I bought retro video games in Japan!

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[@helm2505]

James Channel

[@dingusartwork]

James Channel

[@gamemeister27]

James Chanel

[@Mud-Brain]

James Channel

[@Duckboy_300]

James channel

[@barnesurban8165]

James Channel

[@PurpleLPikmin]

I love the idea of a white Australian man walking through a cramped game store in Japan with his wife and children, going up to the clerk, and handing them "Panty Party".

[@voltdoesgd]

would've been the highlight of my day

[@nickwallette6201]

I suspect that wouldn't even raise an eyebrow in Japan.

[@univon4892]

​@@voltdoesgdMhm!

[@josha_254]

My ass read that as "Party Party" first, then I read again

[@tomklar9584]

Knowing James is a dad makes him even more wholesome

[@gunbilegaltangerel6445]

Wait he is

[@djuberfog6344]

​@@gunbilegaltangerel6445the video he mentioned he has a kid

[@PiggyPorkchop]

A like new GBA being in the junk area for minor issues is peak Japan stores, in the US that would been in a glass, locked case and cost $200+ easy.

[@khaotix64]

My EAS man whats up??? 😊

[@andramarquardt]

I can't believe how much Game Boy prices have gone up. I got a working glacier blue GBA for $20 on eBay, and 2 broken original Game Boys for $20 each that I just made into one working one.

[@amourabidi492]

@@andramarquardtikr? just a decade ago i got a modded transparent gba with a backlight for 80$ an i thought thst was expensive.

[@MarioKartSuperCircuit]

I just got an original GBA from like etsy for like 89$ and I thought I got a steal

[@mrbisshie]

I was recently surprised at the Dreamcast prices. I got mine like a decade ago from a thriftstore for 20 dollars. Included two controllers. It had a bad laser, which I fixed. When I first bought it, I felt like I was somehow "over paying". lmao!

[@Elzariel]

I now want a trip to Japan with James and Wade, where they rent a car and tour Hard Offs. That's it. That's all the video needs to be. 45 minutes of two guys going to Japanese Cashies please.

[@robertcharlottemaxwell5351]

SECONDED

[@samuelllakaj5439]

45? Make it a series with 1hr episodes.

[@Phosphatide]

"The 'de' is French" got me good, thank you for that.

[@resolvanlemmy]

I thought it was Dutch.

[@simonharam1536]

De can mean "to" in Japanese

[@megacherv]

The "holy sh*t" I yelled out when the GBA dock just worked. I watched Retro Future's video on it and the trouble he had getting it to work, and then you posted about it on FP and I swore it would be a whole hassle to get it working. Nope, worked right away

[@TheGameboyNerd23]

No way, a dankpods and James channel upload the same day???

[@arieldreemurr4974]

THE SAME DAY

[@umbrellacorp.]

Must be in-laws or something. 😅

[@radicalquad]

that's what i was thinking too!!!

[@gir489returns2]

I stopped watching dankpods and only really watch garbage time and James' channel because dank pods is boring, I don't like drums, and yeah.

[@radicalquad]

@@gir489returns2 alright then you do you

[@infrared752]

I went to Japan in September 2023. I bought a Saturn from super potato for ¥33000 and later found several in the hard-off in Akiba for less than ¥2000 each. 100% agreed super potato’s prices are ridiculous.

[@JustaMuteCat]

The only thing going for Potato is that they seem to test every single ware they sell for defects or damage, so at least you are more or less guaranteed to get something that technically works (at least is the excuse I was given when asking around). But it’s still a huge rip off. If it’s second hand stuff, Second Street or the Off stores are the way to go for me. If it’s brand new stuff and you need a physical copy of a game or get the feel for a peripheral you plan to buy, I usually go for Edi-ON or Mario Camera.

[@williamsanborn9195]

6:44 I’d like to imagine the Japanese definition of “junk” is essentially what “clearance” is to us English speakers. Primarily given how R and L sound relatively the same in Japanese.

[@Zm4rf]

how does r or l relate to junk vs clearance

[@JustaMuteCat]

More or less. At least for the Off stores is more of a “clearance, untested”. Anything that had some minimal work on testing and repair will often be on shelves, if it’s electronics like handheld consoles or phones they will also be inside a locked glass case. Most game discs and cards for the more recent consoles will also be empty, so you take the item from the shelf and the cashier retrieves the actual thing from the storage (or asks for someone to do that depending on how many are manning the store). Edit: also on those that get tested, they also have seals explaining if the item was refurbished or what kind of issues it might have.

