In Japan, what to get/look for?

So, I've arrived in Japan after 16 hours of straight travelling...

To take full advantage of my trip, I'd like to ask some locals for bit of help on what to get. I will be going to many used game stores, including the one that's just 15 minutes away from where I am staying.

Just interested in game consoles at this point, but I have some unrelated buying questions after.

Good game consoles to get?
Good games to get?

If I find a Dreamcast, what's the quickest way to tell if it's a VA0? There's one where I am staying, model HKT-3000 but no (0) marker.

How common is it to find an SCPH-1000? They have a box for one here, but it had a Dreamcast inside...

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Unrelated questions

I'm looking for a rice cooker, out 30 year old one just broke back at home. What would be a reliable, good brand? How much do they typically cost?
Other things to do? Recommendations?


Thanks!

 

PC Engine stuff, X68k stuff, MSX stuff, Famicom stuff.

Lots of goodies to be had.

Just watch your luggage space!

 

Coool I want to go to Japan one day!! Lucky. Yah, you should probable try to pick up a bunch of PC Engine stuff while your there, its a lot cheaper there.

 

Look in the ventilation grill where the fan is - the VA0 units have the top edge of the fan lined up with the top of the slots and the later ones have it lower down and a slanted plastic baffle installed.

This photo isn't very good, but the lower unit is the VA0 - you can see that the fan is right next to the housing.

I think getting an SCPH-1000 might be surprisingly difficult - they had the old AAM optical pickups in them and hence most of them wore out years ago.

 

Will look out for that stuff. And don't worry- Air Canada lets me have 2 suitcases, and I have one. I have 23kg of allotted weight to bring home for free (unless it's over $2000 or something like that)

Thanks as well. Japan is really awesome, I highly suggest you come sometime.

Also, thanks for the clarification on the VA0. Looks like it's just a later revision. Darn.

 

A PC Engine.

Good PC Engine games.

You're welcome

 

Nice!

Famicom is awesome because they games are so abundant and cheap. 100-500 yen for most titles, obviously with the crappy ones at the bottom of that scale, and the more popular ones at the top or higher. Famicom systems are cheap as chips, too, so you don't have to play your glorious Famicom games on a filthy NES.

 

But cheap famicom games in that low price range are mostly loose carts out of a junk bin (even hard off rarely sells any loose FC carts below the 300 yen mark these days). Getting into CIB stuff, they can become quite expensive these days. Especially the better stuff.

F.e. Retrofriends has a big junk bin of loose FC carts for 100 yen right at the entry of the shop. Trader honkan also has a big bin of trash left-overs.

 

That's OK though, because FC carts are so damn rugged. CIB is nice, but starting off a collection of fun games to play can be done hella cheap.

 

Yeah, I won't complain.

I'm not in Tokyo so I'll have to live with the used game store where I am staying.

But holy jesus is it awesome in there. Maybe a tad pricey on items, but controllers, accessories and games are damn cheap. So many damn Hori mini pads, so damn tempting to cram a suitcase with 'em.
If this is one store I'm going to blow through my cash once I hit Akihabara.

 

So where are you ATM and what kind of shop dis you visit?

 

Tsuruoka-shi, and I've visited some corner stores, vending machines, a local used game and clothing store, a restaurants and 2 airports.
Planning on staying here for a bit, experiencing authentic Japanese life style, then going to a local high school for a day, then going to Tokyo for 3-4 days.

 

X68000, rofl. Apart from a couple of crappy games, you are not going to find that much.

Remember not to get arrested at the high school, hopefully you have been invited rather then just walking in off the street.

 

@DefectX11

Glad you're enjoying your trip, and I completely agree that Japan is a fantastic place to visit (and to live/work, actually)! Not being based in Tokyo can actually work to your advantage a lot of the time when you're hunting for video-game-related rarities. I was last there on business back in April, down south in Kyushu, and one of the local game shops in the outskirts of Fukuoka prefecture had a near-mint Mother 3 GBA set for a mere 17000 yen! The closer to civilization you get, the more likely the game shops are to know the going rate for goodies like that.

Not sure how far afield you're going to venture, but a couple of years back there were a handful of backwater used-game shops around Machida, which isn't too far from Tokyo.

 

I'll dig for an x68k, would love to have one. And I have talked to the high school and everything so its not like I'm just walking in. I'm well aware that is a stupid idea.

I'm pleasantly surprised with the prices and items they have here, but I'm still thinking that there may be another place. Hopefully google maps can help.

thanks for the help everyone!

 

Bumping to ask some more questions.

Is it worth the while (and $35) to pick up a complete Spice Orange GC?
How about a Hori mini pad for $15?

 

It looks like Hori mini pad consistently sells on ebay between a wide range of $40 to $80 each, loose.

 

Jesus, OK so maybe 4 of them.

 

$15 for a hori pad in japan is expensive! i've never seen them for more than 1000yen! i got two boxed ones on my last trip for 800yen each.