For all its flaws, Nintendo is one of the gaming companies that I consider to be the best at merchandise for its franchises. Sure, Mojang has some hits with Minecraft merch, and some of the best Genshin Impact merch measures up, but Nintendo's merch tends to stand the test of time. Unfortunately, the gaming giant has a mere five permanent physical stores - three in Japan and two in the US. It's about time the rest of the world sees some action, and Nintendo is wisening up to this, with the launch of the London pop-up shop from October 22 to November 16. Now, official social media accounts have begun to tease what might be available, and it looks fantastic.
While the image attached to this Nintendo tweet shows us a variety of items you can buy online already from the UK, what interests me most is the information detailed on the website. Apparently, while many online items will be available, there will be a number of items available at the store that are usually only found in the Japanese physical stores. Exciting. This is among a range of small collectibles, like keyrings, pins, and charms, as well as more substantial items like clothing, bags, and home items. Nintendo is not holding back on the franchise range, either, with Mario, Zelda, Kirby, DK, Animal Crossing, Splatoon, and Pikmin all being represented.
The pop-up shop is set to arrive on the ground floor of the Shepherd's Bush Westfield shopping center as of next week - however, the opening week of the shop is ticketed and fully booked. If you have one and want to bring along a child or younger sibling, children under six don't need a ticket to enter. Alternatively, if you missed all of this entirely, you're not too late: the store opens to the public with no tickets from October 27 until the end of its stint in London. You may have to queue to get in, due to demand, but nonetheless, some patience will undoubtedly pay off.
I'll be attending the pop-up shop at the beginning of its launch with my fellow Pocket Tactics writer, Holly. As we're both massive fans of all the aforementioned franchises, we'll be sure to keep you up-to-date on any exclusive items. Plus, a little piranha plant told me that there may even be some special guests in-store… stay tuned for Holly and I's adventures, which you'll find over at the Pocket Tactics TikTok. We can only hope that the store's inevitable success will lead the way to more stores, both pop-up and permanent, for anyone who wasn't lucky enough to be born in Japan, New York City, or San Francisco.
For more Nintendo content to chew on, check out our Bye Sweet Carole Nintendo Switch giveaway, plus get the best deal on the new Zelda game, with our Hyrule Warriors Age of Imprisonment pre-orders guide. It's also always worth keeping up with Nintendo news, so find out when the next Nintendo Direct might be.