I can't believe I completely missed this Mandarake the first time I visited. Finally hit it on my most recent trip and couldn't believe the amount of games they had.
Hey JJ! Seems very pricey, but at least you know its been inspected and has a rating. And those Famicom box arts.... I never get tired of seeing them. Beautiful!
Thats very cool that they let you film in here. They used to deny people all the time before. Maybe times are changing. I think it's great how picky they are with the condition of the games. You always get top-notch stuff if you're willing to pay up of course. I was there back in May looking at those NEO-GEO games as well. But when the prices are even higher than Super Potato, I just can't justify buying it. I'm sure we will come across a great deal for AOF3 in the future.
It was a cool experience to film at this shop and get the access that I got. I been wanting to make a video at this spot for quite some time. They most definitely excel in many ways, but pricing is the big hurdle for most of us. I did buy a copy of AoF3 from Mandarake, but on the glorious NEO CD, haha! That arranged OST is really something. The best deal I got from Mandarake was about a year ago, an AES stick for ¥2,000! Not long ago they had a Neo CD pad for ¥3,000. Cheers!
Thank you for helpful video as I am planning to visit same Mandarake in November. There are some N64 rare games that I desperately want to have my hands on... I do agree that the price at Mandarake is too crazy to believe as the price at Super Potato seems reasonable... but it is still a good place when you look for massively produced games at excellent condition, and they have so many rare games for window shopping which pleases my eyes. Thank you once again!
@@RetroReWire In your video. its Beetle Adventure racing, with yellow beetle on the cover. Out of 4~5 N64 games in the glass I spotted in your video, that is the only one I do not have yet. And if the price is right, I wish to have Bakuretsu Bangaio as well because it seems it is in better condition than what I have. There are still a couple of N64 softs I am eager to look for when visiting Tokyo in November, so I hope stores like Mandarake, Super Potato, etc. have some N64 games in stock!
I bought the Spriggan powered and Battle Mobile on the super famicom so this must have been filmed prior to my visit. The order in which the games are shown was the same as when I were there. I was tempted on the flying hero but left it as I don't need premium on everything. I bought a few bits from the normal shelves as well so I spent near 1k dollars there. Even visiting Osaka after my visit I never found any of these titles let alone in the pristine condition shown here. My budget was held out for Doremi fantasy which they didn't stock when I were there and I never found it elsewhere either. I passed on Nagoya and when I arrived home, someone made a video and found it there lol. I'd have loved to get super tempo on saturn. Maybe next time. Game hunting videos are great but hard off and book off etc will almost always have similar stock so it's very refreshing to see all this good stuff for a change... Thanks JJ.
I definitely want to show both sides of the retro gaming spectrum, from the junk to the premium. There's no denying Mandarake's selection and condition. Some truly great pieces at this place. That Spriggan Powered was beautiful by the way! Cheers!
@@RetroReWire I don't mind junk to premium. But diversity is also important and the usual book off selection of Super donkey Kong, Battle gaiden tetris and street fighter 2 gets a bit old. Each video would be better if there was something fresh even if it's out of everyone's price range. The guy standing next to you served me. Showed me all contents and delicately wrapped it all again. It's quite interesting how they re wrap they cut in very specific places it's like a work of art in itself. Richie.
I totally agree, filming at this shop was a breath of fresh air. The guy next to me is the floor manager. He is a master at his craft. He briefly talked about his personal collection, and it seems it’s one for the ages! Haha
Paying top dollar for top quality isn’t a bad option for those who don’t have the time and have the cash ! I did buy a few street fighter games from mandarake because of the condition compared to others Great video once again JJ
I hope to go back to Tokyo Japan in early 2024 and hit as many retro game shops as possible, I recently got back into retro gaming and have been mainly collecting super famicom/snes, and famicom/nes games as I've been playing on my Retron system and I hope to hunt down copies of Wild Guns, Gun Force, Metal Storm, Crisis Force, Iron Commando, Undercover Cops, and Spriggan Powered just to name a few.
How's the Retron? I used to own a Retro Freak, and it had some killer options! Thinking about it now, I should have kept it, haha. That's a solid list of heavy hitters. The selection at Mandarake is one of their strong points as they have a number of those games for sale. I'd love a copy of Wild Guns for the ole Super Fami, too, one day perhaps!
