lisalover1 wrote:Aww, and I was hoping for a Marty. Anyway, he'll be in Tokyo, specifically. What would be better, a Famicom+Disk System, or a PC Engine and a couple games? What would be cheaper?
Ask for a Marty, but don't expect him to find one. Count yourself lucky if he does. Good luck finding games for it. It's a pain!
I vote for the PC Engine over the Famicom/FDS. The PC Engine has a lot more to offer that you cannot find in the States. NES stuff is relatively easy to find in comparison. There really isn't a lot of stuff on the FC/FDS that you cannot get on the NES. It's more of a novelty than anything. Get it AFTER you have somewhat of a Japanese PC Engine and Saturn collection.
If he doesn't mind, ask for a PC Engine Duo system. They do run around 20,000yen at Super Potato, compared to an original white or Core Grafx system, which is around 4000yen. A Core Grafx II/Super CD-ROM2 add-on is a good alternative as well, and it works just as well as a Duo (no system card required for Super CD games!). Get a few Hu-Cards as well, and CD games if you get a Super CD system (like a Duo). Dracula X (Super CD) is sometimes in the "junk" bin at Super Potato for 4000-6000yen, so that would be a really good deal (it's usually 10,000+yen). Bomberman '94, Final Soldier, Parodius, Salamander, Gradius II (Super CD),
Ai Cho Aniki* (Super CD) and Kato and Ken are some of the better/more interesting Japan-only PC Engine games. Street Figher II' is a cool novelty, but you'll need a 6-button pad to really enjoy it. I'll leave it to you to look up others and games that were released in the US also that are worth getting (there are MANY). The Bonk (PC Genjin) games, Crush pinball games and the other Soldier shooters (Super Star Soldier, Soldier Blade, Gunhed (sort of)) are examples of great PCE games that you need that made it out of Japan. The Japanese versions are generally MUCH cheaper than their US counterparts. An extra control pad (6-button is good if you want SFII') and a multitap are good accessories to get.
MAKE SURE, if you get a Core Grafx, Super CD-ROM2 add-on, or Duo, that your dad gets one that comes with AV cables!!! They are very hard to find otherwise. The AC adapter is the same as the Master System, Genesis 1 and Sega CD 1 and 2, so that is easier to find a replacement for (only for the original PC Engine or Core Grafx systems... NOT the Duo!!!).
Basically, the PC Engine and Saturn are the two best systems to import from Japan, since so many of their games never left Japan.
Like D.D.D. said, Traders is also good. Traders 3 is on the main strip (Super Potato is in the back streets behind Traders 3) and has a really good selection on the 2nd floor (1st floor if you're British!). They recently moved their retro stuff from Traders 2 earlier this year, so some older maps (2009 and before) might be outdated in this way. FYI, he needs to go to the 3rd floor in Super Potato. Both shops should be fairly easy for your dad to find, as long as you make him a good map (label which exit he should use from the train station!!!).
A Saturn is also a good idea, as it will save you shipping if you get one in the future. It's a bit heavy.
It is true that Akihabara stops like Super Potato and Traders 3 are more expensive than places outside Akihabara, BUT your dad will need to go WAY out of his way to find them. Considering the time spent and extra train fare, it really is not worth it. Just send him to Akihabara.
*Ai Cho Aniki is VERY weird. Cool... maybe. Japanese? Well, probably no other country would come up with that!
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Either way, same area within 5 minutes of each place.