Famicom Personalized Cassette Exhibition 2019 Report at Fly High Cafe

Closed on March 31, 2020

In the days when video games came in cassettes, not discs, children would write their names on the cassettes to prevent losing their precious games and, more importantly, to prevent others from borrowing or stealing them. Cassettes were not only something that could be lent and borrowed, but also extremely important items to children.
In modern times, video game software is no longer distributed in the form of cassettes, and it can be said that the custom of writing names on cassettes has almost died out.Personalized Cassette Exhibition 2019When I heard that the event would be held at the Fly High Cafe in Akihabara, I immediately went to check it out.

Fly High Cafe "Personalized Cassette Exhibition 2019"

Borrowing and stealing is an inevitable part of gaming

I was born in the 1990s, and I was in elementary school just as video game software was transitioning from cassettes to discs. I think I'm probably the last generation to write my name on cassettes.
Borrowing and stealing was also rampant during my childhood, and the crimes became more sophisticated and malicious, with people using nail polish remover to erase names written on cassettes, but it's just a memory that doesn't really matter now.

Venue access

Fly High Cafe is a 5-minute walk from JR Akihabara Station. If you can't find the location even after looking at the map, please refer to the official directions video below.

I made a directions video!
As a landmark,
Akihabara Central Gate → Yodobashi Akiba → Karaokekan → Resona Bank → Doutor → Fly High Cafe
! pic.twitter.com/X3OhOMrJ5T

— Fly High Cafe @Akihabara (@flyhighcafe) 2019 January 9

This is the exterior of Fly High Cafe. You can see a large number of cassettes from the outside, making it a typical storefront. It's quite noticeable, so you won't get lost.
The "Personalized Cassette Exhibition 2019"RegisterIt's also a great way to kill time while waiting for someone.

This is the personalized cassette exhibition!

The inside of the store looks like this. The cassettes displayed on the wall have not only names but also various writings.

Some of the cassettes on display. In addition to the usual name patterns, there are a wide variety of contents, including "store name + phone number," the very vague inscription "Dad," and even "Brain Battleship Gal with invincible commands written on it."

This cassette has both of their names written on it. It must have been shared between two brothers, and one cannot help but imagine the family background of the original owner.

There are also many NES (overseas version of the Famicom) cassettes on display in the store. Although the country may be different, the practice is the same. Perhaps writing names on cassettes is an instinct of human beings.

What is the "Personalized Cassette Exhibition 2019"?

This exhibition is with Fly High CafePersonalized Cassette MuseumA collaboration event with.
The Personalized Cassette Museum is a non-profit organization that collects and manages game cassettes with names written on them, and aims to return them to their owners. If you have written your name on one of the cassettes on display, you can have it returned to you! You might even be able to find that memorable cassette that went missing...

There is also a section in the store about the Personalized Cassette Museum.

Games can also be played at the venue

By ordering a drink inside the cafe, you can play games distributed by the cafe's operator, FlyHigh Works. Drinks start at 800 yen (excluding tax).
Flyhigh Works' games are mostly indie games with a retro feel, so even old Famicom fans who don't really understand modern games can play them with confidence.