Arcades in Tokyo
- Locations
- Arcade info
- Games
- Rhythm Games
- Shmups
- Other
Locations
Akihabara
GIGO
There's heaps of GIGO locations along the main Akiba strip, it's worth checking them all out. Most are claw machines but each level should be dedicated to a different style of games. It's probably the most touristy arcade in the area but still fun.
HEY
A bit less touristy but also a bit more interesting. Lots of sit-down older cabs here. Mostly bullet hell & shoot em ups stuff as well as some puzzle games. They've got the usual rhythm game, fighting games, claw machines etc too. I probably spent the most time here while in Akiba since I really enjoyed grinding for the best scores in Bullet Hells.
Leisure Land
Almost no tourists here but was the best spot to grind out rhythm games, isn't even too far out of the way it's just a bit down an alley! All claw games on the first floor, but the following floors are mostly Rhythm games and trading card games (which are really fun but not english friendly lol).
Ikebukuro
Round 1
LOADS of claw machines as well as heaps of rhythm games. There's an entire floor also dedicated to gambling & pachislot which I wouldn't recommend lol - go to a proper venue instead. Imo the GIGO in this area is better, but still worth checking out!
GIGO Main Branch
This is the newest and largest venue I went to, I'd really recommend headphones or ear plugs if you plan to be here for a long time. It's 3 floors of claw machines but the entire basement is dedicated to Rhythm games and Card games. There's an insane amount of space and lots of machines so you can play for hours without needing to queue or leave. I'd highly recommend this venue if you're looking for a place to play rhythm games for an extended period of time.
Arcade info
Paying for games
Most games will have a coin slot for 100 yen coins, however some games will let you pay with your Suica card (Green train pass). Keep an eye out for little screens with buttons attached to the machines, you can usually navigate a menu on them to pay with your Suica card.
Both Sega & Konami have their own e-currencies that are required to play certain modes, but as a beginner it's not really worth learning to deal with these!
Saving your data
Almost all the modern arcade games use some sort of card to save your progress. Each company has their own card but as long as the card has "Amusement IC" on it, it should work with everything. Aime cards are the most common.
Most games will give you a free play if it's your first time playing with a card too.
Arcade etiquette
There's a few basic tips that can help you get the most out of your arcade experience.
- Don't stand too close to people actively playing a game, it's considered really rude.
- If someone looks outgoing, most people will happily explain how to play the game if you ask - Even though it's popular in Japan, it's technically a niche hobby and people are always excited to introduce someone new to the game.
- If it's extremely busy, look for a clipboard or whiteboard with
names on it, this is the queue. Add your name and hang around it
until the person above you is done. Once you're finished, cross
off your name.
- If it's not busy, You can play continuously on a free machine. After each play check if anyone looks like their waiting and ask them if they'd like to play.
- If there's no whiteboard or clipboard, hang around the machines and either wait for someone to ask if you want to play or ask if you can play when someone finishes.
- People will queue skip you sometimes and hog a machine... Try hold out and hope someone friendlier lets you play next or if it's egregious and there's only one machine either go somewhere else or ask if you can play to them directly. It's usually not worth the effort to try and play on a machine that's got someone like this playing on it.
Claw game prizes
As fun as it is to win a claw machine prize figure, sometimes it's not worth the effort. Look for a game traders or 2nd hand store nearby, and you'll usually find the figurines on sale there! Smaller prizes usually have better odds though so it's worth looking out for those. While claw games are still rigged, I wouldn't say they're as rigged as they are here in Australia! Still fun if you've got spare change (WHICH YOU WILL!!!)
Games
Beatmania IIDX
I've got like nearly 1000 hours in this game, It's one of my favourite games. It's got a fucked new player experience though. I really recommend giving it a go, but it's one of those games that you need to play for a while to get into. The website iidx.org is a great resource for learning to play. There are english menu options when you first log in.
If you're playing while logged in I recommend picking the game mode "Step Up" as it guarantees 3 songs per play and will only recommend songs it thinks you'll be able to beat. It is not available when playing with a friend! If playing with a friend, pick the "Normal" mode and stick to low levels - if you both fail a song you will be kicked out of the game.
SoundVoltex
This one is really fun, You play with 6 buttons and 2 knobs. Hitting the buttons to the beat and using the knobs to align follow lasers that appear on the screen. It's suprisingly not as hard as it looks, and it's a lot of fun to play. There are english menu options when you first log in.
Gitadora
Another game that I spend an insane amount of time playing. It's older than guitar hero too so it's not a knock off! I find the drums much more fun but the guitar mode is also really enjoyable. By default, the guitar mode scrolls upwards which is the opposite of Guitar Hero. When in song select, if you mash the purple fret it opens the options where you can reverse the scroll which makes it easier to play if you're used to Guitar Hero.
I'd really recommend giving the Drums a go too, but its actually just playing drums - so the learning curve is high. Extremely satisfying though. The newer versions of these cabinets are white and usually feel a bit more premium but all cabinet versions run the same software. There are english menu options when you first log in.
Ongeki
This game is really funky, it's a combo of the rhythm game and a bullet hell game. You use the center lever to move your character, and you shoot by hitting the coloured buttons matching the note colour. Really enjoyable but does not have any english menu options, making it a bit harder to play. Worth watching a video on YouTube potentially to get the feel for the menus. It's credit system is also a bit weird with credits buying time instead of song plays, so make sure you dont waste the time in menus!
Taiko no Tatsujin
Extremely fun and simple game that anyone can play. You just bash the drum to the beat of the music as the notes slide in (But don't hit too hard!). These machines are literally everywhere, and are one of the most popular rhythm games just for their accessibility. Really fun with a friend.
Shmups
Not mentioning any specific here but HEY has a great collection of Bullet hell games, I really enjoy "DoDonPachi DaiOuJou - Black Label". Absolute credit muncher though, but extremely satisfying. Recommend watching people play to get a feel for it, but don't stand too close... arcade etiquette etc.
Kancolle Arcade
I spent hundreds of dollars on this game. It's one of those trading card arcade games that are really popular in Japan. You pay 100 yen to play and then can subsequently spend 100 more yen to print out a new card after each successful mission - so it really runs though your money. It does not have any english options and the menu timers are brutal but there's good tutorials online for how to play.
The general gameplay loop is - Put your deck into the slot on the machine which it scans, select which characters will come on the mission, play through a mission where you explore and fight other fleets, and then once you win, optionally spend 100 yen to print out a random new character card. It's really fun to play, and I even managed to get my partner into it lol.
Tetris - The Grand Master
Japan has so many tetris games, that never really got released in the west. The best is The Grand Master series which is extremely difficult and has a fun twist on the underlying tetris mechanics. Really worth the play & battle mode is super fun with a friend.