First off, my sincerest apologies for not updating the site in over a week!  I went to New York on vacation and while I had the best intentions of updating the site and letting you know of my hiatus, things were so hectic up until the trip that I just couldn’t get it done.  While on the trip, I didn’t have access to my computer which prevented me from updating the site as well.  The good news is that I am back and will resume regular updates from here on out!

On my trip to New York, I visited Nintendo New York which I had not visited since the redesign and I thought many of you might like to know more about the store, what you can expect to find there, and just how fun it is to visit!  So while I’m calling this article a guide, I will be sharing my experiences in it as well.

First off, Nintendo NewYork is located in Midtown which is a tourist friendly part of Manhattan.  Midtown is generally busy as far as foot traffic goes (though the area where Nintendo New York is located not too bad) and is pretty easy to get to as well.  While Nintendo New York was recently redesigned, the exterior of the store looks relatively similar to how it has always been.  Be prepared for it to be busy and potentially a little claustrophobic inside depending on how many people are there.  The building has two floors.  The first floor which used to have 3DS games you could play and merchandise is now only merchandise and the second floor has all of the video games you can play instead.  I think the redesign was a face-lift to move away from the Wii colors and to make it so selling stuff is the core focus of the building.

The redesigned store features groupings of merchandise based on the video game franchise.  So there is a Mario section, a Zelda section, a Kirby section, etc. Mario is on the first floor, Zelda, Kirby, and Pokemon are on the second.  There are also shirts and memorabilia to commemorate your trip to Nintendo New York is you’re so inclined.  What can you expect as far as merchandise goes?  There are shirts for every major Nintendo franchise.  Nintendo New York has a great selection of plush, especially Mario characters (I nearly walked out with Luigi and Wario because I love both of those characters and the plush are adorable).  There is also a limited selection of bigger items like a Zelda chess set, Super Mario Bros. ice cube trays, and that sort of thing as well.

If you looking for Amiibo, they have a pretty good selection though I found that almost all of the figures are pretty common ones and are pretty easy to find at other retailers.  At times, Nintendo New York gets rare figures or restocks before anybody else does though so it is certainly worth a look and you never know when it might be your lucky day.  They also carry World of Nintendo figures which are surprisingly broken out by section.  So Zelda figures are in the Zelda section and Mario figures are in the Mario section which means you need to walk around the entire store to see exactly what they have.  I found the newest wave in good supply and while I only purchased one figure which I will review soon, I could see someone going in and loading up at Nintendo New York, especially if you’re a new collector.

That is not the only figures you will see at Nintendo New York either, they have statues, Nendoroids, and some other premium items.  If you have the means to take them home with you, this is a great place to shop.  I was surprised to the see the Meta Knight statue I had toyed with buying available for sale.  Unfortunately, I had no way to actually take it home so I had to pass on it this time.  Chances are good that you will find a figure or some kind of merchandise that you will like in the store and that is one big reason why you should visit Nintendo New York if you can.

While Nintendo NYC isn’t overflowing with Nintendo character or charm, there are some cool sights to see.  The first are the large, nearly lifesize Toad and Luigi.  They are really impressive and help bring a little Nintendo flavor.  On the second floor, there are some nice displays in glass cases, especially if you like video game history.  While the Zelda display of recent merchandise was a sight to behold, I was just as impressed by the complete collection of Nintendo consoles.  Game and Watch handhelds are not among my favorite Nintendo items but they are exceedingly rare in the US and incredibly valuable so to see a number of them in pristine shape is impressive.  If checking out video game history is not enough, you can play demos of some of the newest games on the second floor as well though this area is almost always popular and it is definitely worth the wait!

Nintendo New York is a really fun place to visit and it is hard to imagine a Nintendo fan not enjoying it.  There is a lot to see and there is plenty to buy as well.  Nintendo doesn’t have any other locations in the US like it so if you’re in the NYC area, I’d definitely recommend visiting this mecca of Nintendo fun!