NCS Daily Journal for March 26, 1998

Pocket Pikachu will arrive next Monday. The Pikachu unit includes a handy clasp in the back so that one can wear it like a pager. Pikachu will be priced at US$29.

Bandai is expanding their trading card business this summer with no less than three sets of card collections. The first collection is called "Super Robot Taisen Scramble Gather" and the second is entitled "Super Robot Taisen Scramble Gather IV". Each of these collections consist of 180 different cards featuring the many different robots and their human pilots from all of the Robot Taisen games since the Famicom days. The third collection is Tsuburaya Heroes '90, consisting of 184 cards adorned with Ultraman and all of the monsters that he has ever fought. Official Card Masters binders will be released simultaneously with each card collection this June. NCS should have this inventory available a few days after it's release in Japan. We expect the cards to be sold in 10 card packs. We can only assume this since Bandai has only indicated that there are 50 packs per box and 48 boxes per distribution carton. Pre-orders and reservations are welcome.	-	Imagineer announced two new Eve the Lost One re-releases overnight. The first Eve package includes a Meltylancer demo disc (Y7800) and the second Eve package includes the game Desire in one deluxe value pack (Y9800). Both reproductions are expected on May 7. Eve the Lost One has sold very well, as expected, and pre-orders for the re-releases may be submitted to NCS starting today. Our company still has limited quantities of the regular game available.
		Also overnight, Red announced a set of Sentimental Grafitti action figures. The three girls that have been confirmed thus far are: Asuka Hoshino, Rurika Yamamoto and Wakaana Ayasaki. Each doll is being priced at Y3800 and will join the Real Model series this summer. The exact date has not been set as of last night but NCS will have more details in the next couple of weeks as we finalize pre-order quantities and confirm any other dolls in the set.

Big West and Bandai Visual plans a sequel to their Macross VF-X game that will ship this summer for the Playstation. The sequel follows the design of the first Macross game with animation sequences that relay the story and two viewing modes: behind the mech and cockpit view. The basic game will follow the flight combat experience of the first VF-X game. Check out the full story with screenshots and mech sketches in this week's Playstation magazine. Also in the magazine, an extremely detailed guide to Square's upcoming Parasite Eve that covers the storyline and offers helpful hints for the game..

Choro Q ploughs on with a Nintendo 64 version this July. NCS expects the new conversion to mimic the recent Playstation Choro Q3. Car upgrades, wacky tracks and mini-cars that defy conventional physics are all part of the Choro racing world.

If one can believe the most recent release date for Zelda 64, Nintendo fans will be guiding Zelda through a perilous adventure next month. NCS initially expected Z64 last summer; after numerous delays, we'll wait for an actual shipping waybill before confiming pre-orders.

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