The Mecca of Retro Games
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System, known as the Super Famicom in Japan, is undoubtedly one of the best things to ever happen to humankind. Games before it were too graphically limited to fully immerse me in their worlds, while everything that came after looked almost too polished to truly spark my imagination. I’d go even further to say that the Super Nintendo’s colorful pixel art and bombastic 16-bit sound represent the pinnacle of video game history. The grey console’s technical limitations became a perfect framework that challenged every passionate developer out there to push the creativity in their games to new heights - and way beyond.
I visited the legendary Super Potato, a pure video game paradise in the heart of Akihabara, the electric town and more or less official weeb mecca district. Spanning several floors, the store is packed with treasures that make retro gamers’ hearts race: PlayStation role-playing games, Dreamcast consoles, Zelda guides, and Final Fantasy soundtracks, most of them priced between ten and twenty dollars - though, of course, the rarest gems, like limited edition figures and scarce versions sold out on day one, come with a premium price tag. And naturally, the store is brimming with an impressive collection of beautiful Super Nintendo games.
On the very top floor, I found a bustling arcade and a small kiosk offering sweets, drinks, and merchandise. Because I wanted to get my wonder soft world, whatever the official slogan of Super Potato means, I picked up the Japanese blue edition of the original Pokémon for Game Boy, complete with packaging, instructions, and a map of Kanto - for the equivalent of just ten bucks. A dream come true. So if you ever find yourself in Tokyo and are a nostalgic gamer, make sure to stop by Super Potato - you won’t regret it. It’s relatively easy to find, just ask any of the other nerdy passersby for directions. And now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a fat Pikachu to catch.