Game Guide Haul in Den-Den-Town

Searching for the Dragon Quest I & II Game Guide in Ōsaka

One of the final days before returning to Germany was dedicated to a familiar mission whenever I visit Japan: tracking down items still missing from my shopping list. This time, my main objective was a recently released game guide for Dragon Quest I & II.

Since the game had only launched shortly before my trip, demand was still extremely high. As expected with anything related to the Dragon Quest series, the official guide had already sold out in many places. Even large electronics retailers such as Yodobashi Camera Umeda had no copies left.

That meant it was time to try the next logical location.

Den-Den Town: Ōsaka’s Otaku and Retro Gaming District

Whenever you are searching for niche gaming items in Ōsaka, Den-Den Town is usually a reliable destination. The district is often compared to Tōkyō’s Akihabara and is well known for:

• retro game shops

• anime and manga stores

• figure retailers

• electronics and hobby shops

Many stores in the area also carry game strategy guides, including both new releases and older publications. Unfortunately, despite checking several shops, the Dragon Quest I & II guide proved surprisingly difficult to find.

Even Super Potato, famous for its retro game collection, didn’t have it. That was not entirely surprising, though—Super Potato mainly specializes in classic titles and older gaming memorabilia, rather than brand-new releases.

Still, the visit led to an unexpected discovery.

The One That Got Away: Zelda Oracle of Ages & Seasons

While browsing the shelves, I came across a strategy guide for The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages / Oracle of Seasons.

For collectors of gaming literature, guides like this can be a fascinating piece of gaming history—especially for older handheld titles.

At first, I hesitated. A moment of indecision that I would soon regret.

Only a few days later, after deciding I actually wanted to buy the guide after all, I returned to the shop. By then it was already gone. It is a small collector’s tragedy many enthusiasts know well: hesitate too long, and the item disappears.

FUN FACT - EDIT: Ironically, after returning home and inspecting my own shelves, I discovered something amusing—I already owned that exact guide. The regret suddenly felt far less dramatic.

A Lead in Namba: Junkudo Bookstore at OCAT

Back to the original mission: the Dragon Quest I & II guide.

After some additional searching, I decided to try larger bookstores instead of game shops. In Japan, chains such as Kinokuniya or Junkudo often carry extensive selections of gaming books and strategy guides. Eventually I found a Junkudo bookstore inside OCAT (Ōsaka City Air Terminal) in the heart of Namba.

Unfortunately, the guide wasn’t available on the shelves there either. However, the staff offered a solution: they could order a copy for pickup in the store.

Communication proved slightly challenging due to the language barrier, but after a bit of back-and-forth the order was placed successfully. The book would arrive within a day or two, if I remember correctly.

Mission almost accomplished.

Rediscovering an Artist: Genso

Before leaving the store, I remembered something else.

Back in 2022, during my semester in Matsumoto, I had discovered an illustrator named Genso. His work immediately caught my attention because of its unique concept: detailed post-apocalyptic illustrations of real Japanese cities.

In his artworks, familiar urban landscapes—Tōkyō, Ōsaka, and other locations—are depicted as abandoned ruins reclaimed by nature, creating a haunting but beautiful atmosphere.

At the time I had purchased one of his books, but I couldn’t remember his name for quite a while. A quick search finally brought it back: Genso.

Interestingly, since my previous visit he had released a new volume focused on Ōsaka and the Kansai region.

Picking Up the Dragon Quest Guide

When I returned to Junkudo to collect the ordered Dragon Quest I & II guide, the staff had to search for it behind the counter for several minutes. Watching the process made me briefly wonder how their internal storage system was organized, but eventually the book appeared.

Of course, I didn’t leave with just one item. Naturally, I also bought the new Genso artbook I had just rediscovered.

Expanding the Collection: More Game Guides

Throughout the trip I managed to add several other Japanese strategy guides to my collection as well.

Among them were guides for:

• Romancing SaGa 2 (Nintendo Switch remake)

• the original SNES version of Romancing SaGa 2

Japanese strategy guides are often beautifully produced, featuring artwork, developer notes, and extensive gameplay documentation—making them valuable not only as references but also as collectible books about gaming history.

A Funny Twist: Surugaya Strikes Again

Shortly after finally purchasing the Dragon Quest I & II guide, another ironic moment occurred.

While browsing Surugaya, a well-known Japanese second-hand retailer, I suddenly spotted a used copy in excellent condition.

Naturally.

Collectors will understand the situation perfectly: once you finally find something after a long search, it immediately appears elsewhere.

Still Missing: Pokémon Legends Z-A

One guide I hoped to find during the trip unfortunately did not exist yet.

There was still no official strategy guide for Pokémon Legends Z-A available in stores.

This is likely because the game’s DLC content was released very shortly after launch, meaning the publishers probably waited until all gameplay data was finalized before printing a comprehensive guide.

The Pokémon series has a long tradition of multiple strategy guides per game. For example:

• Pokémon Scarlet & Violet received separate guides for the main game and DLC/postgame content.

• Earlier Pokémon titles often had two different books as well: one covering the story and another focusing on the Pokédex and advanced content.

• Sometimes several different publishers release competing guides for the same game.

So it is quite possible that the Legends Z-A guide will appear later.

Final Shopping Memories Before Leaving Japan

Looking back, the search for the Dragon Quest guide turned into a small adventure across Ōsaka’s gaming and bookstore scene.

Between Den-Den Town, retro shops, large bookstores, and unexpected discoveries like the Genso artbook, the final shopping days of the trip once again proved why Japan remains a paradise for collectors of gaming culture.

And sometimes the hunt itself becomes just as memorable as the item you were originally searching for.

Luckily they had this game delivered within one day to Junkudo at OCAT in Namba