Page 6 - Old School Gamer Magazine Issue #39 FREE Edition

The PlayStation 2 was an amazing leap for gaming in the 2000s. Despite the transition from
the original 'FAT' PS2 to the Slim in America, we saw fewer variations
or limited editions. The introduction of DVD/CD Rom, internet, and backward compatible capabilities in one package provided the PS2 a life that extended well into 2013.
To celebrate the PlayStation 2, we embarked on a journey to Japan. Join us as we discuss some of the best console variants that I'm hopeful to find and see if we can bring some back home from our trip.
CHERRY BLOSSOM SEASON IN ASAKUSA
It's cherry blossom season, and Ms. Malice and I had just finished eating at La Casa in Asakusa next to Senso-ji Shrine. Full
and ready for our game
hunting day, we drove out
to Yokohama to hit Super
Book Off, a store dominating
the resale market in Japan.
Once inside, I beelined to
the gaming section. Lo and behold, there it was – the
Ocean Blue PS2 SCPH-
37000L, or Transparent
Blue. This unit, released on
July 18th, 2002, at a cost
of ¥30000/$243 US ($414 adjusted for inflation), was complete in box, and the box
was pristine. The white of the
box had a Kanji symbol
that said "western,"
though I still do not
know why it was labeled as such. The blue shell of the console was crisp and clear, allowing a direct view to the motherboard. Now that I had found one console, I quickly looked around for the other console that came out at the same time, the Zen Black model SCPH-37000B. This console, also released on July 18th, 2002, featured a nice translucent smoke grey color that provided a clean look on the inside. The console came with a matching controller, and I was lucky enough to find two! With the success of having the controllers along with the complete in box console, I was ready to head back to the hotel.
AKIHABARA: THE EPICENTER OF VIDEO GAMES AND ANIME
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The PlayStation 2
A QUEST FOR RARE VARIANTS IN JAPAN
By Derek Blaha
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On Day 3, we arrived in Akihabara, the epicenter of video games
and anime. Once off the train,
we headed over to Mandarake,
a massive store consisting of
8 floors. On the 5th floor, after navigating the smallest elevator,
I ran to the NOT FOR SALE cases by the counter, where the best
stuff is hidden. My hope was to
see PlayStation 2 consoles so rare that 99.99% of people would never have the chance to own them. In December 2001, Sony put out 5 super limited-edition colors SCPH- 30000 – Metallic Silver, Astral Blue, Light Yellow, Super Red, and Show White. These consoles were sold
in Japan only and limited to 666 units each, part of the European Automobile Color Collection. They were sold for $345 US individually and $1725 US as an ultra-limited version of 66 sets of each color.