SNK Gaming in Brazil

[VinylBoy]

A last minute booking finds me in Sao Paulo, Brazil on November 24th through the 26th. I've never been there, but I heard that the competition for SNK games there is excellent! What are some good arcades to hit, and or places where I may be able to get some good electronics/games on the cheap?

 

[rodolfocm]

Yeah there are some good places in São Paulo. There's this place called "Lord's" or w/e, but i'm not sure how to get there. I've been there only twice or thrice. Unfortunely i don't live in São Paulo, otherwise would be nice to meet some SNK gamer from overseas.
Have fun there!

 

[VinylBoy]

Thanks for the info... I'll have to remember that one when I arrive in a few days.
Hopefully my hotel room has free internet access!

 

[rodolfocm]

You're welcome!
You can add me in MSN Messenger if you want, so maybe I can provide you with more infos. I'll ask my friends about good arcade places!
rodolfocmbr@hotmail.com

 

[SNKJorge]

Just watch out and don't get pick pocketed.

 

[OMFG]

Brushing up on your Portuguese is also a plus

 

[vincewy]

Sorry folks I'm necro-bumping this thread. I'm in Sao Paulo at the moment.

Apparently Neo-Geo scene is big here. Can anyone recommend stores that carry Neo-Geo stuff in Sao Paulo? I don't expect to find deals but it looks like Retro Games in Santa Ifigênia carry NG stuff. Can anyone here recommend any place?

p.s. Looks like the entire 2 blocks along Santa Ifigênia are all game and manga stores but the area doesn't look safe. Just saw one person getting robbed in broad daylight near Paulista shopping center, and this is supposed to be one of safest areas.

 

[RAZO]

Nothing safe about Sao Paulo.

 

[Burning Fight!!]

Ask your cab driver for the Bahamas Club. Lots of "Neo" games there my friend, I guarantee you

 

[vincewy]

I did check out Retro Games on Saturday and they do have some more common KOF titles (which I could've picked up in Osaka earlier). However I don't feel like venturing into historical center again as this area seems to be filled with riffraffs, streets are filthy with a smell similar to San Francisco homeless (details omitted), yes the blocks are filled with electronic stores but nothing is special there.

Nothing safe about Sao Paulo.

Despite what I just said, I do enjoy Sao Paulo and it's quite different from the rest of Central/South America, in fact I feel Brazilian culture is unique and shouldn't be considered part of Latin America. If you speak some Portuguese, almost anyone of any race, religion can blend in (I'm Spanish speaker too and learned/picked it up quickly). I plan to return herein the future with plans to also go to Belo Horizonte and Porto Alegre.

Ask your cab driver for the Bahamas Club. Lots of "Neo" games there my friend, I guarantee you

You're talking about this store just north of Gongohas Airport, right?

A Casa Do Video Game, Alameda dos Nhambiquaras, 2013 - Moema, São Paulo - SP

I'm running out of time on this trip, don't feel comfortable enough venturing outside the city this time.

There seems to be another one here in Cambucci

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EEmJwy8J6c

R. Antônio Tavares, 334 - Cambuci

I can't confirm it's a store and I'm staying right by Paraiso Station. On the map it looks very close but Cambuci and Aclimacao seem very isolated from Paraiso and Paulista due to the terrain (steep downhill).

 

[rodolfocm]

Sorry folks I'm necro-bumping this thread. I'm in Sao Paulo at the moment.

Apparently Neo-Geo scene is big here. Can anyone recommend stores that carry Neo-Geo stuff in Sao Paulo? I don't expect to find deals but it looks like Retro Games in Santa Ifigênia carry NG stuff. Can anyone here recommend any place?

p.s. Looks like the entire 2 blocks along Santa Ifigênia are all game and manga stores but the area doesn't look safe. Just saw one person getting robbed in broad daylight near Paulista shopping center, and this is supposed to be one of safest areas.

12 years later, lol.

Anyway, seeing that you live in US, São Paulo is not a safe place, but it's not a warzone. Just be mindful of your cell phone, jewelry, etc. Santa Ifigênia is an even less safe place and, honestly, you won't find anything interesting there. It's a packed, shopping area for Brazilians because we don't have access to a big variety of stores like you do in US (not only big chains but also retrograming stores). You won't find much NeoGeo stuff there and, whatever you find, will be overpriced (even for you, bringing dollars from US). The NeoGeo scene was big in Brazil decades ago but that's thanks to bootleg MVS carts, not necessarily legit products. Most of the places that still have arcades are dirty, sketchy, and the machines are just poorly maintained (expect crappy sticks, broken buttons, etc.). Sorry to destroy your expectations.

In São Paulo you should enjoy the food, the parties, [some of] the people. Not NeoGeo. By the way I'm Brazilian but moved to Canada in 2016 in case you are wondering if you should listen to me.