[@ILFforever]

​@@JustaMuteCatYeah the explanation tags on Hard-off or Book-off are a real life saver. They legit just tell you "Left joystick not working".

[@williamsanborn9195]

@@Zm4rf Japanese people would have a tough time saying the word “clearance”

[@KarlBaron]

"junk" mainly means "as-is, no warranty". Anything at hard off that is not marked as junk can be returned if it doesn't work.

[@DUKE_of_RAMBLE]

_"And they ALL end in 'OFF'!"_ Don't worry, offHouse, *_I_* noticed you *started* with OFF! ♥️

[@AfferbeckBeats]

House Off would be one of those awful renovation reality shows

[@DUKE_of_RAMBLE]

@@AfferbeckBeats Ain't that the truth! 🤣

[@MathewHaswell]

Purification in Progress?

[@10brokenradios]

​​@@MathewHaswellBATTLE TIME (more like Batter Time?)

[@CaptainRex332]

This is absolutely perfect timing I just went from one Australian who likes to yell to to a Australian who likes video games

[@garystinten9339]

Tell me your not from dankpods without telling me your not from dankpods

[@sddragon28]

8:39 sounds like the old tornado sirens I grew up with 😂

[@irtbmtind89]

A single store getting big enough to spread out over multiple physical locations is really cool. There actually used to be a few stores in Toronto like this, but they are all long gone now.

[@koolaid33]

Yeah I've seen as game collecting in Canada is becoming more popular, less and less games are appearing in the wild, and less and less game stores are keeping above water. Two just closed near me last year (for different reasons) and the one closest to me has a very limited library simply because the area I'm in houses a lot of buyers and very little sellers. I like that more people are getting into the hobby, but also it makes it much less fun to go game hunting. Sure it's easy to buy all your games on eBay, but where's the fun in that?!

[@irtbmtind89]

@@koolaid33 The problem is that retro games are becoming expensive investment vehicles like what happened with early to mid 20th century sports cards and comics in the 80s, where people getting into their 40s with money are willing to spend big to relive their youth. For instance I think I paid like 30 bucks for an old Dreamcast 15 years ago (and you could still get some new old stock accessories for it like the VGA box for quite cheap), and now people are asking outrageous money for them. Even if the market declines I don't think 6th gen (maybe even 7th gen stuff is getting valuable now idk) and below stuff will ever really get "cheap" again. And we are probably at least a decade past the "golden age" of retro game shopping in Japan (especially in Akiba which has been a tourist trap for a long time), when things like old arcade boards where basically being given away.

[@gmcnewlook]

Only one I can think of is a&c games

[@cardsfanbj]

The Sevii Islands are exclusive to Fire Red/Leaf Green and were intended as a way for players to be able to acquire the 100 Pokemon added in Generation 2 since they couldn't trade with Gold/Silver/Crystal, and they didn't want to include them in the original Kanto areas, so they made a new region. Unfortunately, lots of them aren't actually able to be acquired, since a lot of Pokemon were only unlocked with the E-reader, a card scanning attachment that worked with certain cards, but it wasn't released outside of Japan (if I remember correctly).

[@ElihuAran]

The device was released outside of Japan, but was discontinued in NA by the time FireRed/LeafGreen came out, so any version of that game that's not Japanese won't be able to scan the e-Reader cards (those specific cards are Japan exclusive)

[@neptune6852]

I can’t get over the fact you have Panty Party for the Switch sitting between a magnet mount for a DS and DDR for the PS2.

[@clementpruvost8670]

Thrift Gaming in Japan must be so fun! Lucky you!

[@koolaid33]

These are dedicated gaming stores, he only mentioned the Off stores.

[@johnboydojo]

£80 for a Sharp Famicom Twin system! Wow!! Some nice finds James. That GBA Advance tv out thing was really cool

[@garystinten9339]

I'm surprised that handheld console makers of the earlier eras didn't think of portability and docks.. it was aftermarket who came to the rescue before steamdeck and Nintendo.

[@johnboydojo]

@garystinten9339 Yeah I was pretty surprised when I got my Sony PSP on launch to discover it had no tv out! Crazy!

