The search for adventure island
I finished work around 8:00PM today, left the office and got on the train, and after a packed, lengthy train ride, arrived in Mizunokuchi. Let the hunt begin! My target, a copy of the Gameboy Advance re-release of the classic NES game, “Adventure Island,” titled: “Takahashi Meijin no Boukenjima” in Japan, for my little sister who requested it the other day on the phone. Today is the release day in Japan of another 10 classic NES titles* for the Gameboy Advance. Buying video games in Japan is like a treasure hunt, it’s not quite as straight forward as it is in the States. In America, the only places to find video games were either through online stores, and Electronics Boutique(maybe this is an East Coast thing), and the usual big Toy Store chains. Here in Japan, it goes even further, the video rental stores, convenience stores, and even some bookstores carry video games. This may increase my chances of finding a popular game(and increase the amount of time I have to spend looking), but today I was out of luck. Even with all these places selling games, “Adventure Island” was the only game sold out in every location. I was able to find myself a copy of Ghosts ‘n Goblins, called, “Makaimura” here, but it looks like I’ll have to wait until next week for the shops to restock.
Sidenote - I’ve discovered an amazing new snack cracker here that tastes like scallops. They’re in a little rectangle box, cost about $1, and can be found in just about any supermarket. I can’t stop eating these things, but I don’t think scallop crackers would be so popular back home. Needless to say, I will not hesitate to mail boxes of these home to anyone who requests them.
*For my otaku friends, here are the ten new classic NES games just released:
Mario Brothers, Clu Clu Land, Balloon Fight, Wrecking Crew, Dr. Mario, Dig Dug(Namco), Adventure Island(Takahashi Meijin no Boukenjima, Hudson), Ghosts ‘n Goblins(Makaimura, Capcom), Stinger (Twinbee, Konami), Mystical Ninja Goemon (Gannbare Goemon! Karakuri Douchu, Konami)
