Tokyo Game Show - What to do/buy in Tokyo

[Eightbitbreaks]

Is it much different than the orange variety we all grew up with in the States?

There's always ganguros...

[Kev]

What about stores like Hard-Off, Liberty, and Softmap?

[Almaci]

Shou you have always been an elitist retard, that being said for people going to Akihabara: Step away from Chuo Dorii and explore the streets behind it, or even go past Akiba itself and a new world opens up.
Akiba is goin to hell anyway with all those fucking maid cafes.

[Shou]

Really, that's all you can come up with. You've always been a sad social reject. Do I need to bring up that video you took of butterflies and puppies...whoops I did.

[ChaoofNee]

zomg nerd fight

[Shou]

What about stores like Hard-Off, Liberty, and Softmap?

Hardoff doesn't have stores in central Tokyo, they are located more in the countryside.

Liberty's stores have small selections in Akiba for retro, outside of Akiba, their stores usually only have FC, SFC and maybe some MD or Saturn.

Sofmap stores have been closing down. In Akiba, they have one store with some retro left but also nothing great.

[ChaoofNee]

Hardoff doesn't have stores in central Tokyo, they are located more in the countryside.

My friend got me a game from there when he went to Japan.
The name of the store had me laughing my ass off for TENS of minutes.
It was a grand time.

[bbobb]

Seriously, get out of the electronics district and go see Tokyo, game stores in Japan are pretty much the same as they are in the US...

And for the record, there are a few japanese girls that are good in bed, but they're few and far between.

Really, that's all you can come up with. You've always been a sad social reject. Do I need to bring up that video you took of butterflies and puppies...whoops I did.

Oh for the love of god... now that's an image I sure as hell don't need in my head. I think I'm going to be sick.

[Diff-chan]

Really, that's all you can come up with. You've always been a sad social reject. Do I need to bring up that video you took of butterflies and puppies...whoops I did.

LAWWWLLL FOREVER

[GaijinPunch]

Here's a map of Akihabara. I've not updated it in a while, but it should work (McDonald's is now in a different place).

Here's the rundown:
Medialand: Has moved some of their retro stuff out in place of PS & PS2 used sections, but they will surely have some goodies in the showcase. Prices vary.

Trader2: Has also moved out a lot of it's retro stuff, but like Media Land, will have some primo titles. This is likely the only shop who doesn't put a crackhead in charge of pricing.

Liberty: There are tons of these all over town. Selection is moderate, and prices are usually very bad (unless mispriced)

Super Potato: Biggest retro shop in town. Prices for showcase items are way pricey (they're there for decoration, not for sale) but the prices on "normal" used games aren't too bad. Stacks and stacks of shit. If you like the abomination that is game music, be sure to check out the 3rd floor where you'll find stacks of very overpriced, but rare game soundtracks.

Friends: Don't bother. Decent selection, but prices are awful. You can buy shit cheaper on Ebay.

Messe Sanno: This is the best place to buy your new titles. They don't offer a discount like all the chains (Sofmap, Sakuraya, etc.) but they do offer free crap with games. Posters, telephone cards, etc. They can often reach great heights on Yahoo Japan years later.

PCB shops:
MAK Japan: Best prices, not a bad selection.
G-Front: Best selection, worst prices in the country. If they have somewhere else, it WILL be cheaper there.
Try: Bad selection, okay prices. Very, very small shop. About the size of a luxury bathroom

Arcades:
HEY. If you like shooters, go here, and wear a condom. You will cum in your pants. They have the entire Cave library, Radiant Silvergun, Ikaruga, most of the Raizing shooters, etc. etc.

S@Y is across the street. Not bad, and very clean.

Club Sega (might've changed it's name to Gigo). Average arcade, but if you don't like LOTS of cigarette smoke, don't go.

Try Amusement Tower: Usually empty, and has a great selection of retro games. This arcade actually showcased the ellusive, and limited to one copy (yes, one, as in uno), Dodonpachi Campaign Version. The owner has since taken it back though.

Other parts of town:
Shibuya:
Mandarake is an obscenely huge manga store. The staff uniforms are cosplay outfits (no shit). They have a decent game section, including some primo games. Prices are okay. If there's a manga you're looking for, it will be in here.

Arcades: Quite a few (10 total, last count), including a 50 yen arcade on Center-gai, which has some new games and a great selection of retro arcade games as well. Taito Station isn't too bad (some old, some new), and Sega High Tech Land features some very high level Virtua Fighter play.

Pretty easy to get a hand job for about 8000 yen in Shibuya as well. Just go at night, and listen for the Chinese girls offering a "massage".

Shinjuku:
I never hung out there that much, but it's got just as many or more arcades as Shibuya, and a handful of used game stores. Liberty has a shop there, but there's nothing there you'll not find in Akihabara.

If you can make it to Sega Sportsland Nishiguchi on a Friday Night, you'll see the largest collection of top-ranked Virtua Fighter players. Kiss your 100-yen coins goodbye, b/c everyone there is fucking good.


Non game shit that's cool:
Meiji-shrine -- freak show on Sunday afternoons. Take an empty memory stick.
Kamakura (beautiful---about an hour from Tokyo)
Shinjuku Gyoen
Everyone else will say Asakusa but I think it's a huge waste of time.

Hope that helps.