Frankly, we don't get it. And we kind of stopped looking at prices after having our world rocked by second-hand gaming sticker shock. But if you want to know where you can drop a grand on a copy of Maximum Carnage, now you know. Super Potato.

First stop: Super Potato. You've heard about it, you've read about it, you may have even seen pictures of it, but nothing can prepare you for actually seeing it in person. The outside is fairly unassuming and seems nearly invisible compared to the surrounding shops with their large neon signs. A dingy hallway with a few handmade signs mark the way to a tiny elevator that barely contained our four person party. When the doors opened again onto the third floor, we all gasped in amazement. Here we stood, on the border of vintage game paradise. Famicoms and other ancient systems lined the walls with shelves upon shelves of games of every size and shape imaginable dotted here and there with toys and other gaming memorabilia.

The next floor was just as crowded with every available space taken up by a immense collection of more toys, game soundtracks and various knick knacks. One last trip up the stairs brought us to a dimly lit and smoky arcade filled with various otaku and their girlfriends (yeah, they had them!) who lined the back wall texting on their phones, waiting for their geeky knights to finish conquering the video game world.

Obviously, hearing me describe it is nothing compared to seeing what it was like in photos. I took a ton of pictures despite the various signs indicating that photos weren't allowed that I pretended to ignore, all for you, our precious readers. So, click below and enjoy the thirty six photo gallery of the possibly greatest vintage game store in the world.

Electronics site Akihabara News visits retro retailer Super Potato. Incessant video panning and swooping follows! Neat if you've never been to Super Potato, but it kinda has a hidden camera ambush vibe. That, or it's like shopping with someone who has ADD. Brian Ashcraft

Thanks, Mr. BENDER!

I haven't been to Akihabara's Super Potato in something like 8 months. No, need to! The legendary game store chain is based out of Osaka, and there's one near my house. I can walk to Super Potato.

Yesterday, went to the Akiba branch with Patrick Macias and Matt Alt. Perhaps my memory is crap, but it's really, really changed. The controllers hanging from the ceiling are gone. There are new lamenated signs. And the top floor is a mini-arcade. You can smoke there, too. Good if you smoke, I guess!

I dunno, I kinda missed the old Akiba Super Potato. You know, with the grime, like we have here in Osaka. Perhaps that just doesn't fly in Akihabara anymore. Brian Ashcraft

The Retronauts (1Up's Jeremy Parish and Wired's Chris Kohler) descend on Ninten-centric retailer Super Potato and go game shopping. Setting's perfect for Kohler and Parish to totally geek out and try to make some money in the process. Brian Ashcraft

Retronauts Descend On Akiba [New Launches]