Saturday, February 28, 2009

Stock Update - One Piece Unlimited Cruise: Episode 2 - Mezameru Yuusha Wii - In Stock

One Piece Unlimited Cruise: Episode 2 - Mezameru Yuusha Wii is the latest installment to complement the one piece series.

The game will feature the latest characters in the manga series, including Kizaru, Trafalgar Law, Eustass Kidd, Gecko Moria, Nightmare Luffy and more.

Stock Update - Shin Sangoku Musou: Multi Raid PSP System - In Stock

Limited Edition Multi Raid PSP in stock! The limited bundle includes a radiant red psp 3000, a silver psp carrying case, and psp multi-raid game.

It contains new features such as Awakenings (Or Shin Musou Kakusei in Japan) which is similar to an upgraded version of Musou Rage in Dynasty Warriors 5. The Awakening drastically affects the appearance of the character and increases their stats.

Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce was first seen in the Shonen Jump (magazine) in the issue of the week ending 13 September 2008, and then featured in the Famitsu magazine in the issue of the week ending 20 September 2008. The Famitsu magazine showing the Shin Musou Kakusei appearances of Zhao Yun, Xiahou Dun and Sun Shang Xiang as well as showing screenshots.[2]

The game will now have similar gameplay as Dynasty Warriors 6 for the PS3 and characters will now have the ability to fly for certain periods of time. No Online play has been confirmed yet, but AdHoc multiplayer has been confirmed

Huang Zhong and Xiahou Yuan have both had weapon changes. While they both originally wielded schimitars, they now wield bows. Also, while they both share the same moveset, this moveset is different from the moveset used by Sun Shang Xiang.

The game was set to be released in March but was delayed by Koei, as well as the other Dynasty Warriors 6 spin-off Dynasty Warriors 6: Empires.

A demo mode was made available via the Japanese site, that could be downloaded onto the PSP. The demo allowed the player to use all characters from the three kingdoms, however, just a few hours after release, a code was discovered that made all the 'other' type characters also available for use. The code is now no longer available, after a lawsuit threat from Koei. The demo had a level cap of three, and had only three stages, although all weapons were available for use.

Stock Update - Shin Sangoku Musou: Multi Raid PSP - In Stock

Shin Sangoku Musou: Multi Raid has finally arrived!

-from wikipedia-

It contains new features such as Awakenings (Or Shin Musou Kakusei in Japan) which is similar to an upgraded version of Musou Rage in Dynasty Warriors 5. The Awakening drastically affects the appearance of the character and increases their stats.

Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce was first seen in the Shonen Jump (magazine) in the issue of the week ending 13 September 2008, and then featured in the Famitsu magazine in the issue of the week ending 20 September 2008. The Famitsu magazine showing the Shin Musou Kakusei appearances of Zhao Yun, Xiahou Dun and Sun Shang Xiang as well as showing screenshots.[2]

The game will now have similar gameplay as Dynasty Warriors 6 for the PS3 and characters will now have the ability to fly for certain periods of time. No Online play has been confirmed yet, but AdHoc multiplayer has been confirmed

Huang Zhong and Xiahou Yuan have both had weapon changes. While they both originally wielded schimitars, they now wield bows. Also, while they both share the same moveset, this moveset is different from the moveset used by Sun Shang Xiang.

The game was set to be released in March but was delayed by Koei, as well as the other Dynasty Warriors 6 spin-off Dynasty Warriors 6: Empires.

A demo mode was made available via the Japanese site, that could be downloaded onto the PSP. The demo allowed the player to use all characters from the three kingdoms, however, just a few hours after release, a code was discovered that made all the 'other' type characters also available for use. The code is now no longer available, after a lawsuit threat from Koei. The demo had a level cap of three, and had only three stages, although all weapons were available for use.



Stock Update - Game Center CX: Arino no Chousenjou 2 DS - In Stock

From -wikipedia-
Retro Game Master
2 (known in Japan as GameCenter CX 2 (ゲームセンターCX GemuSentaa CX?)) is a Japanese television series where Shinya Arino, a member of comedy duo Yoiko, plays Japan's most popular video games (a majority of which are Famicom games) and records his progress as he works through a time limit, usually lasting up to one day. He is supported by his Assistant Directors (herein referred to as ADs) and Staff, both via moral support and actual gameplay.

