The Ultimate Akihabara Tour! - EVERY Game Shop!

[@FidFighter]

That's such a cool way to show us the shops. Must have taken you ages to make this video.

[@RetroBreak]

Thanks! Yeah it took a long time to piece it all together, I hope the end result was worth it :D

[@JP_is_me]

I finally made my first trip to Tokyo/Japan this year and exploring Akihabara in person lived up to the hype!

[@RetroMoments]

Fantastic walkthrough of Akihabara shops. I've only been to Tokyo once so far, which is funny considering its just a few hours away from me in Nagoya!

[@RetroBreak]

How can you resist the temptation to travel to Akihabara! :O I'd be there as often as I could if I lived in Japan! I'd also be extremely poor... haha

[@RetroMoments]

@@RetroBreak I cant haha xD Well, unfortunately Shinkansen is really expensive, so it would cost me too much going back and forth all the time. But I haven't been to all the Hard Off's and Book Off's in Nagoya yet, so there's still more too see here. I always end up buying my games there anyway. And I noticed that there is more of those stores in Nagoya than Tokyo!

[@RetroBreak]

Well I guess you’re lucky having all those Hard Off shops! I visited a few last time I went to japan, it’s so cool rooting through the “Junk” bins and finding super cheap games and consoles!

[@Paltenstein]

Great video! I'm going to Tokyo early january and I'm glad you showed some game soundtracks as that is what I'll be looking for 😊👍

[@PTGKChrisHD]

Wow, you’re awesome for making this guide. I’m going to Japan in 20 months to see NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 16 and visit these shops along the way especially the arcades. What would be your top 3 recommendation for SEGA Dreamcast Selection? 15:17 is 1994 Taito’s “RayForce”

[@Japanismyfavorite]

Fantastic video man, I frequent akiba and know most of these but a few I have missed. Having this video as a reference is super helpful, especially when hunting the best deals. As you know you can find some pretty big price differences across the city which makes game hunting that much more exciting.

[@davewilliams4192]

Mmmmkay! So firstly yes watched the entire video. Secondly.....what I flipping LEGEND. This makes going to Akihabara alot more manageable and less daunting. I missed so many of these shops the last time I went to Japan, this video is so legit. Allows you to plan the shops you want to go to, where to find them, and the kind of games you looking for in each. I know its 3 years old and some shops may be closed now but this helped me alot! Heading there in December! Thank you! Legend!

[@RetroBreak]

Glad it was useful for you! Enjoy your trip!

[@NikumanJapan]

Excellent video! I know this is a few years old but I'm really glad to find it. I live in Tokyo and love games but I'm honestly always overwhelmed when I visit Akihabara and never know where to look. Seeing such a full and comprehensive guide like this was super useful (even if some shops might have changed or disappeared since covid). Local game shops in suburban areas have better prices, but I totally agree that I don't mind paying a bit extra to support awesome game shops in Akiba. Hope you can visit Japan again sometime soon!

[@RetroBreak]

Glad you found it useful! I’m going back next year, so I’ll probably do an updated video! Going to get some better cameras to record inside too so it should look a lot better too!

[@ComposerKuandohan]

Thank you so much for making this video. I'm never sure if I'm ever going to go to Japan, but I at least have videos like this to help me get the experience. Excellent work on this one! I can tell it took a lot of effort!

[@RetroBreak]

Glad you enjoyed it! It did take a long time to edit! :D

[@tracyfromoz]

Sensational video. Thank you, absolutely helps with planning my trip to Japan.

[@RetroBreak]

Glad it was helpful!

[@jeremylovesretro]

I really enjoyed the “tour loop” approach of showing the order in which to travel. Extremely helpful! That PC Engine game with the handgun on the cover art is Die Hard, I believe. English-friendly, cheap Famicom games I would recommend that weren’t released on the NES: Hi no Tori Hououhen Gaou no Bouken, Kaiketsu Yancha Maru 2, Paaman Enban wo Torikaese, and (of course) WaiWai World 1 & 2.