[@garystinten9339]

@@johnboydojo it just seems like a waste not to offer a dock..

[@matthewdyer1568]

I cannot imagine a single other person who I would gladly watch play an 80’s whack a mole video game

[@David_Phantom]

3:26 You have a child?! James Lore intensifies!

[@Zerbey]

I'm pretty certain DankPods has mentioned James having a family before, but that's one lucky kid to have such a wholesome Dad.

[@herrsteinr637]

6:36 Quadra 700! You could run a whole park from one room with minimal staff for up to 3 days with one of those!

[@ShoelessJP]

Such a great day when ol' mate James and fair dinkum aussie Wade both upload videos on the same day.

[@LandenIsReal]

QUICK, TO THE SAUSAGE PLANE!

[@nickwallette6201]

I love the total disregard for aerodynamics.

[@GH0STRIDEZ]

8:51 nah thats music to my ears

[@dottyorb]

I got back from Japan a few weeks ago and I travelled from place to place and I got my most expensive stuff from Fukuoka and Hiroshima which resulted in me getting a fully working super famicom for ¥2500, when a similar one would have cost me anywhere from ¥9000-¥22000 in Akihabara.

[@Code7Unltd]

Hard-Off is called that because of selling used hardware, usually electronics. That Racing 112 machine appears to play like Atari's 'Street Racer'.

[@kelebornx]

i love your videos, always excited to see you upload! hope you upload more i could watch these all day

[@KelBShobra]

Already waiting for a part 2 this was awesome

[@Zerbey]

Hope you had a good time, your kid is lucky to have all these cool adventures.

[@MaskedCyclistMook]

Seeing Tetsujin 28 in a James Channel video is a very surreal experience.

[@DUW1G1T]

The way they take care of everything as well, its so easy to find complete in box items as opposed to the west

[@nuberiffic]

I visited that first shop in akihabara recently. It really is worlds apart from anything we have in australia. Just so crazy to see things that were only rumours when I was a kid!

[@jama211]

So fantastic, did the same thing last year with a friend. The Hard-off's near train lines were often picked clean, but a friend of mine hired a car and found me a mint virtual boy in box at one you can only get to with a car, so that advice is great. I wish I knew about beep in Akihabara and I wish I had explored that area more for retro systems. Cool stuff!

[@CaptainRex332]

0:10 man you travel light

[@carrioncrow8191]

This is some good stuff. Can’t wait to see more

[@KeegoTheWise]

starting off with Big Crappy is incredible. glad you’re back mate!

[@oseidwomoh]

This is neat. I can see you love this hobby. Enojy it!

[@SeraphimKnight]

"junk" bins in japanese stores are usually for used and sometimes light damaged goods, they're not literally junk as we would understand it but often just untested the shots of akiba made me nostalgic I haven't gone there since 2018

[@Many_Sparrows]

Well done Pim I knew you could do it!

[@Alec_Reaper]

Yay you're back!

[@10gordyflynn01]

Love this channel

[@ladybeavanerdventures]

OMG been waiting for this video and that racing game is crazy cool but omg i had to turn down the volume on the video and my brain started to hurt 😅

[@yeet2k22]

Great vid james ! Pokemon FireRed is Gen 1 red, with gen 3 sprinkled in every now and again

[@JomasterTheSecond]

I can't wait to just spend everything I have at Hard Off when I go to Japan next year.

[@DylanBradRamsey]

I enjoyed watching this video :)

[@GigaLem]

GiGo is also one of the eligible leagues for the "Bemani Pro League" a series of rhythm game tournaments, to the point of having special music select themes for Konami's on going Beatmania IIDX series

[@amourabidi492]

i love james channel :>

[@FazeRings]

plz show more stuff from your trip! id like to see some of the other treasures you found

[@typicaltar3q]

In Japan, ‘Junk’ normally means ‘Not Tested’ or ‘Not Turned On’, which is why most products that are labeled junk work

[@TheSkaldenmettrunk]

Love it! I think you went to some similiar shops as Elliott from The Retro Future.

[@Dukefazon]

JUNK is a weird phrase. I first saw it on ebay on Gameboy. The english descriptions were kinda rough so I thought it must be a translation issue, it means something different for them. Usually they check the item and if it doesn't come on on first try or has button or sound issues it's automatically labeled as JUNK. Sometimes all it needs is a disassembly and cleaning the battery contacts (leaky battery can be severe too), clearning the pads under the buttons (just some rubbing alcohol) but sometimes you need soldering skills to replace a spear, a power button or potentionmeters. I love buying stuff from Japan, they have all the best stuff!

