Magical Sports Professional Baseball 2k1 

US$53

 

   A flashy intro fronts the latest baseball game from publisher Mahou and displays various feats of CG and impeccably modeled players cavorting on the baseball diamond. In-game visuals are equally flashy with silkily rendered hitters, impossibly green turf, and stadiums which arc perfectly overhead. All twelve professional Japanese baseball teams with updated 2001 stats and data provide the rosters to play with. Publisher Magical Company uses a game system they call "Professional Action System" which allows for a range of moves and feats on the field by way of simple controller tugs and button presses. A special feature in the game allows the use of a Sony Cybershot USB digital camera to take pictures of your mug and paste them onto the body of a player. Magical System touts that you'll be able to watch yourself pitch, hit, and run down the field in all of your glory. Compatibility with the PopEgg printer gives you the ways and means to print a copy of your greatest moment in baseball and/or post your photo to amihotornot for kicks and giggles. 

 

Kidou Senshi Gundam Vol. 2 ~ Jaburo

US$49

 
   As the autumn of UC 0079 rolls around, the One Year War has fallen into stalemate with the Federation suffering massive casualties. Inside a research colony on Side 7, the Federation develops it's own troupe of mobile suits to prepare for a new offensive. The transport ship "White Base" is sent to the colony to pick up the newly minted Gundam prototypes and bring them to Federation headquarters at Jaburo. A Zeon cruiser has tracked the Fed's movements and captain Char Aznable launches a surprise attack on Side 7, destroying most of the mobile suits. Amuro Ray, new-type prodigy, leaps into a prototype RX-78 Gundam and successfully defends the remaining Federation forces from the marauding Zakus. Side 7 civilians and a prototype mobile suits are packed into White Base and the transport makes a harried descent to earth, helmed by officer cadet Bright Noa with Amuro riding shotgun. As Char's attack continues, the transport is forced to make a haphazard course change and lands on Zeon occupied North America instead of Federation headquarters, the underground Jaburo base in South America...
   At the outset of the WSC game, the introduction storyline is laid out with cut scenes and animation sequences detailing the Federation's predicament. Once White Base reaches earth, Amuro Ray immediately takes on an attacking Zeon Zaku. The action consists of moving Amuro's RX-78 on a desert field while a radar arc tracks the Zaku. Pressing "A" activates your attack and a cannon shot, artillery shot, or a defend action may be selected. Firing the cannon shows the RX-78 unleashing a volley of laser fire which dances across the sand and impacts or misses the Zaku. If the Zaku is adept, it'll counterattack and lady luck decides if it's firepower hits Amuro or not. Similar to Super Robot Wars dramatics, every attack and defense move is shown in flick screen animation. Once the first Zaku buckles under your skill, the ensuing mission follows Amuro as he escorts White Base across the desert amidst a Zeon encampment. Enemy airships and installations press the attack and only new-type heroics and maneuvering ensure safe passage. 
   The second WSC Gundam game captures the excitement and drama of the Gundam legend in fine form. Well executed action and story sequences bring back the allure of the original episode series.  
 
GBA Personal Digital Assistant  

US$19

 
   In the twilight of the Gameboy Color and the dawn of the Gameboy Advance, a company in Hong Kong has decided to unleash what every Gameboy owner has needed since the beginning. A GBA PDA. Packed into a standard cartridge, the new software assembles an address book, a calculator, clock, calendar, daily planner, scheduler, and other necessary functions into one handy tool. Palm Pilot be damned, Cassiopeia begone, and Handspring vamoose, GBA PDA is finally here. Priced at a consumer friendly US$19 and operating in gaijin-friendly English, NCS expects this to take over the world. Or maybe not. In stock, Aug. 27, and compatible with Gameboy Color and Advance.
 
NCS Weekly Recap

Monday DC Comic Party LE, GBA Kiwame Mahjong, Super Black Bass, PS The RC Car, PS2 EverBlue
NEWS Import Gamecube pricing determined, Import restock attained and available
Wednesday DC Dabitsuku 2, Toys FFX Tidus figure, Macross Valkyrie VF-19A, Parappa the Rapper Plushes, Zaku 2 MS-06S, Zeta Gundam MSZ-006
Friday PS2 Magical Sports 2001 Professional Baseball, WSC Kidou Senshi Gundam Vol. 2