Flying to Japan just to visit Akihabara’s Super Potato would be pretty expensive. Luckily, you don’t have to.
Before you click “play” on that clip, I feel I should introduce the players. Our hosts for this virtual jaunt are Scott Popular and CheapAssGamer’s CheapyD. Both gents live in Japan, so a quick trip down to Super Potato won’t exactly bankrupt them.
The third player in our little slice of electronic ephemera drama is the store itself. Despite the name, Super Potato has nothing to do with exemplary produce. Instead, it’s something of a legendary clearing house for absolutely every form of gaming ever invented. That game that you played once in 1989 and only half-remember? Odds are solid that Super Potato stocks it.
The key problem with Super Potato however, is the Pacific Ocean. Few American gamers will ever see the place, simply because it resides smack dab in the heart of The Land of The Rising Sun.
Thus, we should be thankful for efforts like the above video. What it may lack in the tactile sensation of actually being there and groping cartridges forged before your conception, it more than makes for in production values and overall geek appeal.
Oh, and on a related note, if you watch this clip and find yourself desiring even more intimate looks at Japan, despite the fact that you live on the other side of the globe, I’d recommend having a look at Danny Choo’s Culture Japan website. The dude’s photo excursions are equal parts gorgeous and informative, and his “foreigner in Japan” point of view is invaluable to those of us not native to Nippon.
If nothing else it’s a more accurate way to learn about the country than Gundam wall scrolls and cat girl hentai.
