Retro Game Store Reviews: Surugaya – Hamamatsu Ryoke branch

I came across the Surugaya Hamamatsu Ryoke branch completely by accident. My wife and I were checking out Hard Offs and Book Offs in western Shizuoka prefecture near Hamamatsu a few months back and my wife noticed it. Figuring we wouldn’t be out in that direction again for quite a long while she let me check it out. I’ve been a long time fan of the chain and had visited quite a few before this one so I had high expectations for this store. Luckily, I wasn’t let down.

The Selection

This is not a Surugaya in a large city or near a large city, yet its selection was one of the best out of all the retro game stores in western Shizuoka. Surugaya stores in Akihabara or Yokohama have been picked clean or have become very lean as of late, so it is always refreshing to see a healthy inventory or games. They have a wide variety of games from various consoles and handhelds, and if you’re looking for a specific games there is a good chance you’ll find what you’re looking for there. One of the great things about (most) Surugayas is that you won’t only find mainstream games there, but also lesser known and less popular games like from NEO GEO, PC Engine, or the Famicom Disk system. Even this lesser traveled branch has them. It might be in lesser quantities than the bigger stores in the chain, but it still has them. Also it’s important to note that while places like Book Off and Hard Off are trying to get rid of older retro games, Surugaya’s overall inventory health remains strong.

The Hamamatsu Ryoke store had a good number of retro systems as well, but were lacking on their handhelds selection. If you were looking for Sega or Sony stuff you shouldn’t have a problem though. I did however think that their accessory area was a little anemic, especially after seeing what places like the Shizuoka and Machida branches had to offer.

The Price

I didn’t take any close up pictures or purchase anything while I was at this store, but the prices were pretty standard for a Surugaya. Most of the things in the cases tended to be overpriced, if not exorbitant, but you could find some deals on stuff on the shelves. The majority of the games tended to be competitively priced and lesser than the other retro video game-centric shops. You still might be able to find some really good deals there from time to time as well. One of the benefits of this being outside of a big city is that the prices will change very slowly and be more adapted to local tastes than to tourists or higher income customers.

Access

I found this store while driving and while that is probably the best way to get there, it’s not impossible to get there on foot or by bus from Hamamatsu station. Hamamatsu station is a “local” stop for the Kodama Tokaido bullet train, but some of the Hikari limited expresses will stop there as well. Once at the station, you can set out on foot and walk there in about 30 minutes, or you can take a bus from from the north side of the station at the bus terminal and arrive at Ryoke Yubinkyoku station in about 10 minutes. It’s up to you if you need the steps, or if you want to save some time.

The Verdict

I will continue to sing praises about the Surugaya chain or stores until they do me wrong. The Hamamatsu store isn’t in the greatest location but it still a manageable distance away from a travel hub. The inventory is worth checking out if you’re in the Hamamatsu area, considering most of the other Hard Offs or Book Offs are either way out in the countryside or have selections too small to make it worth visiting. The only stores better than Surugaya in Hamamatsu, in opinion, are the Kanteidan stores in Hamakita and Hamamatsu (both of which are somewhat difficult to travel to on their own as well). If you’re stuck in western Shizuoka for a few days and need something to do, you really can’t go wrong with the Surugaya Hamamatsu Ryoke branch.

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

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