NCS Daily Journal for May 08, 1998

Yoshi wasn't enough to turn the tide in Japan for the declining N64 console. Looks like it will be up to Pocket Monsters to shore up the N64 with it's vast fan base and loyal minions that collect Pocket Monsters trading cards like manna from heaven. Pocket Monsters is now about a month away on the N64 and a simultaneous roll-out of the game and a special Gameboy ram card will allow Gameboy Pocket Monster owners to transfer their beasts immediately to 64-bit arenas for battle. The frenzy is building up and we expect Pocket Monsters to be one of the saving graces of the N64 console in Japan for 1998. We feel that it will be the best selling game over all consoles for at least 2 months after it's release based on pre-orders placed with vendors thus far.

NCS is expecting a restock shipment of the Pocket Gameboy Light next Monday. Large quantities are now available in the marketplace and all of the pre-orders that we have on hand will be fulfilled next week. For those who are not aware of the PGL, it is a new model of the Pocket Gameboy that sports a blue back-lit screen for nighttime Gameboy sessions at the camp site or right in your room. All current GB cartridges and accessories are compatible with the PGL. Our price for the unit is currently US$65.	-	Less than 2 months ago, an enhanced 64DD version of Pocket Monster was expected to ship along with the cartridge version in June. All Japanese vendor pre-order lists have since removed the DD version for obvious reasons. There is already talk of Nintendo's next console in the industry which does not bode well for the 64-DD to ever be released this late in the N64's life cycle. Another bigger problem in the Nintendo camp is that third party publishers have been reluctant to pour precious resources into any N64 development. One case in point came a couple of months ago in the form of the abyssmal fighting game G.A.S.P Fighters Nextream from Konami. G.A.S.P played like an aborted Playstation product and was seemingly relegated to the N64 where fighting games are scarce (well, everything is scarce). Konami knows full well that G.A.S.P would have done horribly on any other console due to the stiff competition in those markets but on the N64, it would do reasonable numbers. There was no great talent or time wasted on G.A.S.P... Another glaring point in the N64 market: There is still no Street Fighter, Tokimeki Memorial or other de-facto Japanese licenses that have done so well on the 32-bit consoles. It is very obvious that Capcom and the other top Japanese publishers have no confidence in the state of the N64 in Japan and any projected titles that they may have scheduled may well be aborted before the fall. Perhaps Nintendo will learn from their misstep into the realm of cartridges and work on a CD-Rom based console the next time around. Until then, Japanese fans are for the most part staying away.
After a long absence from NCS' inventory, the classic hentai game Nonomura Byouin no Hitobito (The People of Nonomura Hospital) should be restocked next week at US$58. Nonomura features scantily clad nurses, devious arch-villains with their evil machinations and a mystery to solve inside a hospital. Also expected next week, restock on Elf's hentai game Yuno, should arrive along with Nonomura at US$65. Pre-orders are welcome for either or both titles for delivery next week.
No shipments arrived today, so it looks like we'll start fresh on Monday with a couple of new dolls and restock. SATURN Dracula and Baroque are expected next Wednesday while SONYPS Guilty Gear and Cowboy Be-Bop are due to arrive next Friday. A shipment of magazines is expected tomorrow but we may have to wait until Monday before the trucking company delivers them. In any case, it is reassuring to see the periodicals return to a more reliable schedule. Enjoy your weekend...

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