Super Couch potatos

Mandarake

Not the main reason but surely a crucial one as to why I came to Japan is my strong interest in one of Japan’s most important exported cultural goods: mangas and video games. And this is why it will get technical once again this week. I’m making my way to the Mecca of video games, Tokyo’s tech shopping quarter, Akihabara. Here one hardware shop/store strings to the next, video game store to video game store, also manga and anime model making fans get their money’s worth by a stroll through Akihabara.

As a merchandise freak I’m on the hunt for fancy video game T-shirts and posters. One of Akihabaras biggest anime and video game stores is Mandarake. Within their six floors you will find everything the video game freak’s heart desires. One complete floor is solely dedicated to video games. And even retro fans will strike the jackpot here! Four long shelves full of Super Nintendo games! SEGA Saturn-, Dreamcast-, Nintendo 64-, PC Engine-, and even NES-Games still can be found in abundance here! Unthinkable in a Bestbuy, Radio Shack, or Circuit City. Another floor is full of merchandise and model making. Ah right, and even porno pals are thought of. One floor stuffed with hard core comics. Yes you read right. No photo mags but comics.

So a lot of paper. We are getting closer to poster like things. Now I only need a theme which I don’t have to take down every time I have children visiting also the format should be somewhat bigger. Hm… it seems that I won’t find what I’m looking for here.

Super Potato

I am setting forth to Super Potato. One of Akihabara’s – if not THE oldest-established retro shop/store. It brings me back into my childhood when I enter the shop/store. It’s simply fantastic! They have all these old consoles in stock even with their original packaging! Wow, even a whole shelf filled with only video game sound tracks! At last some T-shirts.

Super Nintendo/Super Famicom

Good old Game and Watches

Chrono Trigger Soundtrack

Perhaps I can find some posters on the upper floor. Wow, a retro arcade! Only historic titles! Cool!

Final Fight (left) Metal Slug (right)

But there are no posters here as well. Aaaahh. I’m frustrated. I simply have to beat up some Japanese people! I think I’ll start a fight now. Yes, and beat the first one with my bare fists! For the second one I’m taking a steel pipe! I think I should slowly make tracks. More and more people are attacking me now. Nooooo … Game over!

Special thanks to: Hubertus Neidhart from Webspace Provider Network for excellent web page hosting services; Super Potato, Lilith Pendzich, Germany; Brandon Lamb, U.S.A.;