This game includes parts of the 10th season as retro game master number two.

Stock Update - King of Fighters Unlimited Match PS2 - In Stock

With our shipment delayed by customs yesterday, we were surprised to see that our full shipment has arrived this morning. Our ups driver graciously handtrucked each box carefully into our headquarters.

-from wikipedia-
The upcoming Unlimited Match version of the game will feature additional characters and changes to the team roster, with the number of default teams now increased up to 18 (including the regular and alternate versions of the Orochi Team) and new stages and artwork will be added. All of the characters featured in the series between KOF '99 and KOF 2002 will be included with the exception of K9999 (a character conceived as a pastiche of Tetsuo Shima from the manga Akira). A new character officially called Nameless (codenamed Ж′ or Zhe Prime) has been designed to take his place in the game and will feature all of K9999's special techniques. The game will have a total of 66 characters in total: 44 characters from KOF 2002 (including Nameless), 16 characters from the NESTS arc (including King and Shingo), and 6 unconfirmed hidden characters (it is uncertain whether this includes additional characters from previous console versions).

Friday, February 27, 2009

So... Its been a whole 2 weeks since SF4 came out and someone has already broken the game. (Even though this combo is next to impossible to pull off) Just watch you you will know what i am talking about. I tried this last night.. no go... ultra fail... Will post a video of me doing it if i ever get the hang of it. (probably not)

-A
Since I've gotten back into a Street Fighter FEVER from the release of SF4, I thought that some of you might enjoy a classic video I'm sure many, if not all, have already seen. Thats right... EVO moment #37, Daigo smashes Justin FTW. It's one of those videos that you watch with friends and still go "OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO" ... even though it was something that happened years ago. Well enough of my typing, just watch the video and you will know what i mean. Also I wanted to see if anyone here likes watching combo and tourny videos as much as me! Leave a comment and ill post more videos like this!

-A

Name Change - Blog

Hey guys! Sorry, to facilitate the promotion of the blog, we appropriately renamed the blog so there will no longer be -'s in our name, thank you for your patience during this transition.

Stock Conformation - Today's UPS shipment

Unfortunately, we have confirmed that our shipment, containing the most vital items for this weekends sale will be arriving either Saturday or Monday.

Japan Video Games - Blog Post about Our Blog

We've taken a few steps to make our blog more accessible. First, our blogroll is posted on the top right side of our main website, detailing out all the recent posts, and second, the first link on the left hand side of the webpage will contain the most recent posts, automatically updated by feedburner, so you won't miss out on any important company news or arrivals.

Insta-Update - But Why?

I think a while back, I came across kotaku and ended up watching the trailer of dragon ball z, I almost insta-shot myself, but then of course, with street fighter, it's a different story because Kristin Kreuk is in the movie.

High school was the birth place of nerd-kids dreams of putting a Kristin Kreuk insert into their 3" binders. Soon enough, they'll be convincing the immediates to turn on smallville just to watch the only strip scene where Kreuk jumps into the swimming pool.

Sign onto polaris, mininova, or any other web hounds and grab this movie tonight within two hours and save the $9.50 student discount for your next panda express meal.


Weekly Recap - February 2009 - Week 4

As february comes to an end, we have some good news! Japanese courts are finally taking definitive action against R4 makers and banning the official sale of the product in Japan. As much as I love downloading and whatnot, I still support the physical product, rather than the digital version. As the globe deepens in to a recession, many vendors have seen an immediate halt of ds game sales as early as half a year ago.

Sadly, many vendors are simply buying Jump Ultimate Stars to turn the quick $12-$30 profit, wholeheartedly ignoring the vast array of ds games on the market today. It will be a definite boost if american courts could do the same during this time, as all vendors and retailers across the nation are losing import sales to incredibly terrible ds us version games.

