Tag: japanese

For the Street Fighter fan that has everything – Street Fighter II Pachislo

The Street Fighter II Pachislo…. Definitely one of the more unique items I have picked up in recent months. 😀

I actually saw this about 6 months ago, and although I thought it was cool, I am not a big Pachinko/Pachislo fan at all, so I didn’t grab it. It was only after speaking with Candyflip over on Aussie Arcade (he is a big Pachinko fan) that I actually had a bit more interest in looking at it more closely.

Well, I got a chance to head back to this place and take another look. I noticed that the original price tag I saw 6 months ago had been removed (I can’t remember exactly how much it was, but I remember it being around the 13,000yen mark or so), so I asked the guy there how much they wanted for it.

He came back with 3,000yen! Needless to say, for that price I couldn’t leave it there, even if I was just going to take it home and try it out.

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Being the Pachinko noob I am, I didn’t even open it up, or turn it on before buying it, so luckily when I opened it up it looked nice and clean inside.

It also came with a nifty little button that bypasses the coin slot, and payout mechanism, so there is no need to pump it full of Pachislo-Coins. I did connect the coin/payout mechs to test them out, and I am happy to report that they worked without a hitch, so if I do want to actually pump coins into it I can.

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Much to my surprise the game is fun!

Even though it’s largely electromechanical, and doesn’t have an actual screen like many of the machines have today, there are many tricks that are incorporated to give almost animation like action on the wheels.

You can’t help but want to play it, so luckily I didn’t find this in some dank/dark Pachinko place, otherwise my wife would be far more frustrated with disappearing cash than she already is. 😀

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Basically, what you have to do is get certain combinations to trigger fights between charactures, start mini-games, and generally do other Street-Fighter-ie themed activities. Although I have figured out what I should be doing in a few of these game-modes, I am sure I am missing certain tactics on others – might have to try and read a bit about it.

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Videorecording isn’t a strong point of mine, but I took a quick video of the machine in action.

Please let me apologise for the terrible quality, but I had to record it in the dark to get the full effect of the seizure inducing lights – unfortunately that also makes my phone-camera go out of focus occasionally.

*One of the unique game modes kicks in at about 45 seconds, so make sure you keep watching.*

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All up I’m really impressed by this thing. The amount of detail they have put into some of the fight sequences are just plain cool – even more so as it’s motors, lights and gears doing all the work. The sounds are awesome, and once you get started on it you can’t help but get sucked in – now I am starting to realise why there are people lining out the front of Pachinko places at 9am in one metre of snow.

Would I now go to a Pachinko Parlor to sink thousands of yen on these machines? Nope, not on your life, but having one at home is kinda cool. 😀

I hope this luck doesn’t change!

The run of luck this old gamer has been having is pure craziness! I mean, games and systems I never see in the wild near me are suddenly showing up, and the only choice I have is to consume, and consume hard. ?

I think today I will save the best for last. The last item in this post is something I have wanted for ages, but they are so damn rare to come by – let alone in condition like this…. Still, I am talking too much about it already, so let’s get started on the other stuff.

3DO, a few DiskSystem disks, and a couple of PCE related goodies.

I am really looking forward to trying out ‘Pataank’ for the 3DO. I do not know a single thing about it, and judging by the graphics on the back cover it looks like seriously weird inside pinball machine game. I thought about doing a search for it, but I don’t want to spoil the surprise.
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Some more Famicom carts tarif du viagra en pharmacie. I should really sort through the carts I have at home before buying more, but when they’re there and they’re cheap, what can a guy do right?
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Gameboy games… I honestly don’t have a heap of interest in Gameboy, but as I know there are a few guys on AussieArcade who are keen for them, I picked them up.
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Same as the Famicom, I really should be going through the games I have at home before buying more Super Famicom carts. Due to buying so much in such a short space of time, I am really having difficulty keeping track of what I am doubling up on. (click thumbnails to enlarge)
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Unfortunately, it really is looking as if the Saturn gear isn’t being restocked anymore. I am pretty sure these were there the last time I went too, but as there was nothing else to grab I decided to just grab them anyway. It really has been an amazing run at that shop though.

Hope they do it again when I have visitors come over from home (bet Sean does too right?). ?
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And finally, the pick of the haul by far is my NEC PC Engine Duo-R!!

I have never seen one of these in the wild. I do see them on the auctions, but to actually walk into a store and see a boxed one was pretty nice. I am sure the guys in Tokyo see these all the time, but where I am it just doesn’t happen.

Did I pay too much for it? Probably. Do I care though? Nope, not at all. I have wanted one of these ever since the PCE bug took hold (thanks to Frank), and I was damn happy driving home with it. ?
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It has a few scratches and scuffs on it, but all up it looks pretty clean. The guy in the place I bought it from said that it has all been tested, so I am looking forward to trying it out over the weekend. I can safely say this will be the machine I will be playing on, and probably the machine that will end up modded in the future (done any of these MJ?).
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So again, I seem to be having the run of luck to end all runs of luck. But how long can this last!? ?

Nintendo Mach Rider – 1972 was a good year

We all know of Nintendo video games, and of course we all know of Mario, but what about the days before Mario hit the scene, or even before Nintendo had anything connected to a television? That’s where the Nintendo Mach Rider comes in. 😀

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The Nintendo Mach Rider must have been one of those toys that every kid wanted. I can just imagine the line-up of kids with long scruffy hair, flared pants, and huge sunglasses waiting to get their grubby little hands on this thing. It really is a cool toy.

