Super Family Computer! (Super Famicom/SNES)

Suffering from video game withdrawal is a heavy situation to deal with. Since arriving to Japan I've already missed GTA IV and arguably the greatest video game release ever in Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. Not to mention I am unable get my daily dose of Rock Band/Guitar Hero either (Guitar Hero 4 was also released about three weeks ago).

I do have my DS and R4 with me; however the single and multiplayer antics provided by a TV gaming console just sometimes cannot be substituted with any other form of entertainment. While it's possible I may be re-united with my PS3 in a month (Ed is potentially bringing it over) something had to be done to fill the void in the meantime. In the beginning of June I blogged about Akihabara and how it has a ridiculous collection of electronics and gadgets. Today Kyle & I re-visited this area and didn't leave until we had a gaming console in our hands. It was time for me to once again own a Super Nintendo.

When I was younger I had a SNES and a great collection of games to go alongside with it. As gaming console generations are constantly undergoing change it was time to stay with the crowd and move onto the next system. Back in 1996, I traded in my old SNES to help pay for a Nintendo 64.

So how much did the discovery of the year cost? You wouldn't believe me if I told you. The console with two controllers came out to an astounding ￥500, which is roughly $5 Canadian. No, I didn't forget to add a "0" or do the math incorrectly. I'm still not sure as to why the hell it was so cheap since there were a few other stores selling the same product for ￥4000. Next, it was time to pick up the proper software to justify the purchase. Kyle and I decided that Mortal Kombat (￥300) was an absolute must have. There was also a clearance/discount bin and Kyle managed to find a copy of the Dr. Mario for ￥50 (50 cents). We grabbed a copy of Final Fight and I picked out X-Men Mutant Apocalypse, since it was one of my favourite childhood games. Super Mario World, Street Fighter, and Donkey Kong were all extremely tempting but they were a bit pricey compared to the other games. The grand total for the console and the four games we picked out came to a whopping ￥2125 ($21.25 Canadian). I'll post a picture of receipts later. I still can't believe how unbelievably cheap everything was.

It's time to re-live my childhood video gaming days on nights where I just feel to lazy or crappy to go out on. I'm going to make a prediction and say the library of Super Famicom games will grow to about 25 by the time I leave Japan. If anyone has any suggestions on games I'll gladly take them into consideration.



Liu Kang Wins. Fatality.