My trip to Akihabara (video and pics inside!)

[boatofcar]

I took some video of all the Akihabara arcades I went to. Check it out here (http://kr.youtube.com/watch?v=NGB_G9urkLE)!

I went to Japan last weekend, and in addition to the normal sightseeing things, I also had to visit the gaming mecca of the world....

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After wandering around with my friend for awhile, we finally stumbled upon what we'd been looking for all day:

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It helped that they were blaring the music from Metroid out into the street as we walked by :)

Most of you already know about Super Potato, but if you don't, you just need to know it's hands down the best retro gaming store in the world, in both size (3 floors!) and quantity of games.

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Plus, it's got a famicom throne.

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The first floor is nothing but 8 and 16 bit games.
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The second floor has newer games, but nothing beyond PS1 that I could see.
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The third floor is a retro arcade. And Solid Snake.
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See the rest of the Super Potato pictures (and other pics of Japan) here (http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnshawler/sets/72157607330066564/)!

[Kitsune Sniper]

Good lord, that's a lot of Kunio games. O_o

[GnawRadar]

My word, I can't wait to go to Japan.

[Phosphor Dot Fossils]

You remembered to bring me that Pac-Man building, didn't you?

[RetroYoungen]

Dude, I so hope I get to see this when I head there for Tokyo Game Show in October... *nerdgasms*

[otaku]

I want to go to japan so bad and have for so long! I thought it was going to be possible here soon but now I am not so sure.... :( finances suck!

[fpbrush]

Ah man, I always forget how amazing it is to be a retro game fan there. Though I'm always reminded every now and then when a thread like this pops up. PCEngine for 1900yen? Yes please.

Looks like you had a lot of fun, thanks for sharing :)

But tell us... what did you end up GETTING with all those choices???

[boatofcar]

Ah man, I always forget how amazing it is to be a retro game fan there. Though I'm always reminded every now and then when a thread like this pops up. PCEngine for 1900yen? Yes please.

Looks like you had a lot of fun, thanks for sharing :)

But tell us... what did you end up GETTING with all those choices???

Take a look at the Finds thread in a few hours :)

[staxx]

Hmmm any price for that Bandai Vectrex?

[MarioMania]

How much does Super Potato sells the AV Famicom

[boatofcar]

How much does Super Potato sells the AV Famicom

They were sold out when I was there.

MarioMania, is English not your native language?

Oh, here's a real gem. Only in Japan does Pit Fighter sell for more than Gunstar Heroes.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3185/2862789700_90d2c3ae00.jpg


Hmmm any price for that Bandai Vectrex?

I can't remember, but it was expensive, as were all the games.

Atari 2600 commons were selling for $50 a pop there too! I should have taken some pictures of those...

[MarioMania]

crap, sorry about the bad grammer man..I have to proof read before I post

[Willem]

I was in Japan last August and I found Akihabara very expencive with the retro games. In DenDen Town in Osaka there are more used/retro game shops than in Akiba and sell for less too. PC-E Duo RX's for 2000Yen with controller and cables. 600Yen for Super Mario Famicom games. and I can go on. Also more limited Edition stuff :D

And why did you take the Giza-subway line. A true Otaku takes the Yamanote-Line :P

[boatofcar]

There are cheaper shops out there, but Super Potato has them all beat for atmosphere. I bought most of the games I bought in Japan from Hard Off Book Off, which is a used books/electronics/games shop.

We stopped in Ginza so I could check out the five-story Apple store. We took the Yamanote line home. And a true otaku is about the last thing in the world I want to be :)

[k8track]

OK, I'm so going there in the future. I loved the video--what song did you have playing over it? Sort of YMCK-esque, yet not quite them.

I would have begged and begged you to pick me up a Sega Mark III system! I need to fulfill my long-standing obsession of wanting to play Woody Pop on real hardware with the paddle controller. I've got the game, and I finally have the paddle controller (my fiancée was recently back in Japan for about 6 weeks and her Otaku friend found it for her and she sent it to me!). The game works beautifully in an American SMS (it's a card), but the controller is not compatible. I asked her to ask her friend about the system, but she never heard back from him. I'm still holding out for a possible Christmas surprise.

I'm not too much into the scene anymore (or more accurately, at the moment), but I think that my being in that place, standing upon that hallowed ground, would have energized and excited me like nobody's business.

Sounds like a great trip! Where and what did you eat?