Stock Update - Ryu Ga Gotoku 3 Rise of the Dragon Pack PS3

We finally received extra restocked allocations of the Ryu Ga Gotoku 3 Rise of the dragon pack. We only brought in a extra few pieces due to to highly inflated costs from limited production.

Please be advised that we can only ship to US billing addresses only.

This system is produced on a limited scale and will be sold out worldwide at normal retail prices in the few coming months.

Shipment Update - Shipment Delayed By Customs

Every so often, customs delays our shipment citing incomplete documents. I think we all know that since the economy is slow, work must be created to keep customs employees afloat, hence, delaying one of our shipments. It's almost as bad as GE cutting dividends or JPMorgan cutting more than 12,000 jobs on a whim.

We will be receiving a partial shipment today of:

Wii - One Piece Unlimited Cruise: Episode 2 - Mezameru Yuusha
360 - DoDonPachi Daioujou Black Label Extra
Ps3 - Ryu ga Gotoku 3
Ps3 - Hori Arcade Fighting Stick 3 (HP3-01)
PS3 - Demon's Souls (JPN Version)

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Stock Update - Domo Kun - All Sizes - In Stock

Valentine's day has long passed, but

Arrival Update - Friday's Confirmed Arrivals

Lag Update - Street Fighter PS2 Nubytech Controllers

Initial reports have been confirmed by Street Fighter IV monster Andy; the controller used in combination with our ps2 to ps3 usb adapter have no produced NO LAG.

This is extremely crucial because this provides an extremely cost effective solution to the madcatz fightpads circulating the united states. Three styles are available (Ken, Ryu, & Chun Li), with each controller enclosed in a limited edition box, shielded from the elements. PS2 to PS3 adapters are also available here.

Economy Update - Prices of Games Will Go Down Finally

The Yen today soared today to unprecedented amounts, finally giving breaks to all importers and providing relief to the Japanese export market. Given that the japanese economy depends on at least70% of its exports, these coming weeks will give rise to an increased amount of exports. WE expect game prices to finally come down a notch this week, giving retailers more of a competitive edge in the coming weeks.

Confirmed Arrival - Madcatz PS3 Joypads

It has finally arrived! We were anxiously arriving a large white freight forwarding truck pull up to the back of our dock.

We received small all allocations of all 4 styles - Blanka, Chun-Li, Ryu, and Ken.

Because supply is scarce, we had to source these controllers locally at higher than normal pricing, and the price for all four controllers have been priced at $69.99 each. We're currently testing the lag factor of the ps2 nubytech controllers as well as the MAS fighting joysticks. Full reports are expected within a few hours.

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Stock Update - PS3 Street Fighter IV 4 Fightpads

We received some good news! We may receive a small wave of ps3 street fighter IV fightpads tomorrow, with 360 street fighter 4 pads arriving the following week. So far, we're not putting them in stock, we don't want to get our hopes up, along with the hopes of our loyal customers, so we're waiting until it actually arrives.

If the controllers do in fact arrive, we will be updating our stock status immediately. Customers are encouraged to sign up for "email me when the item is back in stock" notifications. Quantities are extremely allocated and items will be sold on a first come first serve basis.

I also have spoken to madcatz. Second wave allocations are still filling first wave pre-orders. A 3rd wave will be released end of april early may. We estimate that demand will insta-die down at that time, and major surpluses of the sticks will surface. We have sticks on order, but will adjust our quantities accordingly.

Stock Update - DS Ganbare Goemon: Toukai Douchuu (Konami the Best)

Many customers have been asking us to bring back Goemon. Japanese suppliers seem to have been sold out of this title for quite some time, our only alternatives are to send our suppliers out on foot to purchase this title from local shops in hopes that their prices aren't too inflated.

Any orders placed on the website will be priced as normal, but if the local shop prices are inflated, we will contact our customers to reconfirm at the new price.

Custom Street Fighter Joy Sticks - Stock/Order Update


Japan Video Games has teamed up once again with super joystick magnate MAS to create custom joysticks for street fighter IV and other fighting games. First samples have arrived today for extensive testing. Results will be posted tomorrow. We have also heard rumors that madcatz may be releasing a batch of joysticks and fightpads within the week, we will keep you posted on any updates.