@@RetroReWire The Retron 2 HD system is the one I have and it works amazingly! Keep up the great content as I love binge watching these japan walk-through videos you do. 👍
I bought 4 games here and you could convince me that they were all brand new and unplayed - including 2 boxed Famicom games with Cs across the board. I don't have the eye of a serious collector but from opening them up, even after packing them in my luggage to get home they all looked in better quality than they were being sold as.
These prices seem crazy high, even taking the weak yen into consideration. I didn't realize the nostalgia aspect was having the same impact on the Japanese market as it has in the West.
The prices here is crazy, I’ll only buy something if it’s hard to find in Trader/Super Potato etc. To me I’ve had awesome finds in trader with awesome conditions. Sometimes it’s really hard to find what they pin point on the condition here. Nice fact about that Motorstorm, didn’t know about that! Awesome manager letting you handling a lot of stuff.
Trader is a very good option. I love shopping there, too. The manager at Mandarake is very cool knowledgeable guy. He has been working at the store since it opened! Cheers!
Entertaining video as always. I plan on visiting Tokyo soon, where would you recommend I buy the cheapest used PS5? Hard-off or at one of these retro game shops? Cheers!
That moment when you realize: Prizes at Super Potato are not that bad 😊 These Mandarake prizes are just crazy and in no way justified. You don't even have to leave Tokyo (or Akiba) for way better prizes. Mandarake is great for window shopping, but the only thing I ever bought there were some soundtracks.
For sure, if pricing is the biggest concern, it's hard to recommend this shop. I've bought a handful of games and hardware throughout the years from this shop, and my best score was a Neo Geo stick priced at ¥2,000! I couldn't believe me eyes, haha.
I’ve never been to any other section in their Complex store. It’s always straight to the game floor for me. From the looks of it though, there seems to be loads of other collectibles!
Haha! Speaking of emulation, have you seen the crazy cool VR retro gaming emulation. They emulate it all down to the AV cables. ruclips.net/video/8j3SnPG45g8/видео.htmlsi=RIZ11T_jyqv3k3Tr
I only play nes/snes/GB/megadrive and playing them on emulators just doesn’t feel real enough for me, even playing original games on an Analogue clone console is just mehhhhh… I allow myself to buy games up to €60 and repro the more expensive games on clone cartridges.
€60 is a solid number! That covers loads of awesome games. I’m gonna try the repro route with Holy Diver on Famicom. RetroBit seems to have a number of repro carts for solid titles. Cheers!
![Seungmin "그렇게, 천천히, 우리(As we are)" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/kAzmhLHePqU/mqdefault.jpg)
I can't believe I completely missed this Mandarake the first time I visited. Finally hit it on my most recent trip and couldn't believe the amount of games they had.
They have a great selection and really focus on condition. Occasionally, they have sweet deals on hardware. Cheers!
Just finished the video. A big thank you JJ. So much memories there.
Glad you enjoyed the video, cheers!
Really great video! You finally join us into the dark side with the Neo Geo my friend! Perfect taste but do not robb a bank! 😅
One day, I will own a copy of Art of Fighting 3 on the AES! Haha, cheers!
@@RetroReWire My personal Graal are Double Dragon (1995) & View point...
Very nice video, Mandarake may be your last card to find the game you are looking for, before leaving Japan.
Very true! They have such a killer selection. Cheers!
sugoi~!
Cheers!
Thanks, I'm just stunned this store existed without me knowing about it , I was so focused on OFF stores
Cheers!
Hey JJ! Seems very pricey, but at least you know its been inspected and has a rating. And those Famicom box arts.... I never get tired of seeing them. Beautiful!
Same! The box art on some of those Famicom games are more than poster worthy. Cheers!
Thats very cool that they let you film in here. They used to deny people all the time before. Maybe times are changing.
I think it's great how picky they are with the condition of the games. You always get top-notch stuff if you're willing to pay up of course.
I was there back in May looking at those NEO-GEO games as well. But when the prices are even higher than Super Potato, I just can't justify buying it.
I'm sure we will come across a great deal for AOF3 in the future.
It was a cool experience to film at this shop and get the access that I got. I been wanting to make a video at this spot for quite some time.
