Japanese Retro Video Games Experience an Intergenerational Revival

30 Ago Japanese Retro Video Games Experience an Intergenerational Revival

NAGOYA—Japanese video games released decades ago are making a comeback and gaining popularity among players of all ages in Japan and international visitors, with retailers launching consoles compatible with old cartridges.

Second-hand retailers Bookoff Group Holdings and Geo Holdings have each developed consoles capable of playing classic games from Nintendo’s iconic Entertainment System, released in 1983 as the Famicom in Japan, while the resale market for games is thriving both in stores and online.

Following solid sales even after restocking, the company has stated plans to make it a regular product soon.

Sales of used games have also strengthened, including those for the successor to the Famicom, the Super Famicom system. Sales of such games rose nearly 60% in the year up to May 2023 compared to the previous year, it claimed.

Customers say they are drawn to the nostalgic soundtracks and low-resolution graphics of the games, with some who enjoyed them in their youth now wanting to play them with their children.

Retro games are also performing well at the product distributor Suruga-ya, with an official from its operator A-too saying, “Sales have doubled in some stores due to renewed interest among young people and foreign tourists in Japan.”

The popular marketplace app Mercari has also seen active trade in games, with cartridge prices ranging from a few hundred to several thousand yen, and even reaching hundreds of thousands of yen in the case of rare titles or games still in their original packaging.