[Blitzwing256]

I think my favorate is the pcitures of kung fu (i spose technically they're Spartan X) look reall carefully at them, whoever played it reaaaaaaalllly loves that game. (and probably used an emulator)

[smork]

Dude, I so hope I get to see this when I head there for Tokyo Game Show in October... *nerdgasms*

Man, if you're coming look me up -- the show is literally 5 minutes walk from my office...

[boatofcar]

OK, I'm so going there in the future. I loved the video--what song did you have playing over it? Sort of YMCK-esque, yet not quite them.


Maybe I should have made the text bigger in the video--you can see it if you squint :) It's Lonely Rolling Star from the Katamari Damacy soundtrack.

I didn't eat anything really cool, because food in general was really expensive, and honestly not that much different than what I can get in Korea. Of course, I had sushi, but aside from that we just ate at home a lot (I stayed with my friend and his wife) and fast food.

[Xian042]

I dont think I'd know what to do with myself if I went there.

[AB Positive]

I still haven't gone, but threads like this remind me that I need to visit Japan before my time here is up. I need to go with one of my friends though due to their proclivity for dating a certain type of woman. As the joke goes "We'd leave a mark there. Or at least a stain"

Still... PC Engines for under 2000 yen? *cries*

I bet I could get all the repro stock I'd need for a while off one trip. One day...

[y-bot]

Hmmm any price for that Bandai Vectrex? I would guess it was $800-$1000. They're probably cheaper when they pop up on Ebay than what they want for it in retro shops in Japan. I've never been to the arcade floor of Super Potato, I can't believe I missed the Famicom throne. Hard Off rules and of course the name is hilarious. I love reusing their bags here in the US.

y-bot

[ooXxXoo]

Congrats on your trip to Japan!.....Am I the only one who started to feel sick by looking at all of those pics with all sort of games?...
If this is what heaven looks like, please count me in.....

[Volcanon]

A true Otaku takes the Shinjuku line to Iwamoto-cho, just so he can get to a station 2 minutes from Akihabara but pretend he wanted FROM A DISTANT STATION to get there.

[eskobar]

Thank you so much for sharing this experience :D

I am planning my travel to Japan for at least 8 years but the costs involved are still out of my budget :(

Hope to get there in my Honeymoon next year :D

[Iron Draggon]

I would think a true otaku would get there by bicycle... he has no life, right?

[ice1605]

They were sold out when I was there.


They were sold out when I was there, too. I got mine from a different store in Akiba. Anyway, I was in Japan last spring with two of my friends and my Japanese teacher. We stopped by Akiba, and we went to some of the awesome electronics stores, like Super Potato. I flew back to Columbus via Detroit, and when we had to go through security, they searched my bag (the AV Fami and the FDS probably made them suspicious...). My friends just laughed after it was over, but I was scared. What if they thought my FDS was a bomb or something?

[k8track]

Maybe I should have made the text bigger in the video--you can see it if you squint :) It's Lonely Rolling Star from the Katamari Damacy soundtrack.
Yarrg! Should have looked more closely... reading is fundamental! Anyway, I'm grabbing a torrent of the various Katamari soundtracks right now, can't wait to listen!

I want to roll around naked in a kiddle pool filled with Famicom carts. Is that wrong?

[Phosphor Dot Fossils]

I want to roll around naked in a kiddle pool filled with Famicom carts. Is that wrong?
Very. Please at least have a towel across your lap.

[Volcanon]

I would think a true otaku would get there by bicycle... he has no life, right?

Lol biking in inner Tokyo is not all that exciting.

There IS a bike parking, but you have to pay after 2 hours. You can be like most Japanese and just leave it sitting somewhere on the street (usually in the way of everybody), and it will get a "We humbly request you to stop being a jackass" sticker, but no cash fine.

[Volcanon]

oh and in case anybody cared, game prices are infinitely better if you buy them on yahoo japan. How much did potato want for rockman 2? something like 3000. I got it off yahoo for 100 yen. go me.

[boatofcar]

oh and in case anybody cared, game prices are infinitely better if you buy them on yahoo japan. How much did potato want for rockman 2? something like 3000. I got it off yahoo for 100 yen. go me.

You mean you can get better deals on auction sites than you can in stores? I can't believe it!

All my Japan game finds are here (http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?t=122157).

[smork]

And why did you take the Giza-subway line. A true Otaku takes the Yamanote-Line :P

A TRUE otaku knows Akihabara is on the Hibya line, not the Ginza. Nearest Ginza station is Suehirocho.

Of course, the real otakus drive Evo VIIs covered in anime graphics and filled with plushies. Check out the UDX garage sometime if you're ever there and you'll see.