Here are some specs of the custom made joysticks:
  • Heavy Duty construction using real 3/4 inch thick High Density Particle Board Wood
  • Ultimate Joystick (Available in Hard or Soft Spring) or Competition Joystick (Medium Spring with choice of the stick color: Black. Red or Blue) with reliable and long lasting Cherry switches from Happ Controls. Also available is the Optional Perfect 360 Joystick (an All Optical device with no Mechanical Parts for super quiet operation-no clicking sounds from any mechanical switches)
  • Choice of Push Buttons: Ultimate type (Concave) with vertical-mount Cherry switches or Competition type with horizontal-mount Cherry switches(Convex Japanese style) from Happ Controls
  • JAMMA Ready with Auxiliary connector for easy access to additional Push Buttons also known as the Kick Buttons in games such as Killer Instinct or Street Fighter
  • Built-in 3-Inch speaker
  • Stereo Audio outputs : RCA jacks for both Left/Right channels
  • All Video formats available : Composite Video, S-Video (Y/C), and RGB (Custom Cable is required depending on the Monitor type)
  • Net Weight: 10 lbs per controller
After testing, we will report immediate results tomorrow morning, if test results go well, we will be bringing in some for the general public.

Pre-Order Update - New DSi Colors - 3/20 - Lime Green / Metallic Blue / Pink - $219.99

We received news late last night that Japan will be releasing 3 new colors for the DSi. With american releases scheduled for 4/5, we're confident import fanatics will be snatching these colors just as quickly. With Pink / Metallic Blue / Lime Green on the new roster, pre-orders are set at $219.99 and will ship on 3/20.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Pre-Order Update - Resident Evil 5 360 Limited Edition Red Elite System

We've been notified by Microsoft that the 360 red limited system will only be limited to a one time production run, which means, when they're out, they're out.

Pre-orders will be announced soon at the hefty price of $399.99. Pre-orders will be shipped on or around 3/13. Deliveries from microsoft direct vendors will arrive late in the afternoon via trucking.

The bundle includes:
  • Red console
  • Standard Edition: Resident Evil 5 game
  • Red Wireless Controller
  • 120GB hard drive
  • Token card including Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix and exclusive Resident Evil Premium Theme
Stay tuned for confirmed arrival updates!

Dsi - Stock/Pre-Order Update

As many have already read and already know, amazon and gamestop have been taking pre-orders for the new DSi. Where do we stand admist all this pre-ordering?

We're currently negotiating with our Nintendo-direct distributors to bring the best possible price to the marketplace. We expect first week prices to rise slightly above national retail price, as the hype will bring about temporary shortages. Wholesale prices will also rise above retail prices temporarily. So far, we won't be taking any pre-orders until we receive a guaranteed shipment notification from our Nintendo suppliers.

The japanese versions of the DSi still have a loyal customer base and are continually selling on the daily basis.

WonderCon 2009 - We Might Attend 2010

Registration for wondercon 2009 this year at the Moscone Center South has closed for this year, but we will be attending as regular joes this weekend as me might make the 500 mile ambitious drive from southern california. The trip will be tiring indeed, as we intend to take no breaks from work and will leave right after work on saturday. In any event, the usual exhibitor based businesses will be there, but we're comic book/anime fans to the end. The convention will be excitingly random.

Attending FanimeCon in 2008 was exceedingly tough, as our cargo van can only carry so much to fill up our booths. As exciting and exhilarating as the selling experience may be, there is a slight possibility that we may re-attend.

Early Arrival - 2/26 - Killzone 2 PS3

We're expecting to receive killzone 2 ps3 on thursday.
-from wikipedia-
Killzone 2 is a science fiction first-person shooter for the PlayStation 3, developed by Guerrilla Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. It is the third installment in the Killzone franchise that began on the PlayStation 2 with Killzone and continued on the PlayStation Portable with Killzone: Liberation. The game was first announced at E3 2005, with a tech demo on display, while the first gameplay footage was shown two years later at E3 2007.

