Do you guys know any vintage video game stores in Tokyo???
Do you guys know any vintage video game stores in Tokyo???
Ahh man this guy is back
Um, there's probably a hundred of them. The biggest concentration is in Akihabara -- go to GaijinPunch's website, he has a useful map and guide to the stores.
Most game stores have vintage content, if you include PS1 as vintage.
Where are you/where will you be in Tokyo?
There's one I saw on 1up.com called "Super Potato"
These cartridges are dirty as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore!
I'm going to be visting Tokyo in late July. I checked GaijinPunch's website and his map is really nice. I might have to contact him, maybe he can give me a few pointers on shopping in Tokyo.
Thanks a lot
Ahh man this guy is back
Nice info. I'm gonna make sure I go to the stores in GaijinPunch's website on my upcoming visit to Japan.
When I was there last month I hit up both Super Potato and Trader 2 in Akihabara. Both of these stores came highly recommended. Trader 2 was pretty cool, but Super Potato had a huge selection of games. I wish I had taken more cash with me then I had. I used GaijinPunch's map, and marked the locations of the stores I wanted to visit on my handy Tokyo Atlas I got from Amazon.
Tokyo was amazing. I wish I could have stayed longer then I did.
Aaron
I should update that map. SOmething I've been meaning to do for a while. Smoker's Style is gone, and the McDonald's is gone as well. Trader 2 has depleted a lot of their retro games. Kinda sucks. Here's the run down:
-Super Potato: Best selection, but the games in the case aren't really priced to move... they're priced to bring people in. If you dig, you can find "normal" games for okay prices
-Trader 2: Good prices, but they are moving way far away from retro games. The rather dismal 3rd floor has a single shelf dedicated to each of what was previously their main systems (PC-Engine, Saturn, SFC, Famicom, etc.). There's still a lot of used Playstation stuff
-Medialand: Selection has gone down hill. Prices still suck. Their showcase isn't nearly as impressive as it once was. They too seem to be focusing way more on PS/2 than anything else.
-Liberty: Decent selections, but as usual, ass prices. I can't rememer the last time I bought from that shop.
-Friends: I think they're way overpriced. I know people that still shop there though.
-Messe Sanno: Only new (sealed) games but they almost always have something cool in there.
PCBs:
Mak - best prices, best service
GFront - best selection, prices are on the high side.
Arcades:
If you like shooting games, Hey! on a Sunday is a must.
Other large parts of town have decent places. Shibuya has a Mandarake. Nakano has the big, end-all-be-all Mandarake. I'm sure there's one in Shinjuku as well somewhere. You could probably get a hand job next door while you're in the area.
Cool info. I'' make sure to hit up Super Potato and Trader 2.
@GaijinPunch - I'm trying to find out the name of a store I've been to twice in Akihabara. It's on at least two floors and I think it's been in business for a long time. On one floor they have game & watch shipping boxes above their displays and I think both times an older lady was working there. Upstairs there was tons of rare consoles behind a wall that you could peek around that weren't for sale unless the owner was there. It might be Friends. Does that ring any bells?
@leicamaster - If you find yourself near a Hard Off store be sure to stop, Book Off not so much.
y-bot
Yeah, sounds like Friends. As smork said, it's there at the Suehirocho station exit... right next door to G-Front, with a Segafredo coffee shop downstairs. I saw a Magical Drop II: Bunka Housou Version in the showcase. Looked like 10,000 yen. I asked to see it. Took another look and saw it was 100,000 yen. It was 50,000 yen down the street.