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Visiting Japan: Games to Buy, Places to Visit?
M.K.Ultra:
I am planning to visit Japan this year and will be in Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka. I am planning to doing some game shopping, visiting arcades, and other video game related tourism. Does anyone have recommendations on the following:
* Good arcades or used game stores in Tokyo
* Which systems are region free (other than switch)
* Some really good Japan-only physical games
* Must visit video game related places in JapanThanks for any suggestions
Adrock:
--- Quote from: M.K.Ultra on February 19, 2023, 10:46:31 AM ---Which systems are region free (other than switch)
--- End quote ---
All pre-DSi Nintendo handhelds are region free. Even then, only DSi exclusive physical games are region locked, all five (?) of them. Not sure if you can read/speak/understand Japanese, but either way, you can't change the UI language on any Japanese model of DS to English.
PlayStation Portable and PS Vita are both region free and you can change the UI language to English (functionality for X and O are flipped though). I highly recommend getting a PS Vita, especially the 2000 model, if you're at all interested in console hacking/homebrew.
Game Gear and Neo Geo Pocket (Color) are both region free. I don't believe PC Engine GT (Turbo Express) is region free. WonderSwan was only released in Japan.
Super Nintendo and Nintendo 64 are kind of region locked, but you can open them up and remove some plastic to play games from all regions.
GameCube is not region free out of the box. However, if you have a soldering iron and tools to open the console, you can bridge R6 on the motherboard which effectively turns a Japanese GameCube into a North American GameCube. Even the UI language will be in English. EDIT: You can also install a region switch, or if you’re feeling bold, you can install the XenoGC mod chip onto the optical drive’s logic board which lets you just play whatever region’s games as well as burned discs.
That's all I know off the top of my head.
--- Quote ---Some really good Japan-only physical games
--- End quote ---
I picked up some Japanese only Game Boy games in the past couple months so here are my recommendations:
* Kaeru no Tame ni Kane wa Naru (The Frog For Whom The Bell Tolls) (Note: Prince Richard appears in Link's Awakening)
* Survival Kids 2: Dasshutsu! Futago Shima (Survival Kids 2: Escape the Twin Islands)
* Star Ocean: Blue Sphere
* Tomato Adventure (Note: From Alpha Dream, the developers of the Mario & Luigi series)
* Oriental Blue: Ao no Tengai
* Magical Vacation
* Samon Naito Kurafutosōdo Monogatari Hajimari no Ishi (Summon Night: Swordcraft Story - Stone of Beginnings)
* Shin Bokura no Taiyou: Gyakushuu no Sabata (Boktai 3: Sabata's Counterattack)
* Mother 1+2
* Mother 3Most of these are RPGs.
BeautifulShy:
--- Quote from: M.K.Ultra on February 19, 2023, 10:46:31 AM ---I am planning to visit Japan this year and will be in Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka. I am planning to doing some game shopping, visiting arcades, and other video game related tourism. Does anyone have recommendations on the following:
* Good arcades or used game stores in Tokyo
* Must visit video game related places in JapanThanks for any suggestions
--- End quote ---
So I haven't been there yet but Akihabara is considered to be the mecca of video game shopping in Japan.
So according to this site Japan is still dealing with Covid-19.
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3003.html
Super Potato is in this district and it has all sort of retro games and consoles like Adrock described.
This person went to a Nintendo Hotel. Username on YT is TDR Explorer.
This is actually Nintendo's original headquarters.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ar3NcJMQ2wc
This is a video about the travel restrictions being lifted in Japan.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrgRxl7ypzk
This person also has a website and on there, is an article on travel restrictions.
https://tdrexplorer.com/japans-borders-reopening-visa-free-travel-for-tourists-in-october/
I don't know if you know any different languages but if not then there are some cool language apps like uLanguage(For Chrome/Android) or Memrise(iPhone/IOS).
I use uLanguage since I am starting to learn Thai and Spanish recently and if you have Android/ Chrome it is the top tier language app for Android.
I don't know how accurate the show is to actual Japan but for arcades the show High School Girl is a good watch and you may see some similarities.
I do eventually want to go to Japan in the way future so if I find anything else of note I will share in this thread for you M.K. Ultra and others like myself that want to go there in the future.
M.K.Ultra:
--- Quote from: Adrock on February 19, 2023, 11:04:52 PM ---
--- Quote from: M.K.Ultra on February 19, 2023, 10:46:31 AM ---Which systems are region free (other than switch)
--- End quote ---
All pre-DSi Nintendo handhelds are region free. Even then, only DSi exclusive physical games are region locked, all five (?) of them. Not sure if you can read/speak/understand Japanese, but either way, you can't change the UI language on any Japanese model of DS to English.
--- End quote ---
So DS is region free but 3DS is not. Can I play a Japanese DS cart in my US 3DS?
M.K.Ultra:
--- Quote from: BeautifulShy on February 23, 2023, 06:20:05 AM ---
So I haven't been there yet but Akihabara is considered to be the mecca of video game shopping in Japan.
Super Potato is in this district and it has all sort of retro games and consoles like Adrock described.
--- End quote ---
During my stay in Tokyo, my hotel is actually in Akihabara :D. Looking at Google Maps, Super Potato is just a couple of blocks away. Thanks for this recommendation!
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