Early reviews of the game have been largely positive, while pre-orders of the game have topped 1.1 million units in Europe alone.

  • Sergeant Tomas "Sev" Sevchenko is the main character of Killzone 2, and part of the ISA Special Forces Alpha Team. He is a withdrawn and unusually contemplative man. At age 25 he's already been in several successful campaigns, but they've also exacted a toll on him. He's an imperfect soldier in a perfect army.
  • Corporal Dante Garza is a member of the ISA Special Forces Alpha Team. Smart-mouthed and young, Garza is still a loyal and trusty soldier who has earned his elite status.
  • Sergeant Rico Velasquez is a veteran of the ISA. He is a human tank who prefers to shoot first and ask questions later, if at all. He's all attitude but despite this he has a good heart. Rico prefers an up-front fight and is a character of extremes; he can get agitated very quickly and doesn't hold back on anything. During the orbital defense platform crisis, Rico was left stranded by a brutal Helghast attack and consequently befriended Templar, Luger and Hakha. Later, he became embedded with Alpha Team to spearhead the invasion on Helghan’s capital, Pyrrhus.
  • Corporal Shawn Natko is the demolitions expert for the ISA Special Forces Alpha Team.
  • Colonel Jan Templar is the commander of the ISA cruiser 'New Sun'. Protagonist of Killzone and Killzone: Liberation, he leads the invasion of Helghan from the sky, without actually being in the field.
  • Emperor Scolar Visari is the leader of Helghast forces and ruler of Helghan planet. He is responsible for the re-militarization of the Helghan troops after their defeat following the First Helghan War. He has succeeded in launching an invasion of one of ISA colonial planets, Vekta, to avenge what he sees as the abandonment and abuse of the Helghast. He is voiced by Brian Cox.
  • Colonel Radec is the commander of Visari's personal guard and defends planet Helghan, he is shown to have a desire for killing and prefers action rather than planning. Determined and ruthless, he is called the hound of Visari.
With Killzone 2, Guerrilla Games aims to provide the player with an immersive and cinematic gameplay experience that is grounded in reality with what they call "Hollywood Realism". The game is presented almost entirely from a first person perspective, aside from vehicular combat. Killzone 2 features a "lean and peek" cover system which allows the player to take cover behind an object and then pop out to fire at enemies. The "lean and peek" mechanic stays in first person view at all times. It has also been announced that Sev is able to pilot vehicles, such as tanks. Many classic weapons and vehicles from previous Killzone installments will be returning, such as the M82-G and the StA-52 LAR.

Warzone, the title of the multiplayer component of Killzone 2 has been developed by Guerrilla Games in conjunction with the game's single-player campaign.

Eight multiplayer maps are included on disc at release. Guerrilla has stated that further maps will be made available as future downloadable content. Vehicles have also been confirmed to be part of the multiplayer experience and are to be patched post-release.

Monday, February 23, 2009

General Stock Update - Monday

We received the Japanese version of Yakuza 3 or Ryu Ga Gotoku 3 today, earlier than expected. We expected our UPS driver to make his 12 p.m. arrival after stopping at all the other local shops. But, that was not that case today.

As I turned into the store backalley, the driver was graciously awaiting our arrival as he re-organized his own truck. In any event, Ryu Ga Gotoku 3 is always a smash hit among import fiends and game lovers alike. We're now on low stock, and are expecting another Japanese wave (not asian version) by the end of the week. As for other items arriving this week, the american front looks promising with Killzone 2 PS3 arriving early on thursday.

Stock Update - Hori & Madcatz Fighting Sticks

I'm sure many are wondering restock dates and times for the Hori and Madcatz sticks. Honestly, we do not know. We have just a few sticks left for retail, but next restocks are unknown. I've spoken to hori and they're just not sure if they're going to produce another batch anytime soon. Seems like the only ones available are the ones floating around in Japan at inflated costs, or the remaining ones on ebay that are being sold for ridiculous prices.

