Super Potato in Japan

[spenoza]

So Mandarake has gotten into games and into Akihabara, eh? I visited Mandarake at Nakano all the time when I was there and they were pretty much manga/anime only. They put up a US web page in 1999 and considered breaking into the US market. I won a Pioneer DV-414 from their US site's survey contest and had it shipped to my parents because I was in Japan at the time. They never did enter the US market, though. Probably a good thing. The US market still had a few years of saturation on it, but then there was the Great Anime Crash. They likely would have been burned.

[SamIAm]

Mandarake is my primary source of stuff in Fukuoka (on Kyushu). They give good deals on mint stuff, and great deals on less-than-mint stuff, and they have plenty of rare stuff to gawk at. The only problem is, it appears that they are slowly phasing out Famicom and PCE stuff.

[Ji-L87]

I didn't expect Danny to make a post about this, then I feel stupid for not expecting Danny to make a post about this. Will this be the first episode of his show that I actually will watch? I can't answer that one, especially since it doesn't seem to be out yet, but those priceswww.

I don't follow him as much now that he has seeded his Mirai stuff, he had done and older post about retro shops, but not just on Super Potato. Haven't seen any of his shows yet either.

Well, I've had him in my RSS-reader for quite a while now but yes, it feels like he's gotten "less" interesting since last year or so with all the dollfies and Mirai-stuff. I mean, I applaud him for what he's done and the things he's been involved in is certainly impressive. Get your site mascot as an official GSC PVC figure? That's rad. Get said company, and a bunch of others, to use your own developed web platform - spiffy! Publish two books on internation otaku culture? Great! And I was actually a bit interested in that fireman-girl-anime he was financing...whatever happened to it anyway? Now he just talks about Mirai Millenium, body pillows, figures, dollfies and himself. Yeah, I think that's the problem actually. But what makes me most annoyed is not Danny, but rather all the sheep that fills his comment space with every post he makes. I can respect the man, but I wouldn't go lick his feet with "oh that's so cool danny ^_~" every time he posts something.
But I'm getting off-topic.

...in the end, I guess we're just not interested in the same things and he gets strangely on my nerves in this weird way I can't explain, even though he seems like a pretty nice fellow. Man, I don't know.

*probably just jealous*

[Nando]

I didn't expect Danny to make a post about this, then I feel stupid for not expecting Danny to make a post about this. Will this be the first episode of his show that I actually will watch? I can't answer that one, especially since it doesn't seem to be out yet, but those priceswww.

I don't follow him as much now that he has seeded his Mirai stuff, he had done and older post about retro shops, but not just on Super Potato. Haven't seen any of his shows yet either.

...in the end, I guess we're just not interested in the same things and he gets strangely on my nerves in this weird way I can't explain, even though he seems like a pretty nice fellow. Man, I don't know.

nah you pretty much summed it up. He used to have more coverage about Japan, his weekly photo shoot was what I would always look forward too. I was lucky enough to visit Japan in 06 and stay with my cousin living in his tiny place. Got to experience a small slice of life for almost two weeks. Danny's stuff had that feeling, which like you said, he's grown his stuff big time and that's the focus. The Good Smile stuff surprised the f*ck out of me to say the least, and he's embedded Mirai in all sorts of ways. The Fire something or other anime were an April fools/test the waters for an anime thing. At least as far as I recall.

Oh and yes, the man has a SHIT TON of fanboys/girls. Maybe he is living the Otaku dream

[Ji-L87]

He used to have more coverage about Japan, his weekly photo shoot was what I would always look forward too.

I still have some photos he took saved down, because they're good :p I always wished he would post them in a higher resolution than he did.

The Good Smile stuff surprised the f*ck out of me to say the least, and he's embedded Mirai in all sorts of ways.

Yeah, I remember seeing an anime last summer called Mayoi Chiki!, which was, for all intents and purposes about as forgettable as they come but Mirai showed up like at least 2 times in that one.

Maybe he is living the Otaku dream

I think you hit nail on the head with that one. His "otaku dream" differs a bit from mine, so to speak, maybe that's why I'm getting needlessly annoyed by him sometimes...

