Namco Akihabara store opens in front of Akihabara Station in March, selling gacha and trading cards

On March 1, 2023, "Namco Akihabara store" has opened.
I went to see it for myself and would like to share it with you.

Namco Akihabara store opens in front of the Electric Town entrance on March 1st

The location is right in front of the JR Akihabara Electric Town South Exit.
This was previously the location of GIGO Akihabara Building 4 (formerly Sega Akihabara Building 4), which caused quite a stir when it closed.

Namco Akihabara store

B1 to 3F are the arcadesIt is a floor of.
Let's start by introducing them from the bottom up.

B1 is the video game floorHowever, only the Exub and Obab location tests are operational.

There was also a Haro gacha(?) next to the escalator.

The first floor is a crane game floor with prizes mainly consisting of figurines.

The cabinet is designed to play voices from female voice actors, and the content is designed with an Akihabara feel in mind.

The second floor is also a crane game floor.However, there were also prizes other than figures, such as character goods and stuffed animals.

The third floor is the music game floor.
The first thing you see when you go up the escalator is Taiko no Tatsujin.

A stand for filming gameplay videos is also provided.

There are also multiple Chunithm titles lined up.

Last Survival and Arsenal Base are also operating on this floor.
What is a music game?

There are also shops specializing in Ichiban Kuji, Gasha, and trading cards.

The Namco Akihabara store is not only an arcade, but also houses a specialty store.
On the first floor, there is a shop specializing in Ichiban Kuji.Ichiban Kuji Official Shop Akihabara'
The store was bustling with customers from the first day it opened.

The 4th floor is the capsule toy floor.Gashapon Bandai Official Shop Akihabara'
According to the release, all of Bandai's new gacha products will be available.

There will also be a spot where you can take photos of what you have acquired.
Perfect for minifigures!

The 5th floor is a trading card specialty floor.BANDAI CARD GAMES Official Shop Dexter - DECKS STADIUM -"(long)
It is a place where Bandai trading cards are sold and where you can play.

The play space takes up most of the floor.

There were also tables set up so that streaming could be done.
Will it be used for events?

The play space is open to the public free of charge to celebrate the opening.
It may become a paid service in the future.

Will Namco Akihabara become a new landmark in Akihabara?

Although Namco Akihabara store not only sells games but also has a variety of stores such as gacha and lottery machines, my honest impression is that it is a little weak as an arcade.
With a large number of Exbu machines and an elaborate Taiko no Tatsujin corner, it could be called a flagship store for certain titles, making it a must-see for players, but unfortunately there are so few games to choose from that players will likely just look at the crane games on the first and second floors and the gacha floor on the fourth floor and then be done.
However, since it has just opened, I'm looking forward to seeing what happens in the future.

Personally, I would be happy if there was a retro game corner from Namco and Banpresto, as well as DCD.