Hard Off in Hachioji

Wow! Look at all those consoles! A boxed Famicom R.O.B for about $50! Sweet!

The “hard” part of the name is due to the fact that Japanese people omit the “ware” part in “hardware” and “software.” “Off” in Japanese English means “discount” or “sale.” So, Hard Off is a place to find discount hardware (and a lot more).

The “Off” brand of recycle shops in Japan are massive stores where you can find pretty much anything (like pawn shops and thrift stores in the States) but, because of their size, and the fact that purchases can require a car to transport them, they are mostly found in rural and suburban areas. I did, however, manage to get my 37” TV home through a combination of carrying it, the train and a taxi. That was a workout!

Since I live way out in BFE east Tokyo, I’m lucky to have two Hard Offs within biking distance, which is perfect for the purchases I make-usually video games, occasionally a new console and other odds and ends like chopsticks, coffee cups and things that fit nicely into a backpack.

Here are my Hard Off pros and cons:

Pros:


Great selection of used games at somewhat reasonable prices. Pricing is based on condition, so if a few scratches on a console doesn’t bother you or you want to go junk bin diving for an AV cord, you’ll save a lot.

The amount of old hardware and accessories in general, especially in the junk bins, is a sight to see in it’s own right.

The games are well-organized by system and sometimes by rarity so you can browse more quickly.

Cons:


Pricing is also based on demand. These guys know to charge ¥4200 for a Japanese Goldeneye cart for N64. You probably won’t find any steals.

The in-store musical jingle plays on a loop and makes you want to run out of the store screaming after about 15 minutes. If I worked at a Hard Off I would have to be deaf.

They are usually located a long walk from train stations in outlying areas of Tokyo proper, so accessibility can be a problem.

Overall, I really enjoy the Off brand stores and haven’t been disappointed with any of my purchases. I got a 3-person tent at Off House for ¥2500 and a Saturn console in a junk bin for ¥525 that works great!

Retro Game Camp, Akihabara

Let's take a look at Retro Game Camp:

http://www.retrogamecamp.com/

This store has a really impressive stock of all sorts of retro games, but the prices are pretty easy to beat. If you're into retro video games and find yourself in Akiba, you should definitely check it out!

In front of the store are some cheap game bins, but nothing that exciting.

Here's an example of the CIB SF and loose Famicom titles.

Console prices are on the high side, but you'll find a nice selection of mainstream retro consoles like the Twin Famicom, Famicom Disk System and the 3DO as well as more recent 3rd party 2-in-1 systems. They had this really cool one called a Supa Boy, a handheld Super Famicom that played SF carts for about ¥8000.

Akiba, August 2013

I had no plans last Monday and since I haven’t been to Akiba in a while, I decided to pay a visit. I didn’t buy anything to add to my collection, but I scoped out some of my next purchases! I also scored a Turkish doner kebab sandwich and a sweet yellow extension cord for ¥280!

I had three stores I wanted to make sure to check out: Trader, Retro Game Camp and, of course, Super Potato.

My Famicom has Arrived! Yahoo! Auctions, MUFJ ATMs and RFAdapters

After multiple delivery attempts because I wasn't home, my famicom came at about 9:45 Thursday morning! It came with a huge box of carts but I arranged only my favorite titles in the title shot. Maybe some of those Gundam games are good, who knows! I’ll find out as soon as I get an RF to UHF cable today.

I went to Bic Camera and bought what I thought was an RF to UHF adapter, but since I know very little about these arcane technologies and the store staff knew even less, I still haven't actually played this think. The closest I came was seeing the static change to a different style of snow. But this has left me very hopeful. In the meantime, my Famicom Disk System and Yume Koujou - Doki Doki Panic have been won and paid for, so as soon a those arrive, I'll really have to get my act together.

Okay, so now some talk about the payment options. I've won six auctions now and have paid for all of them with a bank transfer from an ATM. I bank at Tokyo Mitsubishi UFJ, and all of the sellers bank there too, so the transfers are free. As you might imagine, this system is SO much better than Paypal and ebay back in the states. No more fees or long wait times for payment to transfer. 

The problem for foreigners is that there is no English option for bank transfers at MUFJ ATMs, so you have to go it alone with Japanese language buttons and typing in katakana. Nothing you can't handle, especially with the help of this blog:

http://jimmynjapan.blogspot.jp/2010/03/how-to-use-ufj-atm.html?m=1

Armed with his screenshots of the transfer process, the seller's message with their bank account number, branch name (like Sapporo) and first and last name, and by translating the branch name into katakana and kanji, I was able to do this with my smart phone while at the ATM (which is kind of a big no-no, but whatever).

The packages usually arrived about two days after the transfer.

Tetris for Famicom and Manx TT

Picked up a CIB Famicom Tetris and Manx TT Superbike for the Saturn at Book Off about a week ago. Manx TT is really fast and has a fun arcade mode. 

I can’t wait to try the VS option! 

Not as much fun as the arcade version, but for 105 yen, I’m satisfied. The Saturn had some pretty solid racing games on it.

I watched parts 1 and 2 of the amazing Discovery Channel documentary Rise of the Video Game last night on Youtube. Check it out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ras4E4N1S5E

The documentary has a segment on Tetris and an interview with Alexey Pajitnov. Apparently he moved to the U.S. in the early 90s and just chills reading books and working on puzzle games with his friends. Sounds pretty nice!

Behold: The 3DO FZ-1

My 3DO arrived on Tuesday! 

Look at all that glorious bubble wrap!

The seller really packed it well, I was impressed by all the bubble wrap. For now all I have is the original sampler CD, which is kinda lame. 

I’ll post some screens when I get some good games! I'm hoping to find Road Rash around Japan, but if I have to resort to burning ISOs in the meantime, that's okay too. Luckily, the 3DO has no region lockout or copy protection. On the other hand, it had no official licensing, so there A LOT of terrible games for it.

Watt mann

I found some quality Konami titles at a recycle shop called Watt mann in Mukaigaoka (Kanagawa Prefecture). Google maps told me this was a Hard Off, but I guess it became a Watt mann since the listing was made in Google. Either way, the stores have a lot in common. Watt mann has a little bit of everything.

I thought their pricing on consoles was pretty high (¥8000 for a used Famicom) but the retro games were mostly between ¥300 and ¥1000.

I had never seen this style of case and artwork for Metal Gear Solid in Japan, so I decided to grab it even though I already own a copy. Same thing with Akumajō Dracula X: Gekka no Yasōkyoku for ¥1000, I don’t mind owning doubles of such a phenomenal game. It comes with a music CD, too!

This Street Fighter title isn’t quite a classic, but it looked strange and I like collecting strange things too.

I’m really stoked about Policenauts, though. This is a title I’ve been trying to get a hold of for a while and the packaging and presentation on this copy is great. The art book has some great animation cells and CG renders.

Here's a pic of the whole haul. Not bad!

Still waiting for that 3DO and Famicom! I wasn’t at home today, and I have a feeling that I missed the delivery. I’m on the Nambu Line on my way to Bubaigawara, so I’ll know soon enough!