If you are a racing game enthusiast, this stop will be delightful for you. The history of the game center as a Sega arcade leaves many fantastic classics available to ride, from Manx TT Super Bike machines to a Rad Mobile game that you play while sitting in a mini car. I could spend at least an hour just jumping between the different steering wheels of these retro machines.
Compared to when we visited the Namco game center earlier in the day down the road, the selection of rhythm games - where rhythmic touch controls earn points - were quite similar. Although in Gigo 3 we were able to play several rhythm games without feeling the need to move because of the other patrons waiting in line behind us. It was nice to try all the rhythm experiences for the first time, and my personal favorite was Sega's Maimai machine. I was amazed to watch nearby players hit all eight buttons precisely in time with the music, dragging their fingers across the screen as they racked up combos - I was happy to play on the accessible and easy difficulty levels, rather than taking risks to break out in a bad sweat.
Another enjoyable experience in Gigo 3 for travelers is the press booth section. While it's mostly full of teenagers perfecting their makeup, using hair irons for touch-ups, and trying on crisp blonde wigs, we had a blast taking photos in the booths and couldn't stop laughing as the software deformed our features blow them out of proportion until we look like ghostly aliens. One booth we tried also had a horror theme with a light narrative while hitting the poses.
We went hard on the games and never spent more than 5,000 yen (about $33) in any of the arcades in Tokyo. Overall, our experience at Gigo 3 was friendly and magnetic.
If you travel with children
Then ride an external escalator to reach the entrance of 1-chome Playlandlocated on The artificial island of Tokyo of Odaiba, I was surrounded by nostalgic neon hues and the most mechanical arcade games I'd seen the entire trip. Yes, it had many other options for games, but the main attraction here was an assortment of vintage machines, often with some kind of interactive, mechanical element. Despite the age and public use, the majority of the games here were in great shape.
The space is not huge, but around every corner we bump into unique experiences and happily spend fistfuls of yen coins. I used a small chef's pan to squash the rodents while target lights flashed on the screen. My partner and I got a little too competitive spinning the sliders and trying to win our ping pong soccer game. I almost landed three pinballs in a row playing the Sailor Moon- themed tic-tac-toe.
At 1-chome Playland, I saw many families with children and couples out on aesthetic dates. The location is easy to overlook, right next to other family-oriented options such as the Legoland Discovery Center and Tokyo Joyopolisbut it's honestly worth the train ride by itself. We spent an hour and a half testing the machines, and probably could have spent another 30 minutes on a less busy night.
Just be warned, any family outing at this arcade is almost guaranteed to end with a trip to some neighborhood. ice cream shopping on the way back to the hotel. It just feels right.
Looking for other Japanese game centers worth visiting in Tokyo? We also enjoyed our time in Namco, HEY Skilland GIGA #1- all in Akihabara and only a few blocks from each other. For a more intimate experience, head to Takadanobaba, where the Mikado Game Center has a solid selection of retro machines, and the nearby Natsuge Museum is a great stop for pinball fanatics.
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