NEW 2020 tour of Akihabara here – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6ViLBZFCiQ
I go into a lot more detail and visit a lot more shops in this one!
Take a look at all the best game shops in Akihabara! from Super Potato, Friends, Mandarake and more! I love this place so much!
Retro Camp.
Definitely one to avoid, this is a set of two shops which draw in the tourists with it’s flashy banners written in english as well as Japanese. You will find some of the most popular import games on display here, but waaaay over priced, for example, Mother 3 is in all the glass cabinets near the front of these stores and they have the nerve to try charging upwards of ¥8000 (about £60!)
Sure they have some very cool stuff on display but it’s best just to look in here and save your money for some of the other shops mentioned later in this post.
There is a new Retro Camp store opened up on the other side of the road, in the basement of another building. Something seemed a bit off about this place, I didn’t see a single Japanese person in there, and I went back three times… They didn’t seem to specialise in anything in particular.
I did pick up two Rockman games for the GBA in there though, and regretted it later when I found the same games for almost half the price!
Next up, another one strictly for looking, not buying. By far the most famous retro game shop in Japan.
Super Potato.
They have some really rare games on display here, but again, it’s very pricey. They do make sure the games are in great condition though, theres always someone behind the counter cleaning the games. This is also a good place to look for some rarer prices but don’t go to these stores expecting to find a good deal! Only shop here as a last resort. if you see anything you’re intrested in, jot it down and take a look at the next place…
Mandarake.
Go to the 6th floor of this huge building to find a vast array of retro games, all in excellent condition. This is a fantastic place to shop and they have a lot of selection. The games here are all graded based on the condition of the game cartridge, the box and the manual. the prices vary according to the condition so if you don’t mind having a slightly dented box you will be able to save quite a bit!
but don’t buy yet, theres a few more places to look…
Trader.
There’s three main Trader buildings in Akihabara, the one to go to for retro goodness is Trader 1. Go to the second floor and be prepared to spend hours looking up and down every shelf. This place is a treasure trove of retro games, all in great condition. (Not sure if they are all tested though so better check first.) Here, I managed to find a great deal on a Famicom Gameboy Micro, I’ve seen them to upwards of ¥25,000 in some places, I picked one up here for just ¥17,000, so that just goes to show how much you can save by shopping around! (Thats about a £60 saving!)
Here’s a funny video of me prehaps buying a few too many things from here!
Friends
This shop isn’t in the main street of Akihabara but well worth tracking down!
The first floor of this shop has a load of PC Engine games all at reasonable prices, the best i’ve seen in Akihabara so far. I picked up Raiden complete in box for just 6000 Yen! I’d seen it earlier in the day at super potato going for 11000!
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