So went to Akihabara for the first time...

[Slade Rahl]

I've gone my entire stay in Japan without setting foot there until this week. Some cool stuff indeed, but my god, never have I seen so many mouth-breathers in my life...I mean I'm a big geek as any but some of these fools were repulsive. Especially the one's who crowded into a "Otoko no mise" shop that basically had nothing but what appeared to be underage lesbian manga everywhere.

I DID find some pretty cool Star Wars/Marvel/McFarlen action figures though, and some old school games. But the price for the games was uncanny so I didn't buy anything.

BTW, does anyone know of a shop that displays human body parts in a window? It's like these mannequins with their guts hanging out....but they're pygmy's as well.

[Yakumo]

Oh the good old stinky many times over weight foul teeth and greasy headed otaku. Yep, they give the rest of us a bad name.

I hope you checked out the back streets behind Club Sega for some deals and dodgy hardware stores.

Yakumo

[Slade Rahl]

Saw Club Sega but nay, not this time. I'll be going back to Tokyo in a few weeks to pick something up in Ueno, so I'll stop by that day and have a look-see.

[Yakumo]

Yes, you should do. Behind Club Sega there's the pretty cool Traider as well as a shop selling alsorts of clone hardware and there's also the arcade PCB store that has all the windows blocked out with arcade game posters. It has been 3 years since I was last in Tokyo mind you but from what I remember is that you can walk from Ueno to Akihabara in about 30 minutes along the main road.

Yakumo

[Jamtex]

Yes, you should do. Behind Club Sega there's the pretty cool Traider as well as a shop selling alsorts of clone hardware and there's also the arcade PCB store that has all the windows blocked out with arcade game posters. It has been 3 years since I was last in Tokyo mind you but from what I remember is that you can walk from Ueno to Akihabara in about 30 minutes along the main road.

Trader did move to beside the railway bridge and it's nowhere near as good as it was back in the hayday... still good to pick up cheap 'Junk' games.

The PCB store was Try amusements and they havn't ceased to be but they have closed that shop down and moved up stairs, Mak Japan is a much better place to see.

Check out the Assembler games map for some of the really cool shops. :)

Although you've been in Japan for ages now and there is a direct line from Utsunomiya to Ueno, so how come it's taken you so long?

[Slade Rahl]

I just never bothered really. Most places I went to in Tokyo (when I did go) were for a few parties over the weekend or business trips. Very little leisure time it seems.

Has anyone checked out the giant Gundam in Odaiba though?

[Tatsujin]

for retro just check:

trader II
super potato (recommended for quantity)
new mandarake BLDG (floor 6)
retro friends (most recommended)
retro game (most overpriced of all of 'em, but if your lucky, you can make a good bargain at the 100yen corner the have).

[Raziel73]

The new Trader "honten" (main shop) on the Akihabara main street has a decent stock of oldies too. Check the 2nd floor.

[GodofHardcore]

As a General rule, if you've seen Genshiken.....DON'T TURN INTO ANYONE FROM IT

[DCharlie]

retro friends (most recommended)
retro game (most overpriced of all of 'em, but if your lucky, you can make a good bargain at the 100yen corner the have).

these two stores are fecking weird.

retro game :
I've picked up Slap Fight (don't ask) - boxed great condition, Alien Soldier - boxed great condition , and Rendering Ranger (unbocked natch) for under 6000 yen a piece. yet on the shelf you'll be asked to pay 5000 yen for something ordinarily very cheap.

But yeah, as mentioned BE SURE to check upstairs in retro game, they have a whole shelf of super cheap junk. Mainly the usual crap like Exhaust Heat etc but in amonst there they have things like Daruma Dojo for 100 yen and a few others of note. I picked up God Panic in this pile for 200 yen :O

Same with Friends - almost every game is over priced, but the PC Engine stuff is pretty reasonable and some of the yellow stickered prices are pretty decent (Kirby Deluxe was 1200 yen at one point)

Makes the shopping fun i guess, and a little less frustrating particularly at these two places.

[GaijinPunch]

new mandarake BLDG (floor 6)

I have a picture I took last weekend. This dickeheads have the most bizarre showcase for an otaku shop I've ever seen.

[Marmotta]

Super Potato are ridiculoulsy pricy - the only thing I bought there was a 50 yen copy of Tetris. The Trader under the railway bridge isn't too great, but I'd agree that the one on the main street (can't remember the numbers now) has a pretty good selection on 2F, or the 1st Floor as I'd prefer to call it.

[Tatsujin]

on the main street? so that could be only "retro game", but which is the most pricey with a land slide. easly 30% over potato.

[Breetai]

Super Potato are ridiculoulsy pricy - the only thing I bought there was a 50 yen copy of Tetris. The Trader under the railway bridge isn't too great, but I'd agree that the one on the main street (can't remember the numbers now) has a pretty good selection on 2F, or the 1st Floor as I'd prefer to call it.

Is that the stop that used to have a decent selection on 2F, but has since gotten rid of most of it, moved the majority of the leftover stuff to 1F and now has a bunch of wigs and other cos play junk on 2F?

[Tatsujin]

and now has a bunch of wigs and other cos play junk on 2F?

yes. but not just since yesterday :)

[Breetai]

yes. but not just since yesterday :)

You mean, it's all retro game stuff again?

Nevermind, I didn't get what you meant until just now.

[Marmotta]

on the main street? so that could be only "retro game", but which is the most pricey with a land slide. easly 30% over potato.

I was referring to the Trader on the main street - I think it may be Trader 3. I went to Retro Game and wasn't overly impressed by the prices there.

[Breetai]

Retro Game definitely isn't as cool as it used to be even just a year ago. 95% of the stuff there is very overpriced and there isn't a lot of good discounted stuff left. I'm pretty sure most both Tatsujin, myself and others here have had a lot to do with that. ;)

Also, is it just me, or is the selection of old games in Akihabara really starting to dry up? There seems to be a lot less retro games to be found when a first got here a few years ago. Stores really seem to be trying to clear out a lot of non-Nintendo and Sony stuff as well... Neo Geo stuff really seems to be dropping in price. Metal Slug and Metal Slug 2 on the Neo Geo CD is going for 6000-8000yen now in some of the shops. Dracula X on the PCE is easy to find for 4000-6000yen. If I remember right, it used to be very hard to find any of these titles for even 10,000yen not so long ago.

[DCharlie]

Also, is it just me, or is the selection of old games in Akihabara really starting to dry up?

DEFINITELY drying up.

I'd been noticing this for a while and a few months ago had a last "push" to get some stuff back and to pick up a bunch of stuff before they are gone for good

[Tatsujin]

yeah it's kinda sad. the gayjins are soaking all empty :-(

so must hurry up now for my pce soft completeness i guess :lol:

but retro games still trying to sell its drac x w/o spine for 15'000JPY.