 

[RAZO]

Yea, I've been there a three times since my wife and her family are all from Sao Paulo. Not saying you are going to get robbed but just be super vigilante. Out of the 3 times I was there I only got into one incident and if I hadn't deescalated the situation it could have gone real bad. Her family tells me so many stories on stuff that has happened to them and seen happening to others that it's crazy. Sao Paulo is a cool place to hang out though. Plenty to do.

I couldn't help you with Videogame places over there. I wasn't searching for any. Just wanted to Drink, Eat, and have a good time.

 

[itsofrustratin]

12 years later, lol.

Anyway, seeing that you live in US, São Paulo is not a safe place, but it's not a warzone. Just be mindful of your cell phone, jewelry, etc. Santa Ifigênia is an even less safe place and, honestly, you won't find anything interesting there. It's a packed, shopping area for Brazilians because we don't have access to a big variety of stores like you do in US (not only big chains but also retrograming stores). You won't find much NeoGeo stuff there and, whatever you find, will be overpriced (even for you, bringing dollars from US). The NeoGeo scene was big in Brazil decades ago but that's thanks to bootleg MVS carts, not necessarily legit products. Most of the places that still have arcades are dirty, sketchy, and the machines are just poorly maintained (expect crappy sticks, broken buttons, etc.). Sorry to destroy your expectations.

In São Paulo you should enjoy the food, the parties, [some of] the people. Not NeoGeo. By the way I'm Brazilian but moved to Canada in 2016 in case you are wondering if you should listen to me.

Vincewy is from Detroit, im sure he has some street smarts.

Ive always wanted to go to Brazil, no country like it

 

[rodolfocm]

Vincewy is from Detroit, im sure he has some street smarts.

Ive always wanted to go to Brazil, no country like it

Good point, hahaha!

Brazil is an amazing nice place to visit. You don't wanna live there though, unless you are fine with corruption and everything that makes a "third world country" a "third world country".

 

[vincewy]

I'm back home but thanks for everyone's advice. I realized there's really nothing in retro gaming. I toured around the central Sao Paulo a little bit more and probably won't return to this part of town, the entire Central SP seems to be dirty and smelly, does the govt even bother cleaning the area? Mexico City is actually getting better in this aspect despite what media tell you. Of the Latin Am major cities I've been to, I'd rate the downtown areas (safety and cleanliness)

Santiago (Chile) > Mexico City > Sao Paulo > Lima

I can't comment on Quito, Bogota, Caracas, Buenos Aires, and Rio as I've not been there and only Bogota and BA are in my bucket list.

12 years later, lol.

Anyway, seeing that you live in US, São Paulo is not a safe place, but it's not a warzone. Just be mindful of your cell phone, jewelry, etc. Santa Ifigênia is an even less safe place and, honestly, you won't find anything interesting there.

Because neither of my passports (US and Taiwan) give easy access to Brazil until last year. Yes SP is rough, like what you said, I only carried enough cash and constantly watched out for passing bikes so it was manageable, however, I heard Rio is much worse so I don't plan to venture anywhere north if I return to Brazil.

 

[rodolfocm]

I'm back home but thanks for everyone's advice. I realized there's really nothing in retro gaming. I toured around the central Sao Paulo a little bit more and probably won't return to this part of town, the entire Central SP seems to be dirty and smelly, does the govt even bother cleaning the area? Mexico City is actually getting better in this aspect despite what media tell you. Of the Latin Am major cities I've been to, I'd rate the downtown areas (safety and cleanliness)

Santiago (Chile) > Mexico City > Sao Paulo > Lima

I can't comment on Quito, Bogota, Caracas, Buenos Aires, and Rio as I've not been there and only Bogota and BA are in my bucket list.



Because neither of my passports (US and Taiwan) give easy access to Brazil until last year. Yes SP is rough, like what you said, I only carried enough cash and constantly watched out for passing bikes so it was manageable, however, I heard Rio is much worse so I don't plan to venture anywhere north if I return to Brazil.

Government cares, but not enough. They also have poorly thought strategies to solve the problem, like when the mayor of São Paulo thought that forcing addicted homeless people out of this drug consume spot in downtown would solve the problem. He basically just moved the problem to another area (and needless to say that people went back to the old spot after a while). If you search for "Cracôlandia" ("Crack-land", like in the land of crack - the drug) you might find some videos/documentaries. It's just sad. The rule of thumb for Brazil is that downtown areas are not good (there are exceptions though like in Florianópolis, a city in the south of Brazil).

