Retro Game Store Reviews: Super Potato Nagoya

I actually wrote an article about this Super Potato when it first opened up in Nagoya about 10 years ago. I wasn’t as much of a gamer back then as I am now, but I remember thinking how cool of a place it was. Fast forward to to 2025 and my thoughts on the chain have changed a little. Nagoya has always been popular with the gamers though. When Super Potato opened up there was already the Meikoya store and K’s House (a local mom and pop media shop). Since then it has only cemented itself as the go to place for gamers with other stores like Furuichi and Surugaya.

The Selection

The selection of games at Super Potato, especially the Nagoya Super Potato, shouldn’t be physically possible. The weight of the total amount of games is so much that it is in danger of collapsing onto itself and becoming a singularity (a black hole). You’ll see what I mean after seeing this store’s inventory . . .

Nintendo Products

There’s the Nintendo section. Sorry, sections. Sorry FLOOR. That’s right, the entire first floor of the store is all Nintendo products. Pretty much every game and every version of game ever created by Nintendo is here. While some of the Famicom (NES), Super Famicom (SNES), Gameboy, and Gameboy Advance games are sold without a box, pretty much every other game in this store is boxed and complete. The same can be said of game consoles and handhelds too. Any color, any limited edition, any version of a console you can think of is here. Super Potato’s inventory dwarfs any other store in Nagoya, in fact their Nintendo selection alone is probably bigger than every other stores’ selection combined. Super Potato is your one stop shop for all things gaming. If it exists, there is a very good chance it’s for sale here.

Non-Nintendo Products

On the second floor of this shop you’ll find shelves and shelves of Sony, Sega, and every other company’s products. Their selection is very comprehensive, and they even have those elusive Mega Drive and Game Gear games that Sega made. Lots of older, more obscure games are disappearing from the shelves of smaller retro shops and thrift stores, but you can always count on Super Potato keeping theirs stocked.

Gaming Related Stuff

Not only does Super Potato have a mind boggling amount of video games and video game systems, but they also have a lot of video game strategy guides and CDs. To be honest Surugaya sells old game soundtracks too, but nowhere near as much. If you can’t find the music of your favorite game online or on a streaming service, there’s a pretty good chance you can find it at a Super Potato.

The Price

You want rare and you want complete games? Well be prepared to pay out the wazoo for them. Even with the yen being weaker than the US dollar and other currencies, you’re still going to end up paying very close to what you would for the English version of games, or at least 50% to 100% higher than most other shops in Japan. You’re paying for the quality, as well as the convenience of being able to come and buy a retro game whenever you want. I’ve never actually bought a game from them because I’ve found them MUCH cheaper elsewhere, but I did end up buying a game music CD I couldn’t find it anywhere else (Wild Arms 2 OST) and I also often go here for protective game cases because this is the only place I know of that sells them. If you’ve given up all hope of finding a good deal on a game or just can’t find it anywhere, bust out that wallet and go to Super Potato.

Access

The Osu Kannon shopping area in Nagoya is a wonderful place in a great location. It can be reached by going to either Kamimaezu station on the Meijo subway line or Osu Kannon on the Tsurumai line, both of which are less than 20 minutes away from Nagoya station. Nagoya station is a major bullet train station that all types of trains stop at, so even if you take a Nozomi from Tokyo or Osaka you would arrive quickly. Osu Kannon is actually a shopping arcade, which means it’s a covered, outdoor shopping area located in the neighborhood of a city. It’s made up of 3 streets, 2 of which are covered but one that isn’t, Akamon-dori. That’s where you will find Super Potato, almost right next to Meikoya. The easiest way to reach it is to head out of either exit 8 or 9 from Kamimaezu station and then it’s about a 7 minute walk straight there.

The Verdict

If you’re strapped for time to buy retro games, have deep pockets, or just want to show off some rare retro gaming stuff, Super Potato is your shop. I’ve been to the one in Ikebukuro and the one in Akihabara in Tokyo and in my opinion this is probably the best one overall. The Ikebukuro one is too small, and the Akihabara one doesn’t have near as much inventory as this one. The customers Super Potato wants aren’y your casual gamers though. I would go so far as to say that Super Potato’s target audience are affluent gamers as well as tourists coming over to Japan to take advantage of the weak yen. If you only have a few hours to shop for games on your trip and don’t mind the price, just go here.

• Selection: 6/5
• Pricing: 2/5
• Ease of Access: 5/5

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