Tokugawa Corporate Forums

Retro Japanese Computing
It is currently March 28th, 2024, 4:59 pm

All times are UTC




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 19 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next
Author Message
 Post subject: PC88 Shopping in Japan
PostPosted: November 4th, 2012, 3:03 am 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: October 29th, 2009, 7:06 am
Posts: 14
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Hi all,

I'm currently in Japan and while I don't think I'll actually buy a PC88 machine, I am interested in finding any boxed software or publications (books, magazines both of the time and retrospectives) during the Japanese PC era of the 80s. I'll be in Osaka over the next couple of days and will go to Den Den Town and the Super Potato there, but are there any specific stores I should check out? I'll also be in Tokyo in a week and a half – any must-go-to stores?

I've also been to the A-Too on Teramachi Dori in Kyoto, and while they had some cool stuff (Mega CDs and PC-Engine CD-ROMs) about the oldest PC stuff they had was Windows 95 stuff (Power Dolls 2 being one title I saw).

Any pointers greatly appreciated!

- Alex


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: November 4th, 2012, 2:11 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: January 19th, 2012, 4:02 pm
Posts: 72
Suruguya.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: November 6th, 2012, 7:57 am 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: October 17th, 2012, 5:18 am
Posts: 84
Surugaya is mail order only, but yes, if you're in Japan for a long enough period and have an address, you could order from them.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: November 6th, 2012, 12:27 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: January 7th, 2007, 5:19 am
Posts: 347
Location: Australia
From what I've heard there are no shops, in Akihabara or anywhere else, that properly stock old Japanese computer games. Your best case is finding a couple of konami MSX games in super potato or whatever, but thats about it. Unlike the old console games that are still everywhere, old computer games have pretty much completely disappeared from having any public exposure. This is due not only to the smaller print runs the games had, but to the fact that its a lot easier for someone to buy and play famicom games than to try and buy a working PC88 with the correct hardware to then try run games on.

I'm not sure if maybe there could be some shops that are still selling working pc88's, but when it comes to games then Yahoo Auctions Japan is what you'll mainly be looking at, and the same goes for games on all the other old computers.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: November 7th, 2012, 9:06 am 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: October 17th, 2012, 5:18 am
Posts: 84
As a Tokyo resident, I have to second what Macaw is saying. If you are extraordinarily lucky you might find a working PC-88 system at a Hard Off store, but I wouldn't count on it. You probably won't find anything in Akihabara, other than maybe some pricey MSX games. Yahoo! auctions and mail order like Surugaya are your best bet.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: November 12th, 2012, 1:39 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: October 29th, 2009, 7:06 am
Posts: 14
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Thanks all for your replies! I think I'll be happy browsing Akihabara — might find a couple more PC88 CD-ROM and Sega Mega CD titles to add to the cheap finds I've made west of Tokyo.

- Alex


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: November 12th, 2012, 3:18 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: April 27th, 2009, 11:42 am
Posts: 725
Location: Twilight of Neo Kobe City
If you happen to find and buy PC88 CDs, please dump them! The only two titles that are currently dumped are Mirrors and Takarabako CD.

_________________
Call me Snake...


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: November 12th, 2012, 7:03 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: May 21st, 2011, 7:33 am
Posts: 377
Snake Plissken wrote:
If you happen to find and buy PC88 CDs, please dump them! The only two titles that are currently dumped are Mirrors and Takarabako CD.


Hmm, it seems I miss the Takarabako CD dump. Does anyone have this one?

_________________
Anna's Playground for QMC2
Official MESS Message Board


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: November 13th, 2012, 1:25 am 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: October 17th, 2012, 5:18 am
Posts: 84
You found PC-88 CD Roms in a store??!!

So, apparently old floppy games get thrown out, and the CD-Roms are kept.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: November 13th, 2012, 12:43 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: October 29th, 2009, 7:06 am
Posts: 14
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Sorry, I meant to say PC ENGINE, not PC88...apologies!

- Alex


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: November 13th, 2012, 1:33 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: April 27th, 2009, 11:42 am
Posts: 725
Location: Twilight of Neo Kobe City
Anna_Wu wrote:
Snake Plissken wrote:
If you happen to find and buy PC88 CDs, please dump them! The only two titles that are currently dumped are Mirrors and Takarabako CD.


Hmm, it seems I miss the Takarabako CD dump. Does anyone have this one?


I'll upload it this weekend.

_________________
Call me Snake...


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: November 14th, 2012, 6:32 am 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: May 21st, 2011, 7:33 am
Posts: 377
Snake Plissken wrote:
Anna_Wu wrote:
Snake Plissken wrote:
If you happen to find and buy PC88 CDs, please dump them! The only two titles that are currently dumped are Mirrors and Takarabako CD.


Hmm, it seems I miss the Takarabako CD dump. Does anyone have this one?


I'll upload it this weekend.


Nice : )

_________________
Anna's Playground for QMC2
Official MESS Message Board


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: November 15th, 2012, 1:21 am 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: October 17th, 2012, 5:18 am
Posts: 84
Anyone know why an original Takarabako CD-Rom is so expensive? Is it rare?
(By expensive, I don't mean hundreds of dollars. I've seen it as cheap as 4500 yen on Yahoo! auctions.)


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: November 15th, 2012, 2:23 am 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: May 16th, 2007, 7:08 pm
Posts: 861
It's just a guess, but I think PC-88 CDs are quite rare by themselves, that would explain them not being dirt cheap.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: November 17th, 2012, 8:53 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: April 27th, 2009, 11:42 am
Posts: 725
Location: Twilight of Neo Kobe City
Takarabako CD links here:

http://www.sendspace.com/filegroup/NkUL ... 2hWO261fpU

_________________
Call me Snake...


Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 19 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next

All times are UTC


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group