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This is going to be another restock
week with nothing new expected. We have restock on the Saturn version of Atelier Marie (US$60). Atelier places you in the role of an
alchemist who has the formidable task of mixing exotic elixirs and potions. You'll gain in
knowledge as you speak to shopkeepers, denizens of the realm and hunt the countryside for
the proper ingredients. The game is viewed from a 3-D overhead isometric view that
features an SD Marie scrabbling around in her lab, tending her boiling flasks and making
sure that they don't bubble over. Atelier Marie is a double CD case due to the large
manual, it only contains 1 CD. |
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Grandia continues to sell very well
and we have another restock shipment of the limited edition with the cloth map and
mini music CD. Grandia is an RPG that has drawn accolades from the Japanese gaming press
and from legions of enamored fans. The entire Grandia package is a finely crafted
masterwork that should keep RPG fans glued to their monitors for hours on end. The
additional items in the limited edition also help to make this something that one can use
as a keepsake and look at fondly as the years pass by. Grandia is available at US$68. |
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Before Tokimeki
Memorial, the dating game was something that you found on T.V. with an friendly host
who kissed goodbye at the end of the show with his guests. Tokimeki started a new genre in
gaming where you dealt with real life issues and situations. Dating a girl isn't easy. She
can become temperamental, angry, sad...with anything and everything that comes out of your
mouth. Art imitates life in Tokimeki. Say the right thing to the apple of your eye and
she'll be happy and talk to you a little bit more. Say the wrong thing and she'll avoid
you like the plague. Of course, rejection in a videogame won't spell your doom so you can
experiment a bit with different girls. The reset button doesn't hurt either. Tokimeki
Memorial US$39. |
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One of the games inspired by
Tokimeki Memorial is restocked this week. True
Love Story: Remember My Heart ($50) features more schoolgirls whom you can interact
with. Everyday situations such as a school day, a breezy couple of hours by the pool or a
moment on a city street will present themselves and you'll have to think quickly and say
something witty. The same rules found in Tokimeki apply where anything that you say should
be tempered and measured with regards to your prospective companion. If she has a softer
sensibility than your average washerwoman, you should then tread carefully and speak
respectfully. |
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Magazine
shipments resumed this week and we have two week's worth of magazines to sell. Most
notable of what came in yesterday was the January 1998 issue of Famitsu Bros which is a
huge manga issue with a sprinkling of video game news. There are no new mooks but the
Gamest company should resume normal business operations this week for their video game
guides. |
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Two pre-orders closed on Monday. The Neo-Geo cartridge version of The Last Blade (Japanese
import) closed and SONYPS Choro-Q3 closed. We were surprised at how many
people wanted Last Blade but it's a fairly cool looking sword battling game with keen
characters. Our retail for Last Blade is set at US$239 and our retail for Choro Q3 is set
at US$58. Prices for games that we take pre-orders on will never change so don't fret and
take comfort in the prices being set. |
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In today's
journal, we confirm delivery of two Saturn releases for next Friday: Sentimental
Grafitti and SoloCrisis. We are only expecting the limited edition of Sentimental Grafitti
but we will update this information with Tuesday's journal. Also confirmed are ship dates
for some Playstation games that are arriving in the next week (or thereabouts) such as
Konami Antiques Vol. 2 and R-Types (Collection). We have a restock shipment today for
SATURN X-Men vs Street Fighter and Grandia Limited Edition so all pre-orders on hold will
be dispatched this afternoon. Chocobo's Magical Dungeon is also restocked again and will
ship to reservations on hand today. |
| In
the NCS Archive, one can visit weeks and
months past from NCS |
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