The Best Arcade in the World

tsukaesugi

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[edit: pics are back up, thanks to chris1]

In Akihabara, the Electronics District of Tokyo.

eight one introduced me to this place. I would never have been able to take these shots had he never shown it to me.

It's a four story arcade stuck inside the narrowest building ever. The entire fourth floor is devoted to SNK games only. There are about fourteen four-slot cabs set up, ten of them head to head. Every KOF, Samurai Spirits, and Fatal Fury / Real Bout, plus Rage of the Dragons, Matrimelee, World Heroes Perfect, Breaker's Revenge, and a two-slot Hyper 64 cab with Wild Ambition and Asura Zanmaden.

The view of the fourth floor from the outside:

test1.jpg


The stairway leading to the fourth floor:

15.jpg


Despite all the various SNK games, the basic theme of the fourth floor is Garou Densetsu Supesharu (Fatal Fury Special). There's a monitor hooked up to the Fatal Fury Special cab that shows whatever match is being played at the time at the front of the room.

I don't have a shot of that, but here's a pic of the men's washroom on the fourth floor with a handmade Fatal Fury Special poster:

Smaller.jpg


Another Fatal Fury Special poster:

FH000017.jpg


Me and RBJakeSpecial on the third floor stairwell. The sign says Garou Densetsu Supesharu 4F Ni Taisendai Ari - Ran Nyu (Free-For-All Fatal Fury Special Head-to-Head Cabs on the Fourth Floor):

FH000019.jpg


Finally, the fourth floor stairwell:

FH000016.jpg


Irasshai! (Welcome!)
 
Last edited:

DanAdamKOF

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Oh my God, that looks and sounds awesome.

I didn't want to go to Japan that much until I saw NeoGeo Land and this.

Tsukae, ya need an apprentice/helper/manual laborer/foot-massager/boy-toy?
 

tsukaesugi

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DanAdamKOF said:
Oh my God, that looks and sounds awesome.

I didn't want to go to Japan that much until I saw NeoGeo Land and this.

Tsukae, ya need an apprentice/helper/manual laborer/foot-massager/boy-toy?

Go to university, get a degree in English or Education, and then come on over here and be a teacher.

Fantastic salary, great food, beautiful women, no litter or crime, and all the latest technology.

C'mon over Dan, you'd love it here.
 

c.t.h

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yeah, but if games are 100yen a wack, you could drop alot of cash pretty quick, especially when you're crappy at games like me.
 

tsukaesugi

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c.t.h said:
yeah, but if games are 100yen a wack, you could drop alot of cash pretty quick, especially when you're crappy at games like me.

In the last two years or so, a lot of arcades have reduced the prices to 50 yen. When SVC first came out at the game center by my place it was only 50 yen as well.

The arcade in the pictures is also only 50 yen.

True, that's twice as expensive as arcades in N.America, but the salaries over here make up for it.
 

DanAdamKOF

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tsukaesugi said:
Go to university, get a degree in English or Education, and then come on over here and be a teacher.

Fantastic salary, great food, beautiful women, no litter or crime, and all the latest technology.

C'mon over Dan, you'd love it here.

I don't speak any Japanese (well about 5 words that the average anime geek would pick up in 5 minutes).

All my family is here (well I have two Japanese cousins by marrige, ok their families are in Japan).

I loooooove the USA, don't see any real reason other than an arcade and one person's testimony to go anywhere else.

I'd spend all of my fantastic salary on the arcades and electronics, I bet. I don't think you can be a hobo in Japan.

Naaw I'm kidding! I'd love to go to Japan, well kinda. I seriously don't speak Japanese though, and you're not the only person I've heard from who says how great it is to teach there (but I hate being a student, why would I like teaching?).

But you can't make use of a apprentice/helper/manual laborer/foot-massager/boy-toy? Salary would be $5 a week for the arcade (I can rough it like a hobo for food/shelter).
 

BarfHappy

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Go to university, get a degree in English or Education, and then come on over here and be a teacher.

yeah~ lucky native english/americans

anyway, firmware developper was great in terms of salary (better than teacher but well... master degree) and less difficult for nerves (”š)
 

tsukaesugi

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DanAdamKOF said:
I don't speak any Japanese (well about 5 words that the average anime geek would pick up in 5 minutes).

All my family is here (well I have two Japanese cousins by marrige, ok their families are in Japan).

I loooooove the USA, don't see any real reason other than an arcade and one person's testimony to go anywhere else.