[@RetroBreak]

Thanks glad you enjoyed it! I made sure it was easy to follow so you can use the video as a reference if anyone ever visits! :) thanks for the recommendations too! I have the WaiWai world games, they’re great! Not heard of the others though

[@Ray__E]

This was a really cool and informative video. Thank you so much for putting it together and sharing it with us. My family is visiting Tokyo in June. I'm so excited and hitting up a lot of game stores is on my to do list. My wife will probably not like how much money I'm going to spend.😆

[@onetakeretrogaming5535]

Great video. I’ve watched the first third as I keep having to pause it!!! Brings back good memories. I think I only went to about five retro stores last time I was there, but plenty to check out next time. Totally know what you mean about buying something from Super Potato. It has to be done! I bought a Virtual Boy from there, I possibly could have saved a little bit of money getting it elsewhere but, then, it’s not as cool is it? That shooter in that screen under Dragon Spirit was Layer Section by the way. One of my faves!

[@AmAtAm]

I’m only half way through but this video is superb, well done. Capturing such an amazing area in such detail, it’s incredible. I went to Akihabara for one afternoon during my honeymoon in 2011 and loved it, so it’s great to be taken round the sights in more detail. I think I’ll probably end up watching this a few times.

[@AmAtAm]

And reached the end. Superb atmosphere, especially in that last arcade.

[@RetroBreak]

Excellent! Thanks for watching all the way through! And yeah that arcade was amazing :D

[@RadiantThunder4]

Great video! Super cool to see all these shops. The 64DD is awesome, but it’s so expensive!

[@RetroBreak]

Yeah it’s crazy expensive for what it is.... one day I’ll get one! I just want it for the F-Zero X course creator!

[@Decoy_Shark]

I would have emptied my bank account on this trip! Thank-you for sharing it with us!! (love the Ys VIII music in the background)

[@RetroBreak]

It definitely emptied my bank account! Haha. Thanks for watching! Ys VIII has such a good soundtrack! :D

[@Trowa-dq4yu]

Great video! I guess I missed a few game shops when I went last year. Your video has shown me alot more game shops to visit the next time I go.

[@ProtoBean]

I have a trip planned to visit Japan this June, so this video was really helpful. Thanks!

[@RetroBreak]

Glad it was useful! I’m planning to go back this year too, so I’ll try and track down some more shops to share!

[@robinhatherall6779]

Watched until the end. A fantastic guide. Can't wait to get back there for my second trip. I enjoyed your Den Den town video. I didn't visit there my first trip and I was with non gamer friends. Next time it will be a Game holiday. What were some of your favourite meals whilst in Japan. The quality of food there is so cheap and delicious 👌

[@RetroBreak]

Thats great :) Glad you enjoyed it, and can spend more time game shopping on your next trip! :D as for feed, my favourite was definitely Katsudon! :D I could eat that forever! Also really loved the curry in CoCo's

[@bjornh1527]

Very comprehensive video, some of these shops I’ve never heard of! Beep is indeed awesome. Wish I had stayed long enough to discover their console games, but I only had a few hours in Akihabara. For Famicom exclusives, there’s Konami’s Yume Penguin Monogatari as well as Moaikun (puzzle game with the eastern island head). Kaiketsu Yansha Maru and Cocoron are cool and the very expensive Robocco Wars is very tempting...

[@RetroBreak]

Thanks for watching and for the Famicom recommendations! I’ll add them to my list :)

[@salva_75]

Fantastic video, thanks for the detail. I also really appreciate how you presented the locations of the stores, because you showed me some games that I managed to miss when I was there last May ;) PS the Namco Sound Museum is fantastic, it was not a cheap investment but I love it.

[@RetroBreak]

Thanks, really glad you enjoyed it! I'm glad you enjoyed the way I presented it :) Thought it would make it feel more like a proper tour of the place! Really wish I'd picked up that sound museum collection now!

[@MetzGaming]

I Had the Biohazard 2 for Dreamcast in my shop recently. The extra disc is the demo for Code Veronica. A nice little package.

[@grzegorz__]

Wow, the amount of stores, games is crazy :) very good video - i felt like i'm there :)

[@RetroBreak]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it! Shame since I released this video Japan has been closed for tourists! Can’t wait to go back!

[@MrAndresm900]

Thanks for this amazing upload!!

[@mompytube]

Great job! You did covered everything, amazing video... takes me back when I was there!