They most definitely excel in many ways, but pricing is the big hurdle for most of us. I did buy a copy of AoF3 from Mandarake, but on the glorious NEO CD, haha! That arranged OST is really something.
The best deal I got from Mandarake was about a year ago, an AES stick for ¥2,000! Not long ago they had a Neo CD pad for ¥3,000.
Cheers!
Haven't watched the video yet but JJ kudos to you for being able to shoot inside Mandarake Akiba. Quite an achievement. Love this place.
I've been wanting to shoot at this store for quite sometime!
Thank you for helpful video as I am planning to visit same Mandarake in November. There are some N64 rare games that I desperately want to have my hands on... I do agree that the price at Mandarake is too crazy to believe as the price at Super Potato seems reasonable... but it is still a good place when you look for massively produced games at excellent condition, and they have so many rare games for window shopping which pleases my eyes. Thank you once again!
Oh, now you got me curious. What n64 games are you wanting for your collection?
ayo me too
@@RetroReWire In your video. its Beetle Adventure racing, with yellow beetle on the cover. Out of 4~5 N64 games in the glass I spotted in your video, that is the only one I do not have yet. And if the price is right, I wish to have Bakuretsu Bangaio as well because it seems it is in better condition than what I have. There are still a couple of N64 softs I am eager to look for when visiting Tokyo in November, so I hope stores like Mandarake, Super Potato, etc. have some N64 games in stock!
I hear great things about Beetle Adventure Racing! It’s one I’d like to try.
I visited the Mandarake in Nagoya and was surprised to find almost all their stock is in near mint condition
The condition of their stock really sets them apart from most of their competitors. I’ll visit their Nagoya location in the future. Cheers!
going to Japan in in November thank you for giving me a spot to go broke at lol
Haha! Happy hunting, cheers!
@@RetroReWire thank you
I bought the Spriggan powered and Battle Mobile on the super famicom so this must have been filmed prior to my visit. The order in which the games are shown was the same as when I were there. I was tempted on the flying hero but left it as I don't need premium on everything. I bought a few bits from the normal shelves as well so I spent near 1k dollars there. Even visiting Osaka after my visit I never found any of these titles let alone in the pristine condition shown here. My budget was held out for Doremi fantasy which they didn't stock when I were there and I never found it elsewhere either. I passed on Nagoya and when I arrived home, someone made a video and found it there lol. I'd have loved to get super tempo on saturn. Maybe next time. Game hunting videos are great but hard off and book off etc will almost always have similar stock so it's very refreshing to see all this good stuff for a change... Thanks JJ.
I definitely want to show both sides of the retro gaming spectrum, from the junk to the premium. There's no denying Mandarake's selection and condition. Some truly great pieces at this place. That Spriggan Powered was beautiful by the way! Cheers!
@@RetroReWire I don't mind junk to premium. But diversity is also important and the usual book off selection of Super donkey Kong, Battle gaiden tetris and street fighter 2 gets a bit old. Each video would be better if there was something fresh even if it's out of everyone's price range. The guy standing next to you served me. Showed me all contents and delicately wrapped it all again. It's quite interesting how they re wrap they cut in very specific places it's like a work of art in itself. Richie.
I totally agree, filming at this shop was a breath of fresh air.
The guy next to me is the floor manager. He is a master at his craft. He briefly talked about his personal collection, and it seems it’s one for the ages! Haha
Thanks for the introduction! I would like to ask if mandarake needs to obtain permission first to shoot vlog videos? Thanks
Yes, absolutely. Permission is required for any kind of photo and videos beforehand. Cheers!
Paying top dollar for top quality isn’t a bad option for those who don’t have the time and have the cash !
I did buy a few street fighter games from mandarake because of the condition compared to others
Great video once again JJ
Sometimes this is the way! Time is money as they say, Cheers!
I hope to go back to Tokyo Japan in early 2024 and hit as many retro game shops as possible, I recently got back into retro gaming and have been mainly collecting super famicom/snes, and famicom/nes games as I've been playing on my Retron system and I hope to hunt down copies of Wild Guns, Gun Force, Metal Storm, Crisis Force, Iron Commando, Undercover Cops, and Spriggan Powered just to name a few.
