I stepped into a used video game store among the back alleys of Akihabara. The Super Potato, despite the name, was a treasured vintage video game store in Tokyo.

I climbed the narrow stairs to the second floor. And was blasted with a shockwave of nostalgia. Beeps, boops, playable games to the left, a virtual boy to the right. And shelves... So many shelves. Crammed with cartridges and disks of generations past.

I ventured forward, Mario hats and plushies dangled from the ceiling. I perused the game boy aisle, stopping at a TV. Smirked at the Japanese title screen of Pokemon Silver.

As I reached the back shelf crammed with strategy guides, I froze. A paragoomba...plushie. It's soft, wide, top-heavy figure towered above me. Before it noticed, I whipped out my camera and snapped it's photo.

I hustled to the register with a red mushroom candy tin...Just in case. I slapped some yen on the counter and started for the 3rd floor.