[@Jungletraveler00_12]

I was in Akihabara recently and think Retro Game Camp was the best shop for Nintendo games, prices on both sides of 1000 yen even for mario/donkey kong gb/gbc games

[@lley13]

Im planning a trip to Japan next year so this video is so useful thank you.

[@MrBlizzard769]

That’s video game heaven , loving the videos

[@colonelfalcon7792]

What a great vid mate! I am certainly going to watch it again!!!

[@RetroBreak]

Thanks! :) Glad you enjoyed it :)

[@colonelfalcon7792]

RetroBreak i’m saving this for when I get the chance to visit Tokyo!

[@cargorunnerUK]

Of course we made it to the end, that place is amazing! And the arcade was a great bonus!

[@theluminousone5883]

3:43 the game is "Operation Abyss: New Tokyo Legacy" A drpg and a remake of the first 2 Generation Xth games for windows (which are japanese only)

[@largesmallworld]

I agree with your sentiments about super potato. Not everyone goes to Japan solely for retro game hunting so pick up a game there if you don't want to waste time visiting other stores. It will cost you more & time just to pick up the same game somewhere else despite it being cheaper especially if you have to catch a train to the another destination. We do not have stores likes these in my country so I would support them by buying a few games. The ambience in super potato is so cool that sometimes I rested on their arcade floor watching people play altered beast or metal slug while eating garigari-kun popsicle.

[@dazrael5658]

There was a time when Trader 2 was better than Trader 1, it used to be the main retro store while Trader 1 had the more modern stuff. In fact Trader 2 was in a different location and was next door to that import store you were talking about. It was called Game Hollywood, I remember picking up the US version of Okami on PS2 in there. It’s gone now though unfortunately, like a lot of other cool stores. Also Elevator Action Returns is totally worth picking up, it’s arcade perfect on the Saturn. Great video, hope you had a good time there.

[@RetroBreak]

That’s cool to know! Wish I could have gone back then! Were there any other shops that are different or have closed that I didn’t cover in this video?

[@dazrael5658]

There were a few really cool stores like Messe Sanoh which was on the main strip that sold mainly new stuff but was great for all the obscure shoot ‘em up’s on the PS2 and 360. There was Asobit City that was on the same side as Trader 3; that was a huge place, the actual building space is still there but it’s not as cool as it used to be. The Try Amusement Tower was an amazing arcade that had a store in another part of town. That arcade had an old and new location but both are gone now. I remember G-Front as it was in the clip you had too, I clumsily asked for Armed Police Batrider on the off chance that they had it...and they did. MAK Japan was in a different location, it was just around the corner from Beep. It’s always been a tiny shop though 😄 Aki was amazing around 2001, everything was so cheap and all the rarities where there. It’s lost many of its gaming stores in favour of anime but there are still some great shops around. My favourite memory of Aki is actually a smell. Gamers had a distinctive smell about it, so distinctive that a local pub from me in Wales had exactly the same smell in their toilets. I kid you not their disinfectant smelled exactly the same.

[@saxenart]

This video is heaven

[@gundam2001a]

I watched to the end. Real great experience.

[@RetroBreak]

Thanks for watching all the way! :D

[@retroimportgamer513]

Great video, only just found and subscribed to your channel, keep up the good work 👍

[@tommc6815]

What a video!! Your Google map idea really gave a sense of 'place' to everywhere, what an effort to do that! Such a chilled morning watching this. One weird question.. i heard Japan has loads of smokers indoors still.. is this much of an issue when there? Thanks so much, lot of work in this vid!

[@RetroBreak]

Thanks glad you enjoyed the way I put the vid together! Smoking in Japan is getting a lot better than when I went a few years ago, if smoking is allowed inside it is completely separated from the non smoking sections in all the places I went into.. There’s also no smoking allowed in the streets outside of designated smoking zones so overall it’s not a problem at all :)

[@sleeperyjeemtoybox]

Ahh ! Trader 2 that was where I picked up my PS3 Ico/Wander and the Colossus special edition.

[@DadLadsGaming]

That was brilliant mate. 👍

[@TrucNguyen-xb9rd]

Thanks a lot for the video man.

