DenDen town is a popular neighborhood of Osaka for being the heart of electronic and anime culture. Located between Namba and Ebisucho stations, it has a concentration of shops exclusively dedicated to this genre and is often referred to as the Akihabara of Osaka. It is also a very famous spot for video games lovers. One of their favorite places for shopping is undeniably the Super Potato store.
This video-game chain, which is also available in Tokyo, is the temple of retro-gaming. If you are looking to have a taste of video game history, this is definitely the place to visit. They sell video games and consoles from the very first generation up to the sixth generation and the place is somewhere in-between a museum - for the incredible collection of vintage games it displays – and a bazaar. There are so many items that the shop is packed with piles and piles of consoles. You can find boxes filled with cartridges next to shaky towers of game systems and it's a real pleasure to explore the shelves, searching for hidden jewels.
The quality of the games and consoles they own is outstanding. You can find retro games in perfect condition and even boxed versions of rare cartridges. The consoles look new even though they might be more than twenty years old! You can even find a small corner dedicated to power outlets, controllers and accessories. The overall prices are very affordable, you can sometimes buy GameBoy cartridges for less than 100 ¥. Moreover, popular games such as Final Fantasy VII or The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time can be found in their original box for only 1500 ¥, and an unboxed cartridge of a very good game can be around 500 ¥. These are fairly good prices given the games' age and the popularity of the series.
If you are willing to buy a console, you should note that TV consoles are blocked on a specific zone and you will only be able to play Japanese games if you buy them here. In the same way, you won't be able to play any game you buy here on your European / American TV console. However, portable consoles are usually not blocked, so you can buy as many GameBoy games as you want, you'll be able to play them on your own device without a problem.
On your way to the exit, you will find products such as keychains, plushes, t-shirts, cards of your favorites video game characters. You'll also have a food corner where you can buy video-game themed sweets.
If you are a video game lover, this is definitely a place to put on your shortlist to bring back an exciting souvenir from Japan!