[@ferdinandstrat]

Yay James is back!

[@Tamarodoc]

The more I learn about James the more I think the guy is not human, good mechanic, good with electronics and he can speak japanese apparently? Man

[@LonelyBotStudio]

Super potato is one of my absolute favorite retro game stores to visit in JP. When I went, prices were still pretty reasonable though

[@RenCroushore]

I went to a hard off he’s not kidding about the junk section I have been in Japan for about 2 weeks from today and been collecting mostly GBA games. Awesome Content JAMES 👍

[@TastesGoodYo]

Beep is amazing, the staff are really knowledgeable

[@WeekdayWeekend]

I'd love to see a James-style hot glue and duct tape GBA SP AV out mod video

[@noeldoesthings]

I think the Tap-tap game is used. Japanese people really take good care of their stuff and because space can be limited for some families it's common that you completely put away something when you know you're not gonna use it for a while...I learned about this because the Virtual Boy box has cute illustrations on the flaps which tells you how to put back everything. Edit: after I commented James confirmed that it is indeed used haha. Its awesome how mint Japanese stuff is.

[@Monhamd1000]

And now i know how you got that Casio Loopy.

[@dontevenlook]

Yay James is back

[@darioprime]

for best prices/selection leave Tokyo as much as you can, nagoya, kobe sendai all have bookoff/hardoff stores you will love

[@gir489returns2]

THE LEGEND RETURNS

[@user-jk9pm3di5q]

You finally posted again

[@umbrellacorp.]

9 minutes of Advising for Japan. Really good stuff tho. Dude Really enjoyed himself.

[@audiencesmember]

This is awesome!

[@SinKillerJ]

I have that video out mod around somewhere, never used it. Mother bought it for me back in the day, but did not check model compatibility.

[@skullhunter9962]

9:31. THE COLLECTION IS SOOOOO BEAUTIFUL!

[@lotto77102]

Love Mandarake, even online it's a great place to get cheap Japanese Transformers and Gundam kits!

[@milanors4609]

Japan Thrift store is the best thing in the world. I can spend a whole day inside and came back tomorrow repeat it again

[@skylarwhite]

Beep! is amazing, they have things that even other stores in Japan didn't have. Marui Annex Shopping Complex in Shinjuku is also amazing. 15 dollar N64 controllers that are mint. Mint I tell you!

[@ezyto]

god james place is truly the coolest videogame museum

[@dragonie]

ddr extreme and max 2 fr (and that iidx controller looked cool)

[@einjapan8793]

I once found a Wii mote with dirty connectors for 100 yen… cleaned it up and it worked perfectly. The junk section of handoff is always fun.

[@JustaMuteCat]

James, you scheduling the next trip here already right? RIGHT?! Glad you had a blast here even if you couldn’t do all you wanted because you were with family.

[@skyzzz7638]

You're probably such a cool dad, dude

[@Leylandcars123]

I really want to live in Japan and this is fueling my desire to do so

[@Phos9]

I think the Japanese usage of the term "junk" refers to loose items and parts.

[@greenhowie]

Got an overdose of nostalgia seeing those game stores. Think there's maybe a handful left in the UK and you have to really hunt them down, big pawnbroker chains have completely decimated and sanitized the entire concept.

[@Wyrdwad]