[@jepicondyle]

Still watching and yes this video is dope

[@vincently1995]

I love Akihabara Retro Game Shops.

[@elbarry7016]

🖐🏻 I have a question: 9:24 that game is PS3 exclusive? Because PS3 exclusives features DTS 5.1 Surround Sound, but in the box only appears Dolby Digital logo. I'm asking because I'm digital audio adept, and that detail made me curious about that. Great video!! 😻

[@skateboardmemories]

Wow gr8 video! Must have taken u ages to edit 😲👍

[@RetroBreak]

It took forever! Hope it was worth the effort! :)

[@hucabbage]

That Taito game center looked to have a pretty nice selection of older games!

[@RCSRex]

i watched all the way to the end

[@Hicks-g1m]

Those are amazing stores I need to go to them 🆒🆒👍👍

[@OldNerdPlayingOldPCGames]

Another big like from Old Nerd 👍 keep it up

[@RetroBreak]

Thanks! Will do!

[@OldNerdPlayingOldPCGames]

@@RetroBreak 😉

[@M-NX]

Top.. i love Akihabara Tour's 🤘🤘🤘

[@twowheelslife2541]

Where can i get 3ds and psvita consoles?

[@M-NX]

around min 30, there are many uncommon PS2 Games from Hamster like Pooyan and Thundercross.. couldn't see the prices, but I started collecting these, and they got up in price very quick

[@RetroBreak]

Cool I really need to start looking more into PS1 and 2, they are systems that passed me by for a long time...

[@M-NX]

@@RetroBreak do it.... it become harder and expensive

[@rylon_]

Can you pay with card in These stores? Or do you have to pay in cash?

[@RetroBreak]

Yes you can pay on card

[@indiaalphanovember8217]

Hey mate! Will be in Tokyo in 10 days time and wanted your opinion - what in your opinion is the best price for a boxed Sega Saturn Model 1?

[@ecco_]

Unfortunately Radio Kaikan sux for video game merch now, not even a single tamagotchi in site :'(

[@kevinorfila5362]

Cool video! Is there a list of the music you used?

[@RetroBreak]

Thanks and sorry no I didn't note the music, it was just a random selection of game music I had on my harddrive!

[@bdstratton1979]

Do i need to buy a japanese console to play these games? I have PS1, PS2 PS4 PS5, 3DS Nintendo Switch Australian Consoles

[@touchgrass3379]

Wheres The Place To Buy New And Modern Consoles Like Special Edition Consoles?

[@touchgrass3379]

?

[@RetroBreak]

in akihabara? Probably Bic Camera or Yodobashi for new consoles

[@steelfrost8935]

Would love to go to Japan someday! Unfortunately I don't have anybody to go with. Seems too special to go alone. It's why I haven't done it sooner.

[@RetroBreak]

Don't let going there on your own put you off! I know friends who have gone there on their own and they had a fantastic time! :)

[@crafyer]

Where should one go to find PAL games? I've personally never understood buying JP games unless you can read/speak the language, but i guess nice for collectors, i just want to be able to play the games to, haha.

[@RetroBreak]

In the UK there's regular retro gaming markets which are a fantastic way to get a lot of PAL games! I love going to Japan and buying Japanese games, only ones that either had no release outside of japan, or ones that have translation patches avaliable. There's a lot of japanese games that have english menus or can be played without needing to read, so still plenty to look at!

[@trevorrandom]

Great video like the Goggle Street View ☺ ♥ 🇯🇵

[@RetroBreak]

Thanks! :) Thought it would be a good way of showing where everything is! Kind of wish I'd taken more video from outside the shops... maybe next time I'll do a full walking tour :)

[@MrSanKarl]

Hey, just saw your Video. Thanks for Sharing your expierince. I got one question: do they sell in akhihabara Games with english Language ?

[@8bitAsh]

That Japanese plok box art 😍

[@RetroBreak]

I know It looks amazing :D

[@tonyuminn1858]

I finally found what I am looking for

[@M-NX]

Till the End🤘🤘🇩🇪🇩🇪

[@RetroBreak]

Awesome thanks for watching all the way through :D

[@EdwinRuke1]

13:59 - Tenchi Sōzō (A.K.A. Terranigma )

[@RetroBreak]

One of my all time favourite games :) I’ll be doing a video about it as well as the other quintet games in the future!

