeda), Kosuke Saito aka kors k, Toshiyuki Kakuta aka L.E.D. and more. New songs include "Golden Cross" by dj REMO-CON vs dj TAKA, "Treasure X Star" from NAOKI & Ryu¤, "Guilt & Love" courtesy of The Plastic Ambition, and "SEQUENCE CAT" by SLEDLAKE (SLAKE & L.E.D.). The standard game modes such as Beginner, Tutorial, Free, Expert, etc make their expected return. New features include selectable difficulty levels for 2-player games and a new points system for unlocking songs.

Mana Khemia 2 + Bonus Puni - New Import, In Stock

Vain Aureolus, Philomel Hartung, Gunnar Damm, and the other heroes from the original Mana Khemia have moved on and a new cast of characters star in the sequel. Players join Roseluxe Meitzen (blue-haired lad on the game cover) or Ulrika Myberg (blonde lass) in a new adventure where the two heroes are incoming students at an academy of alchemy known as Al-Revis.

As the story begins, the school has lost its luster as the premiere vocational institution for aspiring alchemists due to student body apathy and the gradual dissipation of Mana. As a sort of parallel, the academy has also physically fallen from the air to ground level. To rectify its flagging status, the prefects decide to expand the school's specialties to include other disciplines outside the alchemical arts. Roseluxe and Ulrika view alchemy differently and take divergent paths to reach their goals. Roseluxe harbors ill feelings towards alchemy while Ulrika embraces it. The new students spend their time in class and out in the wilds hunting for ingredients, reagents, and monsters. The highly detailed item creation system from the first Mana Khemia returns where weapons and equipment may be synthesized for use by party members.

Mana Khemia 2 Limited Edition - New Import, In Stock

Fans of Mana Khemia not content with just the regular edition of the game may pay an additional $40 for the limited edition. What do you get for the extra dosh? A nifty diorama which features Roseluxe and Ulrike in SD form inside a workshop.

Battle Fantasia - New Import, In Stock

Battle Fantasia plies the 2D fighting game trade where twelve warriors duke it out with weapons and magic across 24 stages. There's a warrior named Urs who's an unevenly armored bruiser armed with a gun-sword and a maiden named Coyori who carries a serving dish and jumps around like the dickens. Her look is reminiscent of Chun-Li. Although the game is 2D, the fighters are polygon models which allow for somewhat more fluid animation when they walk, jump, and throw down. The game is highly dynamic with moves that can send opponents juggling up into the air while luminescent fireworks blaze across the screen.

The PS3 conversion of Battle Fantasia includes the original Arcade Mode along with a Story Mode and an online VS Mode. For battlers who need a bit of training, the Practice Mode is probably where you'll want to visit first to try out different moves and hit combos. A Gallery Mode contains illustrations and artwork for fans to appreciate.

Battle Fantasia - New Import, In Stock

Battle Fantasia plies the 2D fighting game trade where twelve warriors duke it out with weapons and magic across 24 stages. There's a warrior named Urs who's an unevenly armored bruiser armed with a gun-sword and a maiden named Coyori who carries a serving dish and jumps around like the dickens. Her look is reminiscent of Chun-Li. Although the game is 2D, the fighters are polygon models which allow for somewhat more fluid animation when they walk, jump, and throw down. The game is highly dynamic with moves that can send opponents juggling up into the air while luminescent fireworks blaze across the screen. The fighter named Face can take out a bazooka and fire off a projectile attack while Olivia fights with a flag. Marco can call forth a little dragon dubbed Charsu which flies across the screen and throws out multiple attacks.

The X360 conversion of Battle Fantasia includes the original Arcade Mode along with a Story Mode and an online VS Mode. For battlers who need a bit of training, the Practice Mode is probably where you'll want to visit first to try out different moves and hit combos. A Gallery Mode contains illustrations and artwork for fans to appreciate.

Valhalla Knights 2 - New Import, In Stock

The original Valhalla Knights from 2006 was a decent game but it was unoriginal and followed tried and true design conventions to a tee. The sequel isn't radically different from the first game but MMV taps Miwa Shouda (previous work: FFXII, Legend of Mana) to write the scenarios featured in VK2 and adds a bounty of character customization options.

At the outset of the game, players choose a race from the usual archetypes such as Human, Hobbit, or Dwarf as well as the sex of the protagonist. NCS doesn't want to demean the Dwarves but the women look like sumo. Male sumo. Character features may be edited from a large number of options so that a unique hero/heroine may be crafted.

Valhalla Knights 2 is a 3D adventure game. The protagonist is maneuvered through the world which rotates and winds around in accommodating fashion. Battles against creatures are somewhat reminiscent of Monster Hunter Portable where your hero runs around a beast and strikes at opportune moments. Unlike Monster Hunter however, once a creature is vanquished, its body disappears entirely. That means there'll be no mutton chops to carve from the carcass.

Some early preorders will include a bonus Sound of Valhalla Knights soundtrack which contains melodic orchestrated BGM from the game.

Daytona USA 2001 - Clearance

Original Update: December 21, 2000
Sega's flagship racing game jumps into the new millenium with a mighty frame, pretty colors and silky moves. Sure, Ridge Racer V looks fancy but it cannot usurp the racing gameplay throne held by Daytona.

Sale Offering: NCS' inventory of Daytona USA 2001
for the Japanese Dreamcast is new, factory sealed, and in mint condition. Please note Japanese DC games cannot be played on a USA DC unless a circumvention device or boot disc is utilized. Pricing is set at US$12.90 per copy which includes free shipping by USPS Media Mail within the U.S. Larger Photos