Just wanted to say, I'm really glad to hear you shout-out BEEP and acknowledge that Super Potato is overpriced. It seems like every game-collecting KZbinr in Japan, or Japantuber doing the requisite Akihabara video, can't help but talk up what a magical, incredible place Super Potato is. And yeah, the retro arcade is cool and there's some good merch to be found there, but the fact is... it's a tourist trap. Literally everything there is overpriced. You want actual competitive prices on retro games and hardware in Akihabara, BEEP really is the place to go -- there, the Suruga-ya Game-kan right next door to BEEP, and (surprisingly!) Trader #1. (Some would also add Friends or Retro Game Camp to the list of must-browse spots, and I would certainly recommend checking both out just in case, but it's unlikely you'll find anything there that BEEP, Suruga-ya Game-kan, or Trader #1 doesn't have on offer for a much lower price.) Also glad you mentioned Nakano Broadway! Prices there can vary pretty wildly (and sadly do tend toward the inflated for retro games), but it's nonetheless one of the coolest places to shop on the entire planet as far as I'm concerned. I simply adore Nakano Broadway for its chaotic quirkiness and unapologetically old-school aesthetics. It's basically a flea market of the highest caliber, and the sheer variety of things you'll find there (including from non-Mandarake locations) is staggering. If you should ever find yourself in Japan again, I highly recommend looking up "Eco Town Hachioji Owada" on Google Maps and making the trip out west of Tokyo proper to check it out. You mentioned the "Off" brand stores in this video -- well, Eco Town in Hachioji is one of the central hubs for their entire operation. Within one massive interconnected complex of like three different four-story buildings, you'll find a Book-Off, Hard-Off, Hobby-Off, Off House, Mode Off, and Liquor Off. And I don't just mean, like, there's one of each of those inside some unrelated mall -- no, those six "Off" brand stores ARE the mall, utilizing every corner of every floor of each of those buildings, each one representing the very best of its kind. The Hard-Off and Book-Off there are the biggest and most well-stocked I've ever seen, the Hobby Off is like the most incredible toy store you've ever laid eyes upon, the Off House is basically a mansion's worth of Cashies (complete with an everything's-for-sale art gallery and the biggest furniture selection I've ever seen in Japan)... it's absolutely incredible. And best of all, it's like, right at the base of Mt. Takao, so even if it's hard to justify going all the way out to some of the westernmost parts of Tokyo-to just for retro game shopping, you can justify it by the absolutely stunning (and family-friendly) mountain hike with some of the best views of Tokyo you'll ever see.

[@mintpalmer]

I spent 2 days in Akihabara and I still missed a lot of this. You're right in that prices have shot up though.

[@WoodFriedGames]

I hope your kid grows up to also make silly things outa game consoles and love retro gaming.

[@Laundry_Hamper]

0:29 FM TOWNS ACKNOWLEDGED

[@gsmith1]

Everyone wants to be stylin' out in their vintage Pikachu pants 😂😂⚡️⚡️

[@maninthesnow4393]

One retro item i have, and i never seen people talk about is the gameboy micro. Its just a tiny gba with a changeable front. I spent the week playing kong: the 8th wonder due to a lack of internet.

[@Videgahgames]

You should make the cartridge from the special edition of world championships NES edition actually work as a cartridge in a MES.

[@BagMan65]

Was that a JP EXTREME I saw? Nice!

[@MrTwomelter]

Nice

[@wizardcows]

I saw the name and I immediately knew who it was. You’re the only James in my eyes

[@DragoMangos]

I've watched the RetroFuture. That TV De Advance kit is a nightmare

[@amiiboguy5357]

I went to that exact GiGO while I was in Japan their was a really fun game called The Keisatsukan 2 I can't wait to play again

[@EestiDorito]

Good Video James

[@ForeverMan]

You didn't even watch it yet dude, c'mon

[@elektriktoad2]

Ooh you got a StudyBox! The belt on mine is broken so I can’t test my cassette. I’ll upload a stereo recording of it somewhere if you want to try making your own copy of the tape

[@Nicanor2051]

wow... so retro....

[@GTXDash]

Man, that has got to be the most yellowed Famicom I've ever seen.

[@Bill-lt5qf]

I knew you wouldn't let us down.

[@freestyla101]

Very good point. Untested on eBay means that it just doesn’t work.

[@rellikai945]

Japan's culture of Shintoism has made it so that nearly all Japanese people treat their possessions with a degree of respect that those of us in western cultures would think is silly, but that just means if you buy something 2nd hand in Japan, there's a 99.8% chance it's going to be in near-mint condition.

[@nickwallette6201]

The undercurrent of respect is truly remarkable. Even when you go to places that are like, "eff off, white guy", they're just SO polite about it.

[@dietgilroy]

i went to a book off and there was a fujimi enthusiast ferrari daytona kit in the model kit section

[@thefantasyhero]

I'm jealous of you, James!

[@MrMatthias]

I like how you're gradually becoming more like Wade behind the camera as time goes on lol 6:39 Is that an all-in-one Famicom/FDS unit?! Never knew they made such a thing!