>>4960
Yes it was
Even though it's changed a lot today, I'd still recommend going because it's only going to get more mainstream and commercialized the longer you wait (some people say Ikebukuro is the new Akiba, but idk if I actually believe it yet). And, truth be told, it's not that bad if you walk farther from the station and main streets--though that's also true for the rest of Japan
I went recently and was walking down a big street in Kyoto with all these high-end brands and stores I didn't recognize. I just picked a random side street and started walking. Around a half a mile in, I found the most quaint retro games store, it was great