Mashable recently put out a neat list called ‘The 20 Coolest Arcades in the World’, and Tokyo took more spots than any other place! Well, we wouldn’t expect anything less from the birthplace of the video game industry, really.

Turns out though, Japanese netizens were a bit baffled by Mashable’s choices: “That’s cool??” they spluttered into their keyboards. “That’s not even an arcade!”

Topping the list at number 1 is Club Sega in Akihabara. The response from Japanese netizens: a collective “meh”.

“Wha-? What’s so special about that Club Sega?”

Well…Akiba’s Club Sega is a landmark attraction – even amongst the madness of the electric skyline, it stands out. When you come out of the station at the Electric Town exit, it’s slap bang in your face: a giant red beacon of geeky goodness, with six floors of sensory and information overload. It’s like someone grabbed you by the neck and screamed in your ear “YOU’RE IN JAPAN!!”

If you’re a tourist visiting Japan, I can see how Club Sega is the coolest arcade in the world. If you’re Japanese, well, I can see why it’s maybe not. “It’s full of freaks”, declares one commenter (bit harsh!) “At one point, you know they had the dirtiest toilets in the world!” adds another.

▼ Club Sega: still cool, right?

clubsega_1akibamap

So what did our Japanese commentors think should have been number 1? Readers were perplexed that, despite the dominance of Akihabara locations, there was one arcade that didn’t make the cut:

“I can’t believe HEY’s not on this list.”

“It’s weird they didn’t choose HEY.”

“These days the only place I go in Akiba is HEY.”

With wall-to-wall fighting games and a separate floor specialising in shoot ’em ups, Taito HEY (Hirose Entertainment Yard) is often described as a “gamers paradise”. Compared to Club Sega and Joypolis, though, it’s perhaps not as well-known outside of Japan.

akiba_7 MMCafe Arcade Guide

Japanese commentors also pointed out that Joypolis and Super Potato aren’t actually game centres – Joypolis being an amusement park and Super Potato a retro game shop. They do both have arcades inside though, to be fair! Arcades in awesome-looking, crazy surroundings, no less.

▼ “That’s not even an arcade! … She doesn’t even go here!”

You can read the full Mashable list here, and we’d love to know what you think. Is Club Sega overrated? What do you make of the reaction from Japanese corners? Let us know in the comments!

Sources: Hachima Kikou, livedoor NEWS, Mashable, MMCafe Arcade Guide
Top image: Brownie Bites