While retro-style arcades have started to make a resurgence in the West, in Japan they are a staple and can be found all over.

The problem is, especially for those hungry for a taste of nostalgia, most arcades are now stuffed with crane games — basically slot machines for otaku (in this case, anime/manga lovers) —  and purikura photo booths.

Hirose Entertainment Yard, better known as Taito HEY, in Akihabara is one arcade where game freaks can still enjoy the titles of yesteryear. If you’ve ever wanted to pilot your own Gundam robot — which, of course, you do — definitely make this a stop on your tour of Akihabara, Japan’s heartland of nerd culture.

Inside HEY

---

HEY is pretty easy to miss if you don’t know what you’re looking for. The entrance off the main street is overshadowed by the flashy lights and giant signs characteristic of “Akiba.” Keep an eye out for an orange sign sandwiched between SEGA Arcade one and three, right next to the Tax-free Shop. The inside is dark, dingy, and smells like cigarettes —  basically the blueprint of the Japanese arcade experience.

The inside is dark, dingy, and smells like cigarettes Skip the crane games on the first floor and head straight to the second floor where things get a little more interesting. Here you’ll find late 90s era classic games like Capcom’s Dungeons and Dragons brawler and Arika’s Tetris the Grandmasters. This floor is always packed to bursting with arcade machines and players, so you’ll have to squeeze your way past monitors and gamers jockeying for high scores.
The third floor offers mainly fighting games like the most recent versions of Street Fighter, Tekken, and Virtua fighter, but also has classics like Darkstalkers. The most popular part of this floor is the Gundam Versus games, a Gundam fighting game that is really difficult to pick up, but insanely popular.
  Actually, all the machines here are in Japanese, so while you’ll probably be able to muddle your way through the menus if you are familiar with games, it might be worth brushing up on some Japanese characters before you head over.

HEY isn’t the most unique arcade in Japan — for that you might want to check out the abandoned city vibes at Anata no Warehouse —  but its convenient location and great selection make it a great pit stop for gaming nerds. HEY is open every day of the week from 10:45 a.m. to 11 p.m. Games range from ¥100 to ¥1,000. Japan, 〒101-0021 Tokyo, Chiyoda City, Sotokanda, 1 Chome−10−５ 廣瀬本社ビル Take the Yamonote, Chuo, or Keihin-Tohoku line to JR Akihabara station go out via the Electric Town Exit. HEY is about a three to five minute walk away on the main street between SEGA Building one and three. It’s right next to the Tax-free Shop.