Japanese game import scene dying?

I honestly think the Manga Soko down in Kita Kyushu has a bigger selection of games than any store in Akihabara now. That place really does kick ass from Famicom, MSX, Disc System to 360 and PS3. Their Mega Drive section has over 100 titles and their PC Engine section is massive!! Check out the video I made last Sunday.

 

That's pretty impressive. I think what it comes down to is the crazy as shit land prices in the metropolitan areas. The margin on older games is lower, as is the interest, so unless it's your specialty (Super Potato) then it's not really a viable business. It was convenient to go to Shibuya or Shinjuku and find 32-bit games. Now even the Mandarake in those areas have only a handful, although I remember quite a few SFC games in there.

 

Mandarake in Shibuya got rid of most of their video game stock, only the recent consoles left and no 360. In Shinjuku, you really only have Sofmap and Trader these days but even they don't stock anything older than last gen. Sad days for retro in the big city...

 

It really is sad but you are probably right about the land prices having something to do with it. I makes you wonder why nobody has opened up a retro store like Manga Soko on the outskirts of Tokyo. There are quite a few down here in Yamaguchi and Kyushu however the one is Shimosone is by far the best. They have a killer audio section too with so much vinyl.

 

Dang I better research Gamecube more then, see what games are cost effective to hunt in Japan for.

 

This is awesome! Makes me want to visit Japan just that little bit more.

 

Great video Yakumo. Really like those japanese game store tours. Also, it's nice to see you and your kid having some fun hunting some games.

PS: The ending is just priceless. lol

 

You'll be in for a nasty surprise. GC games have gone up at least 2 fold in the last year. Something like Luigi's Mansion mint will run you 5000 yen.

 

Is Phantasy Star Online 1 & 2 worth shit? Haha. I have a few GC games, but I doubt anything worth much...except maybe the Pikmin games which I dont' want to sell. Still love those... I will even get a WiiU when Pikmin 3 cums out.

 

@GP
Some GC games are worth quite a lot, the GC is like Dreamcast - people hoard it, games hold their value. If you own Twilight Princess, Biohazard 4, Pikmin 2, Ikaruga, Wario World, Metroid Prime 2, stuff like that... you'd rather wanna keep them.

As for PSO1&2, depends if you have PSO 1&2 or "PSO1&2 Plus". The normal version goes for maybe $15, the plus version for about 4 times that money.

 

Yah, PSO1&2 Plus with the Sega Direct box is worth the yenz. Never going to sell mine (knock on wood).

Most valuable games seem to be the Zelda Collection and Kirby's Air Ride. Pikmins were worth a decent amount before the Wii ports came out so they have come down since then.

 

Fire Emblem cost most from what I own right now. (though not bad for that title)
Yet my best deals were Star Fox Assault and Twilight Princess.

It's actually cheaper to get some from English sites. Even if located in Japan.
Likely condition is involved. Luigi's Mansion, Wario World, etc, with some wear I'd have no trouble. IIRC I missed a good chance on Ikaruga.

Yeah I don't expect to see anything like Zelda Collection, PSO plus, or Ocarina of Time cheap... Metroid Prime 2 I'm not sure yet.

Edit: Just missed a Kirby Air Ride.

 

Thanks for the video Yakumo. Good to know such a place still exists, I feel like a kid again !
Must be so nice to just drive by and get your classic games from a store instead of online.
I miss seeing MegaDrive games on actual displays.

 

That's just insane sounds like they don't like people making cash.

 

I do buy Online and from Auctions but NOTHING can beat the feeling of looking around a retro game store. I just love seeing real items and you can always find something you never knew about.

 

these are the gamecube games which you want to sell/keep hold of.

metal gear solid, twin snakes (£40 on ebay if i remember right)

zelda: twilight princess (same thing)

paper mario

pokemon xd: gale of darkness

any mario game, metroid prime 2

any version of zelda: windwaker,

 

Hell, even the WiiU is being released here in the US before it's being released in Japan.

 

I actually have Zelda Collection. No Kirby though. What is the Sega Direct box? I don't remember this, and I was pretty hardcore into it. I doubt that's one I'll sell as I have 1000 hours of "me time" on my cards, somewhere. I should bust it out. Should also back those characters up seeing as how the data is hardly stable.

I would probably hang on to Zelda Collection I would think. While they are not perfect, they are (from memory) but than running the games in emulation... the N64 games that is.

I had Twilight Princess, but I paid a premium for it, and sold it for about the same when I was done. Not enough love for it to hang on to it, but glad i played it.

The US games market is driven by the Xmas release date. Japan, not so much, so they can afford to put it on the back-burner.

 

It's the box that came with PSO1&2 Plus and PSO3. I'll show you next time you're over if don't remember. I definitely got it back in the day from them directly, 2nd time around, had to get it on auction.

 

Yeah, I got that. 2nd time around? So you sold your collection that late? I wouldn't mind playing some PSO again, but it's such a fucking hassle. No PC for BB, and I've no PAR for the GC. Never tried PSO3. Looked really lame to me.