Arcades (called ‘game centers’ here) still seem to be going strong. They’re still massive, still full of people, and still sorting a dazzling array of technologically impressive arcade games.
They all follow the same basic pattern. Almost every one has UFO machines on the ground floor:
These contain a remarkable assortment of things, from food to toys to stuffed figures to just about anything else you can imagine (I won a knockoff Roomba yesterday).
The larger centers arrange the machines by prize category as well, with the ‘enthusiast’ stuff (such as anime girl figures or things for girls like the above) usually on the second or basement floor.
Almost all game centers have a bank of ‘purikura’ (photo sticker) machines as well:
Think of them like passport photo machines dialed up to 11. They all include the ability to edit the photos now, and there’s a great range of machine. Some game centers have dozens of these over two or more floors, sometimes renting costumes as well (and often barring single men from those floors).
Then we get to games! These are arranged by type as well in the following categories:
Card games, such as those shown above, can be any genre but all utilize IC cards for play. Sometimes you use them to actually play the game, sometimes the cards add functionality to the game itself. Players arrive with their decks of cards and the machine reads them. These are very popular and there’s card vending machines in the arcades (and games bend cards too). For someone like me, these are essentially unplayable!
Music games come in all shapes and sizes from idol games (the first photo) to complex push-the-button-to-the-rythym games as below. These are prominent in most arcades and most look insanely difficult. Watching people play them well is very entertaining 🙂
Medal games are similar to those in the USA albeit much bigger, and this floor of the arcade usually includes things like Star Horse (top photo) or the multiplayer football games. Medals serve no purpose here and by law can’t be exchanged for prizes, so winning them is just for fun?
Last but not least are the traditional arcade games, including fighting and driving games (in dedicated cabinets). These are sadly rare now, and only in the bigger arcades. The card and music games seem to reign supreme now, and if you’re just after a quick blast of Espgaluda (like the old days) you may be disappointed! Except of course for Akihabara, where the good old games are still common 🙂
I almost forgot to mention the kids games, usually collected into their own area and covering most genres already describes, as well as the…
Gashapon (toy vending) machines which are in abundance almost everywhere but especially in arcades.
Also, these places are not just for the young! Some of the games are not cheap to play (the IC ones go up to ¥600/game!) and obviously aimed at adults, and you see every demographic in the arcades here. It’s very much a common and normal entertainment venue in Japan and always has been over the 15 years we’ve been visiting.
