If you are between 25 and 35 years old – or you are a father of one of those – you certainly know how to recognize a certain Italian with a red hat with an embroidered M or a barrel jack monkey. What if I told you that Nintendo has only two official stores in the world and one of them is near Times Square? Nintendo New York, or Nintendo NYC, is open since 2005 and has an area of almost 1000 m2 at the Rockefeller Center.
The store, needless to say, is a den of everything related to the brand world. Video games, merchandise, clothing, accessories, dolls, arts. It is a store that, if you identified with the first paragraph, surely will not leave empty-handed. There are two floors filled with memories and fun. Scattered throughout the store there are various relics such as replicas of the Master Sowrd (The Legend of Zelda), giant statues of the characters and even a timeline listing all Nintendo-launched devices.
It is not uncommon for the store to have game competitions and even exclusive sales of some items, such as the NES Classic. On my last visit, in April, I waited almost 3 hours under drizzle and in a freezing weather to buy a NES Classic. I left the store with two NES Classic, a Nintendo Switch, several games and a happiness that did not fit inside me. And you think there are only children around? I was probably one of the youngest on the day I visited.
If you have kids who love the brand characters or are a fan of Nintendo, the store is a full plate on your next visit. Super well located, it will not divert you from any place you wanna go and, sure enough, will make you go back a little to your childhood.
And keep in mind that the store frequently hosts events! Check the calendar to see if there will be any occurring during your stay in the city.
Address: 10 Rockefeller Plaza.
This post was written by Gustavo Camargo: Marketer, travel fan; Hates airplanes more than the last Fantastic Four movie. NY fan, when he got a chance, he visits the Big Apple.
Laura Peruchi is a Brazilian blogger, author, and entrepreneur. She has lived in Manhattan with her husband since 2014. Since then, she has shared on her blog varied content about the Big Apple. From travel tips, including unusual things to do, shopping tips, etiquette, restaurants, and a lot more, her blog has become a reference in Portuguese (also available in English) for anyone planning a trip to New York City.
