Not game over: From Donkey Kong to Pac-Man, ‘classic’ videogames find new life in Akihabara

Tossed aside as outdated junk by some, old videogames such as Donkey Kong and Pac-Man are now getting a new lease of life in Tokyo’s vibrant Akihabara district, as growing numbers of die-hard fans seek out vintage classics to relive their youth.

Inside Super Potato, a famed retro videogame store, devotees browse isles packed with everything from Legend of Zelda figurines to immaculately packaged old Sega Mega Drives, while Super Mario toys dangle from the ceiling overhead.

“It was our generation, it was our thing,” said Matt, 35, over the constant ping and buzz of videogame theme tunes emanating from the screens lining the walls.

“At that age, when computer games were first coming out, there was nothing else like it,” the Briton said, adding that buying retro games was one of the main reasons he came to Japan on holiday.

Vintage games have been hitting headlines this year: huge parties were held to celebrate the birthdays of Pac-Man and Super Mario, while videogame-themed film “Pixels” has grossed more than US$200 million worldwide.