As for madcatz sticks, we received the same news concerning the second wave of sticks. Customers that have requested pre-order holds may see their sticks by the end of march.

We were able to source a few hori sticks locally, but at high prices. Every few days, you may see us price adjust, only because we have to buy high as well.

Stock Update - Hori Fighting Stick 3 HP3-01 - In Stock

The Hori fighting stick 3 for PS3 (HP3-01) is in stock! The joystick contains 3 turbo functions (slow, normal, and fast) with (5/12/20 times/second respectively). The joystick is connected via USB.

We were eager to open all the boxes today to find all boxes in mint condition. A few of our loyal employees will be taking these home tonight and giving us a formal review tomorrow once again.

Surprisingly, this stick is now highly sought after now that every single hori stick on the planet is out of stock. ETA for Hori & Madcatz sticks are still unknown.

Pricing Error - Mad World Wii

Thank you for all those that have pre-ordered the game this weekend, unfortunately, a pricing error occurred and the game was priced $30 below retail at $19.99. All orders placed this weekend will be refunded and no additional funds will be charged.

We sincerely apologize for this error, as it was in no intention as a publicity stunt.

-from publisher-
From renowned developer PlatinumGames comes a highly stylized, over-the-top brawler created exclusively for the Wii. A terrorist group known as the Organizers has taken over Varrigan City, forcing all citizens into their insane “Death Watch” game, where “kill or be killed” is the only rule. As Jack, a mysterious game participant, players will set ingenious traps, use imaginative tactics to pummel opponents and battle in vicious hand-to-hand combat with daggers, bats, chainsaws and more using the arcade-style controls of the Wii Remote™. While the spectacular mayhem ensues, enthusiastic sports announcers entertain the spectators with humorous commentary detailing the game highlights. The bloodiest, most creative kills earn the most points and increase the chances that Jack can save the terrorized city – let the games begin!
  • Exciting, visceral gameplay. Created exclusively for the Wii, MADWORLD features fast and instinctive arcade-style gameplay with brutal finishing moves delivered by the Wii Remote and Nunchuk.
  • Massive playing field to explore. Varrigan City is divided into six completely unique areas. Anything in the environment - sign posts, garbage cans, passing trains, etc. – can be used to attack enemies.
  • Over-the-top violence and irreverent content. Exaggerated characters, monstrous bosses and outrageous commentary add to the irreverent and humorous tone.
  • Unique graphic novel style. Black and white stylized graphics immerse players in an innovative world.
  • Multiplayer mini-games. Throughout each level players can polish their skills and punish their opponents in several fun, ultra violent, mini-games with friends.

Friday, February 20, 2009

Our Visit to Toy Fair 2009

Though the toy fair didn't have much to offer to the video game world, it is always great to fly across the nation to take a break. But, as always, we viewed the fair as a fair opportunity to expand our product base. We landed at JFK from LAX late in the afternoon, and were immediately hustled to take an extremely overpriced cab to our hotel.

Shortly after exploring that same day, we ventured to the toy show, meeting an array of suppliers and vendors. Most were unrelated to our business, but a definitely opportunity to see the wide selection of products in the marketplace. At least we received a free toy after receiving our badge holders.

Weekly Recap - February 2009 - Week 3

This week has been unbelievably phenomenal for the video game industry. Though imports came out on the weaker end this week, the US market has skyrocketed, giving steady life to an already dwindling economy.

With the yen depreciating against the dollar this week and finally stabilizing at a bearable value, maybe we'll see small price drops in the coming months for all imported items. Fighting sticks are still selling extremely well, with every single stick we carry being snatched up as soon as they become available. We hope to see Madcatz and Hori bring out an additional wave of sticks to meet increasing demand.

Next week will bring two major import titles, Ryu Ga Gotoku 3 and King of Fighters Unlimited Match 2002, finally ending an import drought. We are receiving Ryu Ga Gotoku 3 three days before the official release date. King of Fighters 2002 for PS2 will arrive late next week.

MONDAY'S CONFIRMED ARRIVALS - 2/23