[@EdwinRuke1]

@@RetroBreak i'll be looking forward to it :) keep up the great videos!

[@henriqueacabral]

when did you visit Japan and filmed this? I was going in 2020, my plane ticket was paid for, hotels were booked, things were set for months and then covid happened. Got the plane ticket refunded, dont know when people will be able to go there again :( I just found out your tokyo stores videos, so I got my evening entertainment covered for today ahah

[@RetroBreak]

That sucks, hopefully you got refunded and can try to go again when things open back up? Enjoy my Japan videos until then :) There's a playlist somewhere with all my Japan videos over my visits, been there 3 times now

[@tastylemonade]

cool concept. someone has to show you how to hold a camera and be patient with your scanning of shelves. blurry.

[@RetroBreak]

I did the best I could with what I had.. will try and make a better video next time I go again! If you thought this one was bad, it was a lot better and clearer than the one I did back in 2016!

[@tenminutetokyo2643]

DOOD! I used to work @ Sony - helped create PlayStation 2 there. It was fun.

[@RetroBreak]

Wow that must have been cool working for Sony! What part of the PS2 did you work on?

[@tenminutetokyo2643]

@@RetroBreak Yeah it was awesome. They gave us all a free PS2 for Christmas that year. I wrote the audio editor app + iLink driver for PS2 for game designers in the DevKit.

[@BillB808]

I like that Konami put their logo on the spines of the Ps2? It looks like....maybe not so much by then but on 8 and 16 bit if they did that i would be pulling out all those games to look as it was a seal of quality

[@RetroBreak]

Konami was on top form during the 16-bit days! I'd love to one day collect all their SNES, PC Engine and Megadrive titles!

[@saxenart]

Akihabara is in Tokyo right?

[@pringlepop-po2ss]

dam dats the motherland right there

[@gamebro5991]

Which would you say is the cheapest store for PlayStation games.

[@RetroBreak]

Think the prices on PS1 were pretty good in most shops, can’t say one really stood out as cheaper than the others

[@gamebro5991]

@@RetroBreak Thanks

[@RCSRex]

im watching

[@MetzGaming]

Oh, and I have two Cool Ice Japanese N64's for sale at the moment, one mint in the box and one loose. Let me know if you need one

[@RetroBreak]

Where is your shop again? Would love to visit some time once all this covid 19 is over!

[@MetzGaming]

RetroBreak you can visit it right now. Facebook.com/jpgamertech

[@RetroBreak]

@@MetzGaming Link didn't work :( says: This page isn't available - The link you followed may be broken, or the page may have been removed.

[@MetzGaming]

RetroBreak if you’re logged into Facebook just search JPGamerTech 👍

[@RetroBreak]

I’ll take a look later :)

[@CINNDIRELLA]

12:34 that s not true!

[@RetroBreak]

Yes it is, sales figures from Japan show 4 million megadrive sales, Vs 17 million SFC sales

[@M-NX]

do u know whats funny, that DC Dev Unit was filmed by Rrtro Gamer Girl 9 Months ago and its still there. I guess to expensive 😁😁😁😅😅😅😪😪

[@MetzGaming]

28:40 = Die Hard

[@kimiasma6037]

Мой👍 700✔️

[@comicszoneuniverse]

Very cool video! But I never understood people buying japanese games... If you don't understand anything or your PSOne/N64/SNES/etc is not compatible with other region games, why buy japanese games??

[@FidFighter]

There are some games that have English text for example the Japanese version of Castlevania Bloodlines. There are also games that really not worth having English text like arcade based games as it's sole purpose of action orientated gameplay mechanics instead of story driven.

[@RetroBreak]

It's a good question. In addition to what FidFighter said, also a lot of older titles now have fan translations, and there's systems like the Retron 5, RetroFreak and soon the Polymega which let you use the original Japanese carts and CD's and apply the translations to the games so you can play them in English. Also there's just so many games that never came out outside of Japan that don't have much of a language barrier.

[@MrStaffy3]

confusing dragonball with dragon quest, sasuga wwwwwww