For as long as I can remember, I've wanted to visit Japan. It's sort of a ‘gamer heritage' thing. When I was a kid playing the NES, I was genuinely intrigued by the sort of culture that would bring us a turtle fighting plumber, a ring collecting hedgehog, a fighter pilot fox, and whatever the hell a moogle is supposed to be.
Nowadays you can get a domestically developed and distributed space marine adventure every couple of weeks, so many younger gamers might not get this- but an entire generation of nerds was left to interpret what was going on in these early games without a whole lot of back story to work with.
In spite of this, or perhaps because of it, it's been my long time dream to make it over to the country that, arguably, paved the way for the popularized games we play today. A dream I'll realize on August 15th when I fly into Narita Airport for a week long stay in Tokyo.
Please bear in mind as you read this that I'll be embarking on my first ever trip to Japan, so any tips you can provide would be very helpful. I've read some guide books and blogs on what to expect and what to do while in Tokyo, but most of these weren't put together by people looking to score an old Famicom and some decent WaLuigi cosplay gear, so they're less than applicable to my vacation goals.
First, a quick side note: I do realize that Nintendo is headquartered in Kyoto (from Futurama ‘An anagram lover's Tokyo'). My wife and I had considered making this our destination, or perhaps catching the bullet train over for a day, until we read up on what to expect from the Nintendo facility.
In a word: nothing. Nintendo's headquarters are located in a non-descript office building sporting a particular shade of grey that would more likely promote work related suicide than whimsical kart racers. There's no visitor center, gift shop full of rarities, or anything of the sort. It's just a standard, boring office. Thus, no Kyoto on this trip.
Where FUN is made. Not pictured: Drab break rooms, water coolers, and countless ‘hilarious' e-mail forwards.
So we're keeping it to Tokyo this go ‘round. My first destination looks to be Akihabara- a district of Tokyo comprised mostly of discount electronics stores and video game retailers. In particular, the interwebs have recommended I try a place called Super Potato.
From what I can tell, it's a mix between a museum and a Gamestop and it's absolutely huge. Games dating back to the Game & Watch era (at about $500 USD) all the way up to new releases and everything in between are available, not to mention plenty of game related memorabilia, including a Christmas poster featuring the full cast of Super Mario that's sure to confuse my in-laws for many holidays to come.
The best thing about Super Potato, and one of the best things about Japan, is the frequent inclusion of completely ridiculous mascots. I was on the fence about buying expensive consumer electronics at this place, but a screaming, running potato-man has more than waylaid my concerns.
A face you can trust.
And they don't stop at anthropomorphic vegetables, either. Public transit is absolutely essential in a city the size of Tokyo, and there are several different train lines to get you around town. The pass cards for these trains are sold by two separate companies, but they now work for any train in Tokyo.
The only difference in the two is the mascot on your pass card, which leads me to my burning pre-trip decision: Would I prefer a penguin or a pink robot when boarding the subway? I think we can agree that only a jackass would pick the penguin.
No contest, really. Wipe that smile off your face and get back to the zoo, a-hole.
Another destination while I'm in town is Sega's indoor theme park, Joypolis. Included in the price of admission are several VR rides including a simulated roller coaster, an actual halfpipe you ride while attached to a guided skateboard, a substantial arcade, and several immersion style shooting galleries.
Not included in the price of admission: an apology for the last 10 Sonic the Hedgehog games.
Additionally, Joypolis plays host to two attractions based on the American TV series '24' and ‘Prison Break'. Again, I've never been to Japan, so I can only hope that this is what the populace bases their opinion of all Americans on. That way, they'll understand why I had to crash through the lobby of my hotel on a motorcycle after continental breakfast. Because I don't play by the rules.
My trip isn't for another week and a half, so please let me know if there are any must sees I need to check out. There's more planned for the trip than the above two items listed, but many were picked by my wife and may include a visit to Sanrio Puroland- a theme park based in the ‘Hello Kitty' universe. Google it if you're interested. Or better yet, don't, your parents are already concerned about you.
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