I'd spend all of my fantastic salary on the arcades and electronics, I bet. I don't think you can be a hobo in Japan.

Naaw I'm kidding! I'd love to go to Japan, well kinda. I seriously don't speak Japanese though, and you're not the only person I've heard from who says how great it is to teach there (but I hate being a student, why would I like teaching?).

But you can't make use of a apprentice/helper/manual laborer/foot-massager/boy-toy? Salary would be $5 a week for the arcade (I can rough it like a hobo for food/shelter).

No boy toys needed at the moment, thanks, the wife wouldn't be too happy.

Save up your nickels though, and come over for a visit someday.
 

tsukaesugi

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BarfHappy said:
yeah~ lucky native english/americans

anyway, firmware developper was great in terms of salary than teacher :) and less difficult for nerves (”š)

Not true, my friend's first language was French and he still got a job teaching English.

You can always find a job teaching your native language as well. It's difficult, but not impossible.
 

BarfHappy

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most are 28man a month, not interesting for me and i wouldn t be patient enough anyway... ^^

Anyway i have 3 years before going back... by that time, longhorn may produce great need of IT eng.s :)
I don t know if my new company (accenture) could send me there for work... i ll have to ask.

Anyway, back to the arcades thing... i may be nuts but... i love pachinko
i miss pachinko~~~ >.<
 

abdul

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:eek:

that is amazing, beats the crap out of dave and busters

hmmm, i wouldent mind teaching in japan, me = good as gell at math

would be fun :buttrock:
 

SouthtownKid

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tsukaesugi said:
Despite all the various SNK games, the basic theme of the fourth floor is Garou Densetsu Supesharu (Fatal Fury Special). There's a monitor hooked up to the Fatal Fury Special cab that shows whatever match is being played at the time at the front of the room.
For future reference, this is where I want my ashes scattered.
 

Dolphin

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Go to university, get a degree in English or Education, and then come on over here and be a teacher.

Fantastic salary, great food, beautiful women, no litter or crime, and all the latest technology.

C'mon over Dan, you'd love it here.

I recently sent off an application to join the JET program. I'm hoping the combination of my English BA, Japanese language minor, (I'll also have a Bio. BA) and previous travels to Japan will lend me an advantage during the selection process....

Anyway, back to my final (and I do mean FINAL, for I graduate in a mere two weeks) project papers...
 

beelzebubble

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Go to university, get a degree in English or Education, and then come on over here and be a teacher.

or you could get a degree in "the dynamics of sedimentation at the coldest point of the year in mid west siberia"

and youd still get a job easy :)
 

Neon_Sonic

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Any chance you could get the pictures hosted somewhere else? This sounds interesting.
 

eight one

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Tsuka, send me the pics. I'll put 'em up.

I'll be in Ikebukuro on Saturday. If you're not too busy, we can kick it.

J-Game is the absolute bomb. Your next assignment-the Taito Hey arcade.
 

Ghost-Dog

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eight one said:
Tsuka, send me the pics. I'll put 'em up.

I'll be in Ikebukuro on Saturday. If you're not too busy, we can kick it.

J-Game is the absolute bomb. Your next assignment-the Taito Hey arcade.

Is that the one next to Club Sega in Akiba? I went there by mistake, but I actually spent more yen there than any other arcade in the area.
 

eight one

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Ghost-Dog said:
Is that the one next to Club Sega in Akiba? I went there by mistake, but I actually spent more yen there than any other arcade in the area.

Yes.

Tell me you at least visted the Try Amusement Tower (on back street by McDonald's)
 

Ghost-Dog

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No, I did not. My guide of the area is not versed in the gaming lifestyle unfortunately. Maybe you and Tsuka can show me around a bit more next time I visit. It was supposed to be March of 2k4, but I don't think I'll have the money in time. Not to mention the break from school.
 

BarfHappy

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It s unfair... you make me want to go back fast fast fast
that country sucks... >.<
–l‚Ì￾_ˆäŒö‰€‚Ì•”‰®‚ɖ߂肽‚¢‚¡‚¡‚¡‚¡‚¡*ƒVƒNƒVƒN*
ƒtƒ‰ƒ“ƒXŒ™‚¢￾`￾`￾`
 

tsukaesugi

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beelzebubble said:
or you could get a degree in "the dynamics of sedimentation at the coldest point of the year in mid west siberia"

and youd still get a job easy :)

Sad but true.

@Dolphin Lord: good luck
@Neon Sonic: I'm arranging to get the pics rehosted
@eight one: PM sent
@BarfHappy: Are you French?
 
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