{"id":68850,"date":"2020-07-31T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-07-31T01:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/?p=68850"},"modified":"2021-11-10T11:14:31","modified_gmt":"2021-11-10T02:14:31","slug":"3-reasons-retro-japanese-video-games","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/3-reasons-retro-japanese-video-games\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Reasons You Should Get Into Retro Japanese Video Games"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you grew up in the 80s or 90s, you are more than likely familiar with the Sega Genesis<\/strong>, or the Super Nintendo Entertainment System<\/strong>, or the PlayStation<\/strong>, or at the very least the ubiquitous term \u201cNintendo\u201d that every mom seemed to apply to all of the above, plus some. With these 80s and 90s kids, myself included, now largely independent adults with a (debatable) amount of disposable income and a (perhaps less debatable) desire to revisit their childhoods, it\u2019s no wonder that the demand for and interest in retro video game consoles are on the rise.<\/strong> And the explosive popularity of Nintendo\u2019s miniaturized NES<\/a> and SNES consoles<\/a>, not to mention the swath of “me-too” re-releases of Sony\u2019s PlayStation<\/a>, Sega’s Genesis<\/a>, and even NEC\u2019s TurboGrafx-16<\/a> or digital releases of older Castlevania <\/em>titles on PS4<\/a> and the inclusion of NES and SNES titles packed in with Nintendo\u2019s online service for Switch<\/a>, punctuates the point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All of these releases for modern audiences provide a great outlet for those with a passing interest in older video games to temporarily indulge themselves, and they are certainly excellent to that end. But what about those who are looking for something with a bit more substance? For those with an interest in Japan, or in Japanese culture<\/strong>, this popularity boom sets the stage for a nostalgic and amazingly accessible opportunity for souvenirs<\/strong> and the fun that comes along with hunting for them on your next Japan trip! And so the case for retro game hunting in Japan comes in three points. Namely, these games and accessories from yesteryear can be: 1) shockingly inexpensive, 2) found all over Japan, and 3) fun to own!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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1) Cheap Prices for Retro Games in Japan<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

So, where do we begin? Well, for many, one of the largest barriers to entry in the retro gaming scene is the price<\/strong>. In fact, that\u2019s often one of the main draws to the recent miniaturized classic console boom, Nintendo’s own NES Classic Edition being released for just $59.99 US<\/a>, or low-cost, digital re-releases like those found on most digital distribution platforms, such as Doom 64<\/em> for $4.99 US<\/a> found for PC on Steam. While this barrier is certainly something to keep in mind for those deep into the collecting scene (copies of rare gems like Castlevania: Rondo of Blood<\/em> for the PC Engine routinely go for more than \u00a510,000), it\u2019s much less of the investment it\u2019s made out to be and doesn\u2019t tend to be the expensive rabbit hole in Japan that it is in other parts of the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Notice how many 80s and 90s game and game console manufacturers and publishers are Japanese? Nintendo, Sony, Sega, Konami, SquareSoft, Enix (Square Enix!), Hudson, Sunsoft, the list goes on. This brings us to one important term when it comes to the Japanese retro game market: quantity. There are simply more games to choose from than in other countries and regions! <\/strong>More games sold, kept in dusty attics, then resold to consignment shops. The law of supply and demand in action here means more games and lower price tags<\/strong>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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