Sometimes in Japan, it feels like all the good retro game stuff has been snapped up by famous retailers. That, or it’s fetching a premium on internet auction sites. Yet, if you look, there are definitely neat finds. Just ask Twitter user Daitora.
While in the city of Ome for a local festival, Daitora popped in a small electronics store called Kubo Kaden. There he found a stack of Family Basic, a programming suite for its Famicom (NES) console that was released in 1984.
地元の祭りで駅前の電気屋に入ったら新品が売っていたので買ってみた。 pic.twitter.com/JEFUxRdWC4
— だいとら (@ichkawa_daitora) November 17, 2018
The post-it notes read “Family Basic” and “Brand New” in Japan. The price of this retro piece of Nintendo gaming lore? Three thousand yen—or $US26.60 ($36).
As Daitora’s photos show, the Family Basic appears to be mint, in-box with what looks like the original packaging. Used (and opened) versions of Basic fetch between around $96 and $164 at online auction sites.
今前を通ったので確認してきましたがファミリーベーシックは完売のようです。 pic.twitter.com/pv2LDY2HLd
— だいとら (@ichkawa_daitora) November 19, 2018
After the tweet went viral in Japan, Daitora swung by Kubo Kaden again, but all the remaining Family Basic hardware seems to have been sold.
If you visit Japan and are looking for interesting finds, it might be worth checking out small electronics shops off the beaten path. You might turn out gems that have been sitting on shelves for years.
Comments
One response to “Check Japan’s Tiny Electronics Shops For Retro Gaming Finds”
Japanese people tend to take a lot more care of their consoles than westerners. I’ve seen some decades old consoles that look brand new.