Retro Game Store Reviews: Machida Surugaya

I know what you’re thinking; FINALLY a non-Kanteidan store review! To be honest there are plenty of non Kanteidan stores I want to talk about but I don’t want my readers to waste their time with the smaller fish if they end up going on an adventure to find these stores. I’m doing all the hard work to find the best places to spend your time so you don’t have to.

The Selection

Bar none the Surugaya in Machida probably has one of the best selections of retro games in the Kanto area, beating out most of the stores in Akihabara (too small) and also the Surugaya in Yokohama (smaller inventory). There are other Surugaya’s that are close, but I’ll be talking about them later.

The depth of the inventory isn’t as good as the flagship store in Shizuoka and some different chains in Akihabara, but what it lacks in the number of games it makes up for in variety. There is a huge amount of games, game accessories, consoles, and even strategy guides at this store. The number of boxed items was also impressive.

The Pricing

I’ve found some very good deals while shopping at this Surugaya. Sure their boxed prices of highly sought after games can be pretty jaw dropping at times, but I think they still beat out places in Akihabara like Super Potato and Mandarake. They have various pricing on their items depending on the quality and the completeness of the product and I think the prices are very fair. I picked up the PSP cover you see below after visiting the store a second time due to its rarity (rarely see it show up in used shops in Japan), and also bought a copy of Zelda: Wind Waker on the Gamecube complete for about 1500 yen not too long ago as well. I’ve never felt ripped off at their pricing. I usually felt happy with the deal I got.

Access

Machida is in Tokyo. Yes Tokyo is more than just the Yamanote loop line around the downtown area. Tokyo is an entire prefecture and there are many “bed towns” around the downtown area that people commute from to go into the city every day. One such area is Machida. It’s accessible by both the Odakyu line from Shinjuku station, and by the JR Yokohama Line. If you’re coming by bullet train to the area, Shin Yokohama is probably your best choice.

Before you’re wondering if it’s worth it to go all the way out to Machida, yes it is. There are two other Book Offs in the area you can find retro games at (a BO Plus and a BO Super Bazaar), and there is plenty of other shopping in the area as well. 

Once you’re in Machida though you have to make a choice. You can take a bus from the terminal near Odakyu station and get there in about 17 minutes, or you can walk there and arrive in about 22 minutes. It’s a few minutes longer if you’re coming from  JR Machida station. The two times I’ve visited this store I walked. It was almost a straight shot from the station.

The Verdict

If you’re looking for some places that aren’t Akihabara to buy retro games, western Tokyo (at places like Machida) is a great alternative. It’s pretty accessible, has enough of a selection to warrant a trip out of the downtown area (great for a day trip), and you’ll find much better prices than in Akiba as well.

• Selection: 4/5
• Pricing: 4/5
• Ease of Access: 3.5/5

But wait, there’s more!

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