Rio is a weird city. It's beautiful, it's unique, it's says "this is Brazil" more than any other big city in Brasil, BUT it's fairly dangerous. Every time I was there I was always nervous, watching everyone around me, afraid of being mugged. I also have to mention that I hate the people that live there (or, to be more specific, that was born and raised there): their behaviour of trying get advantage on everything that they do piss me off so much (which is, in all honesty, a Brazilian thing not exclusive to Rio but way stronger in their culture). I've been to Rio many times and never had big issues but it still makes me nervous to be there. I also can't stand the heat and the crammed beaches during high seasons. My opinion on Rio is kinda paradoxal: I don't like it that much but I used to go once per year or so, usually because a bunch of friends would go and being with them was amazing.

 

[wataru330]

It’s a Capcom gaming in Brazil question; any idea if Capcom’s Slip Stream for arcade was a full release? I’ve never seen POPs, instruction cards, manuals, or flyers for it.

Kinda hard to believe they would release a game only in one of their smallest territory.

I smell poor loke test.

Would love to get a confirmed number of boards produced for this game.

 

[rodolfocm]

It’s a Capcom gaming in Brazil question; any idea if Capcom’s Slip Stream for arcade was a full release? I’ve never seen POPs, instruction cards, manuals, or flyers for it.

Kinda hard to believe they would release a game only in one of their smallest territory.

I smell poor loke test.

Would love to get a confirmed number of boards produced for this game.

Never heard about it and don't remember seeing this game.

 

[Claudia Schiffer]

Sorry folks I'm necro-bumping this thread. I'm in Sao Paulo at the moment.

Apparently Neo-Geo scene is big here. Can anyone recommend stores that carry Neo-Geo stuff in Sao Paulo? I don't expect to find deals but it looks like Retro Games in Santa Ifigênia carry NG stuff. Can anyone here recommend any place?

p.s. Looks like the entire 2 blocks along Santa Ifigênia are all game and manga stores but the area doesn't look safe. Just saw one person getting robbed in broad daylight near Paulista shopping center, and this is supposed to be one of safest areas.

What do you like about the Brazilian culture?

 

[Burning Fight!!]

Brazil is not a good place for retrogaming PERIOD. Most of the old SNK stuff was probably scrapped with the remaining working units trashed in some amusement mall corner or highway bus stop. Not to mention shit was expensive, and there's no way in hell the average "well employed" worker would be able to get their hands in even the Neo CD, much less the AES. If you want to find Neo stuff you'd probably want to seek old arcade operators but that's not very tourist friendly.

As for other videogames, aside from consoles the pirate and "grey import" markets were always present (due to the obvious price differences between some taxed official game vs. a pirate and/or JP/US game imported from Paraguay illegally), and game rentals were much more common than even buying some crummy chinese cart, let alone a legit one. Also, since those rental places were usually "garage" businesses with too many snotty kids handling the games, it's really tough to find stuff in good condition in the first place, even online if you want to exercise your credit score power. You might find more common Tec Toy releases in acceptable condition usually, everything else is luck and patience.

I didn't want to say this before because it would ruin your trip... but you should have gone to the Bahamas club like I said, silly.

 

[rodolfocm]

Brazil is not a good place for retrogaming PERIOD. Most of the old SNK stuff was probably scrapped with the remaining working units trashed in some amusement mall corner or highway bus stop. Not to mention shit was expensive, and there's no way in hell the average "well employed" worker would be able to get their hands in even the Neo CD, much less the AES. If you want to find Neo stuff you'd probably want to seek old arcade operators but that's not very tourist friendly.

As for other videogames, aside from consoles the pirate and "grey import" markets were always present (due to the obvious price differences between some taxed official game vs. a pirate and/or JP/US game imported from Paraguay illegally), and game rentals were much more common than even buying some crummy chinese cart, let alone a legit one. Also, since those rental places were usually "garage" businesses with too many snotty kids handling the games, it's really tough to find stuff in good condition in the first place, even online if you want to exercise your credit score power. You might find more common Tec Toy releases in acceptable condition usually, everything else is luck and patience.

I didn't want to say this before because it would ruin your trip... but you should have gone to the Bahamas club like I said, silly.

Why straight Brazilian men always try to push the sex tourism on foreigners? This does nothing to help against the stereotype that Brazil has nothing else to offer besides semi-naked, lascive women.

 

[Burning Fight!!]

Why straight Brazilian men always try to push the sex tourism on foreigners? This does nothing to help against the stereotype that Brazil has nothing else to offer besides semi-naked, lascive women.

its joke

 

[Claudia Schiffer]

Why straight Brazilian men always try to push the sex tourism on foreigners? This does nothing to help against the stereotype that Brazil has nothing else to offer besides semi-naked, lascive women.

what else do you have?

 

[Heinz]

what else do you have?

A high murder rate

 

[Neo_Mike_81]

I've always wanted to go to Brasil for fun maybe I can tour there soon.
But I would like to visit Mexico city, Buenos Aires and Santiago aswell.