How's the Retron? I used to own a Retro Freak, and it had some killer options! Thinking about it now, I should have kept it, haha.
That's a solid list of heavy hitters. The selection at Mandarake is one of their strong points as they have a number of those games for sale. I'd love a copy of Wild Guns for the ole Super Fami, too, one day perhaps!
@@RetroReWire The Retron 2 HD system is the one I have and it works amazingly! Keep up the great content as I love binge watching these japan walk-through videos you do. 👍
Cheers, more content is definitely on the way!
Crazy price
I hope you enjoyed the video. I’ll be heading to more stores, so perhaps we’ll discover some sweet bargains. Cheers!
I might buy that Holy Diver if it’s still there when we go.
That is a very tempting game!
I bought 4 games here and you could convince me that they were all brand new and unplayed - including 2 boxed Famicom games with Cs across the board. I don't have the eye of a serious collector but from opening them up, even after packing them in my luggage to get home they all looked in better quality than they were being sold as.
The rating system they in place is pretty solid! You definitely get what you pay for, haha cheers!
These prices seem crazy high, even taking the weak yen into consideration. I didn't realize the nostalgia aspect was having the same impact on the Japanese market as it has in the West.
The prices here is crazy, I’ll only buy something if it’s hard to find in Trader/Super Potato etc.
To me I’ve had awesome finds in trader with awesome conditions. Sometimes it’s really hard to find what they pin point on the condition here.
Nice fact about that Motorstorm, didn’t know about that!
Awesome manager letting you handling a lot of stuff.
Trader is a very good option. I love shopping there, too.
The manager at Mandarake is very cool knowledgeable guy. He has been working at the store since it opened! Cheers!
Entertaining video as always. I plan on visiting Tokyo soon, where would you recommend I buy the cheapest used PS5? Hard-off or at one of these retro game shops? Cheers!
I’d say either Hard Off or Book Off. Some are priced around the ¥44,000 mark. Just talking about it makes me wanna buy one, too. Haha, cheers!
Wow, awesome! That's good to know. Will definitely be on the lookout then. Appreciate your prompt reply, mate. Have a great one! @@RetroReWire
Hi JJ, have any ideas where they sell big box PCs in Japan? Thanks
Beep and Hard OFF may be the spots. Searching online may be your surest bet.
That moment when you realize: Prizes at Super Potato are not that bad 😊 These Mandarake prizes are just crazy and in no way justified. You don't even have to leave Tokyo (or Akiba) for way better prizes.
Mandarake is great for window shopping, but the only thing I ever bought there were some soundtracks.
For sure, if pricing is the biggest concern, it's hard to recommend this shop. I've bought a handful of games and hardware throughout the years from this shop, and my best score was a Neo Geo stick priced at ¥2,000! I couldn't believe me eyes, haha.
both are tourist traps.
3:19 do you like crossing swords?
Yeah, it's a sweet game. Have it on Switch and on the Neo Geo mini. I'd like to play the sequel one day. Cheers!
Mandarake's games are super expensive. I will only go there for Manga only.
I’ve never been to any other section in their Complex store. It’s always straight to the game floor for me. From the looks of it though, there seems to be loads of other collectibles!
Worst prices by far. I walked straight out in disgust. Lol
I’m on my way to another part of Japan as we speak! Hopefully they got some killer gaming bargains. Videos will drop soonish. Cheers!
Mandarake ha prezzi piu alti della concorrenza ma ha piu qualita'.
The quality of selection and condition at Mandarake is indeed high, cheers!
At this point, I'd just give up on collecting these and do my own copies and play on emu, because who cares...
Haha! Speaking of emulation, have you seen the crazy cool VR retro gaming emulation. They emulate it all down to the AV cables.
ruclips.net/video/8j3SnPG45g8/видео.htmlsi=RIZ11T_jyqv3k3Tr
I only play nes/snes/GB/megadrive and playing them on emulators just doesn’t feel real enough for me, even playing original games on an Analogue clone console is just mehhhhh… I allow myself to buy games up to €60 and repro the more expensive games on clone cartridges.
€60 is a solid number! That covers loads of awesome games.
I’m gonna try the repro route with Holy Diver on Famicom. RetroBit seems to have a number of repro carts for solid titles. Cheers!