Dropping a lot of cash on games has not been a priority on this trip, but that isn't to suggest that we here at the Game|Life Japan Division have any willpower whatsoever. Here's what I've bought thus far, clockwise from top left:
Wii De Yawaraka Atama Juku, aka the Wii version of Big Brain Academy. Mostly because I needed *something* to play on my Japanese Wii, and it isn't out until July or something in the US. I haven't played it yet, because I don't think I want to set up a Wii in my hotel room. But if my performance at GDC is any indication, I am sure that I will be awesome at this. 4100 yen (about $37) -- I could have paid less, but I wanted to patronize this tiny little shop I know.
Ultima: Quest of the Avatar. Yes, it's the NES version. How often do you find an NES game, complete with box, manual, and map, in really nice condition, in Japan, for 480 yen (about $4)? Not that often, and so I pretty much had to. Purchased in Trader 2.
__Tingle's Balloon Fight. __This is the limited-edition not-for-resale DS game that Nintendo gave out as a gift to Club Nintendo members who had registered a bunch of Nintendo products in the year 2006. They just went out last month, and Akihabara is -- well, I certainly wouldn't say it's flooded with them, but you can get sealed copies for 3980 yen at any number of used game stores. I picked this one up for Parish at Trader.
Nodame Cantabile and free piano-shaped DS pouch. Based on the popular girls' anime about a handsome young orchestra conductor, this game is a total Ouendan ripoff. Or so I've been told. I haven't played it yet. It sold well, but is currently being marked down at the Aki shops -- I got this for 2980 yen at Media Land, which was the lowest new price I could find. (Note that I got it two days after I took this pic, and the price had dropped.) It's cheaper used, but Nintendo has created a monster with Club Nintendo -- you only get the registration points redeemable for rare merch if you buy new, not used.
Hudson Best Collection Volume 6: Adventure Island Collection. OMG OMG. I've been looking for this forever -- I saw it last July in Tokyo, didn't buy it, and then it disappeared from the store the next day. And I couldn't find it after that, even though I checked literally every single store in Akihabara during Tokyo Game Show week. Talk about rare. Anyway, I just happened to come across it in Trader 2 for 2480 yen, and was all over it like curry on rice. Adventure Island rocks, and now I have them all on my GBA. Impressions later, probably.