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Made in 1972, the Nintendo Mach Rider is a battery operated toy car that basically shoots off in toe breaking fashion. You place the car on the ramp, then adjust the gear shifter to go through the gears (with each gear increasing the speed of the drive wheel), then once you hit the fourth gear the thing shoots off the ramp.

Cats must have hated this thing! 😀

The instructions printed on the inside of the box in the following picture give some insight of how the thing works, but I will also link you to HairballNick’s youtube video which shows this actual car in action. Nick bought this one off me, and I am sure he won’t mind me linking to his vid.

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I would have loved to keep this car in all honesty, but I have to draw the line somewhere – I just don’t have the space!

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If you want to read about this particular toy in more detail, or read about any of the other toys before Mario, then definitely follow the link on the right to the ‘before-mario’ site. His collection of Nintendo is amazing to say the least. 🙂

Nintendo Block Kuzushi – 70s style, but only for Japan

First off, I must apologise for the lack of content recently. I have been insanely busy, and losing a chunk of my roof didn’t help me free up any time, but I am now back with the amazing Block Kuzushi! 🙂

Nintendo were pumping out some great machines back in the late 70s with the ‘TV Game’ series, and although the ‘Block Kuzushi’ was quite different when compared with it’s ‘TV Game’ brothers, it must have been something special as it was the first console that Nintendo decided to put their logo on.

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Released in 1979, Nintendo was trying to break-in to the break-out market (gamers will know what that means), and with design influence from Shigeru Miyamoto this 70s beast was a looker.

It is a single player machine with a range of game modes, but all the game modes pretty much equate to the same thing – break-out. Luckily with instructional graphics included on the control panel, it does have very user-friendly interface for people with no Japanese ability (as shown bellow).

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Nintendo is (and always has been) a forerunner when it comes to compatibility of adapters and peripherals with their range of machines. All the ‘TV Game series’ and the Block Kuzushi use the same adapter and RF switch. Sega didn’t do that Frank! 😉

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In play the Nintendo Block Kuzushi stands up very well with other break-out clones of the period, and honestly is still a great game even today.

It has a very solid wheel that 33 years on feels tough and responsive, and much like the other consoles released from Nintendo in the 70s (maybe with the exception of ‘Racing 112’) once I get it out I can’t help but sit down and play.

I actually delayed my schedule by almost an hour this morning by deciding to blog about this machine! 😀

If I was to complain about it at all I would probably say that the switches are a little bit on the twitchy side. I find I have to move switches a few times for them to register properly, but other than that I have no complaints, specially when you consider the age of the machine.

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The 70s styling of the Nintendo Block Kuzushi makes it one of the best looking consoles around (in my opinion anyway). Everything from the art work in the manual, to the buttons and dials scream flared pants and plastic furniture! Just wish I had an orange TV to go with it.

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Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh the 70s!

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The Nintendo Block Kuzushi commands a fair price these days (from $60 – $200), but it’s well worth the money for any serious game collector. 🙂

Retro Gaming Store in Japan

There is the quaint little retro gaming store in Japan that sells the odd Famicom cart, the occasional Saturn disk, or even a few systems or two, then there are super-ultra stores like the one I am going to show you today.

This particular shop is about 20 minutes from my house, and it’s one of the biggest places I’ve ever seen here for retro gaming gear. There are others that are similar in size, but this shop actually has prices you want to pay. It is almost set up like a supermarket with isles, a little basket to carry around, and even a taster section with four or five systems setup for people to play.

Before I put any photos up, it has to be said that people managing stores in Japan are very reluctant to have photos taken. I took as many photos as I could, but it was impossible to get photos of everything. I missed not only the hardware section, but also the PS2, Gameboy, Megadrive (Genesis), MegaCD, Saturn (the list goes on actually) and most of the boxed games sections.

Anyway, now onto the photos….

I would love to get my hands on this giant Mario – Hmmm that sounds slightly odd now that I think about it. 😀

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One of the loose Famicom cart Isles (pictured bellow). Yes I say ‘one of’, as there are a few. You can see at the end of the isle there part of the boxed games section for Famicom too.

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Another really great thing about this place is there is a GameCenterCX section if you want to play the games that are featured on the show. If you are wondering what GameCenterCX is, then I suggest taking a look on Youtube. It is one of the coolest retro game shows anywhere! Unfortunately I couldn’t get any photos of the GameCenterCX section.

Mind boggling range of Super Famicom carts. Again, this is only one of the Super Famicom Isles.

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Again I couldn’t get great pictures of everything, but what you see here is just a part of the cased PCE games they have on offer. You can pretty much find everything here.

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Bellow is just a part of the DreamCast section. If you’re wondering, that whole top row is for NeoGeoCD, and you may notice that there are some big empty spaces in the NeoGeo section – this is mainly because I bought 20 odd on this particular day. 🙂

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This terrible photo (bellow) is trying to show you one of the toy racks dedicated to game related merchandise. They have all sorts of gear here, from recent Mario themed board games, through to figures of Ken in Street Fighter.

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A closer look at the boxed Famicom and Super Famciom section (bellow).

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I really wish I could have shown you everything. Just looking through the pictures there is so much I missed. This place has so much stuff that I know it will bring a tear to any retro gamer’s eye – specially the guys I know back home who feel great joy just finding a dozen or so carts in the wild.

And just before I go. This place doesn’t only sell games too! There are huge sections for toys, clothing, electronics, and pretty much any other type of used goods you can think of. Not bad considering I actually live in rural Japan! 😮

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