[Ji-L87]

- DOUBLE POST, please delete -

[Samurai Ghost]

especially since you can region mod a SNES to play SFC games with a pair of pliers and about 2 minutes of effort.

Though that only works well for NTSC-units : (

SFC for 8,000? ROLF.  My local recycle shop has a stack of them for 800yen loose or 1,250 boxed.  LOL

*trying my best not to ask you pick one up*

Got my SFC which is in perfect shape, not yellowed at all for 300 yen loose from a recycle shop.

And yeah, Super Potato is expensive but they do have a decent selection. Overall Retro Friends and Traders have much better prices in Akihabara for retro games. Consoles and controllers are overpriced everywhere outside of Yahoo Auctions and Suruga. Never buy a console at a game store in Japan as they are always way overpriced. You might get lucky at a recycle shop though.

[Tatsujin]

So Mandarake has gotten into games and into Akihabara, eh? I visited Mandarake at Nakano all the time when I was there and they were pretty much manga/anime only.

mandarake is been in games for since almost ever. Shibuya mandarake was one of the better game hunting place for rarer stuff back in time, but since the akiba branch opened, they almost wiped out literally everything.
nakano's galaxy is doing very well also since a good decade and more.

good thing at mandarake, they really know what the term mint really means.
if a game is rated as A it looks like f*cking NEW. if its a B its still looks like mint. also they really fit the price according its condition. others don't do that so well. sometimes you will find strongly used and uncomplete copies with a higher price tag just next to mint cibler copie of the same game with a lower tag.

[TheClash603]

In defense of Super Potato, in 2007 when I went to Japan I had a lot of fun looking around the place.  They seemed to be the most helpful to someone who spoke no Japanese, compared to other stores.

Prices were high, but selection was nice.  I would love to go back.

[Tatsujin]

I don't hold much against SP as well. While most of the other bigger ones do other business too, SP is only focused on retro gaming and nothing else. some of their prices are set a little bit high, right, but nobody is forced to buy anything there. and for the more busy or time limited peeps out there, which don't have the time to check out all the other stores, it could be worth to pay a few extra bucks.

I always check out SP when i go to akiba, since you can make good bargains there as well. but most of the more expensive stuff I buy either at mandarake, trader honkan or retro friends.

[roflmao]

If there was a Super Potato within 2 hours of where I live I would be ecstatic.  And broke.  That place looks awesome!

Granted if there were a handful of similar shops in the area that charged less (as there seem to be in Akihabara), I'd go there, but where I live, the pickings are pretty slim. 

[kakutolives]

If there was a Super Potato within 2 hours of where I live I would be ecstatic.  And broke.  That place looks awesome!

Granted if there were a handful of similar shops in the area that charged less (as there seem to be in Akihabara), I'd go there, but where I live, the pickings are pretty slim.  

hell man even here in LA game shops are not that great with the old school games. The whole are is filled with gamestops. ugh. . Only blessing I have around here is gamedude.

[420GOAT]

If there was a Super Potato within 2 hours of where I live I would be ecstatic.  And broke.  That place looks awesome!

Granted if there were a handful of similar shops in the area that charged less (as there seem to be in Akihabara), I'd go there, but where I live, the pickings are pretty slim. 

hell man even here in LA game shops are not that great with the old school games. The whole are is filled with gamestops. ugh. . Only blessing I have around here is gamedude.

SO EBAY AND AMAZON ARE HANDY. im in LA too.

[RegalSin]

I don't mind the high prices, even if was unable to afford them. Super Potato looks like a Chinese knock of Sponge Bob.


Tell me that was the first thing you sawed too? That defiently looked like a giant round sponge.

Yes it is a tourist thing. The moment a person see that bright yellow and long nose, they will say, hey sponge bob!!. Then you go in and, you say "heyyyy sponge bob" and the salesperson nods their head and say "hai, goy-u-gama, Sponge!!-bob" Then the giant sponge bob comes out of nowhere with a super famicom, challenging you to a fight.

Hey look they have all kinds, of game consoles, all of them with this little slot.
You should go into the store, and be like "I will take em all"
Then the managers wife comes out and starts to hang off your waste.

[Tatsujin]

rolf