As a group of adults gradually descend a staircase into a brightly lit white store, we all experience smaller gasps of joy as walls of gleaming squid toys appear in front of our eyes. Our tour guide is wrapping up his journey, and as he rattles off his final point, he eyes the group. ” Think you guys are ready to buy,” you say? Reggie Fils-Aimé, the former head of Nintendo’s head of operations, said in his response to the Wii Board’s testing at E3 2007 that “my system is available.”

Chinese gaming large Nintendo opened its first-ever West Coast shop in San Francisco on Thursday– the following in the US after its New York City storefront. While it stocks a lot of business merchandise that includes many of the company’s most well-known characters, including Mario, Peach, Link, Zelda, and far too many Pokemon, its site makes references to upcoming events similar to those that take place at its different locations.

CNET had a first-hand appearance at all the new items and devices that were on display to San Francisco a few days prior. &nbsp,

inside the shop

The first thing you notice is the festival of Nintendo figures line the company’s windows, with Mario leading the crowd to the principal windows, set at the crossroads of Geary and Powell in San Francisco’s Union Square area. You’re welcomed by the clear, bright cosmetic that the Nintendo company is known for when you walk into the store. &nbsp,

Nintendo Senior Regional General Manager PJ Sadler, a director of the novel NYC Nintendo business, led the visit of the new site, saying,” We want]Nintendo San Francisco to be much more than simply a business. We want you to be a part of our characters and our world, and we want it to be interactive.

In that heart, a Nintendo business connect told me some Pikmin figurines were hidden throughout the business for visitors to find. ( I numbered five, and they said there were still a few more. )

There are the necessary business specials, the items that can only be found at the San Francisco place and distinguish it from its NYC counterpart, such as the SF-branded water bottles, T-shirts, and hoodies that read” Nintendo San Francisco.” I found those models a small weak and quite barren, I was hoping to see a much more San Francisco elegance. For instance, New York City after had a collection of kanji. But at least you can find special minifigures and luggage adorned with the Nintendo figure festival theme on another San Francisco souvenirs. Sadler noted that any items with a reddish Nintendo square symbol indicate they can be bought only in the Nintendo US sites, either in San Francisco or New York ( there were no distinctive signs for SF exclusives ). &nbsp,

A section on the ground floor also contained a section devoted to actual gaming equipment, including a section where customers can create their own Nintendo Switch OLED with their choice of colored Joy-Cons and docks. ( Nintendo representatives were very unsure of what might actually take place at the store on June 5th in order to celebrate the Nintendo Switch 2 launch. ) Among the other controllers and accessories was a shelf of Nintendo Alarmo clocks, the company’s big surprise hardware launch of 2024, waiting to be taken home. &nbsp,

Downstairs is where they reportedly had the “big guns,” or at least the Master Swords. There are dedicated areas for Pikmin, Kirby, and Pokemon, just like there is for Nintendo’s New York store. There was also a giant projector screen for watching shoppers play games, alongside a giant wall of Amiibo with harder-to-find figures such as Sora from Super Smash Bros and Kingdom Hearts. &nbsp,

A sales representative kindly guided me through a kiosk where visitors can check in every day for Nintendo Platinum Points, which can be used for My Nintendo Rewards in the Nintendo eShop. ” I just moved into a new place, so I’ve been stocking up on Animal Crossing coasters”, the associate confided.

Cozy merchandise for all time

Friends and TikTok confirmed that a big theme for New York is Pokemon, with a nearly life-size Pikachu Center where herds of Pikachu frolic on the shelves. &nbsp,

While Pokemon has a presence in the San Francisco counterpart ( I almost walked away with a Psyduck backpack ), there seems to be a greater dedication to more twee, cozy series such as Animal Crossing and Pikmin, as well as adorably subtle game decor in general.

A cute cottage-core coffee grinder branded with” The Roost,” the in-game cafe headed by character Brewster the Pigeon, and a matching cup and saucer set, was featured in the Animal Crossing corner. A few squeals from me and another sales associate who kindly pointed out the similarly kawaii Animal Crossing stationery with stickers, sticky notes, notepads, and character-themed pens, including an apron, glass jar set, and oven mitt.

I was drawn to the Zelda Fairy collection down in the Legend of Zelda section, particularly a large faux leather tote bag and iridescent-themed wallets with iridescent flourishes. Lovely golden Heart Container-shaped accessories, of which not nearly enough found their way into my shopping bag, framed the scene. &nbsp,

Rows of enamel Kirby keychains and plush Waddle-Dees eyed me, hopefully from their perches, while a tower of Pikmin blind boxes and flower bud vases (uccessfully ) tempted me from over my shoulder. &nbsp,

Price-wise, I was pleasantly surprised that most items weren’t egregiously expensive and more similar to pricing you’d find at a theme park. The coffee grinder I mentioned was supposed to cost around$ 70, but it was only going to cost$ 40. In the same way, many of the more intricately designed wallets and bags were priced at$ 35 or less. Pikmin blind boxes were$ 10. However, there were still outliers, such as the price of a classy Team Rocket anorak, which was$ 120.

San Francisco, why? Why now?

Before 2025, Nintendo had four official stores around the world: three in Japan ( Kyoto, Tokyo and Osaka ) and one in the US ( New York ). San Francisco is now the site of its fifth retail location where fans can purchase merchandise directly.

The opening of the San Francisco store comes at a crucial time for the city’s downtown economy. Retail vacancies in San Francisco have hit record highs since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, with a number of flagship stores shutting down, including the Westfield San Francisco Centre and Macy’s, the former epicenter of the city’s Union Square shopping area. &nbsp,

When Nintendo made the official opening plans for the store in May 2024, then-Mayor London Breed wrote on X:” We’re excited for San Francisco’s future and look forward to welcoming this iconic brand to our City.

Supervisor Danny Sauter, who represents San Francisco’s District 3, which includes Union Square, told KQED in March,” The narrative on San Francisco is starting to shift…]p ] eople are willing to take a chance on San Francisco again, and it’s remarkable how that was not the case six months ago”.

Whatever the city’s reputation, the fan base has been extremely positive, with opening week” Warp Pipe Pass” shopping visit reservations sold out in a matter of minutes, and the same applies to Memorial Day weekend. As soon as the signage went up, locals have been peeking into the windows and taking pictures. Reddit user CaterpillarFederal43 postat a picture in the San Francisco subreddit in April 2025 with his dogs in costume, noting he visits every day for a chance to use StreetPass ( a peer-to-peer feature on the Nintendo 3DS ) with fellow fans.

End credits

San Francisco has a gaming culture legacy that goes back to the previous Walk of Game and the Moscone Center’s annual Game Developers Conference. One of the biggest gaming companies in the world now has a retail and event space where it can welcome fans.

Whether you’re a Nintendo superfan with an Isabelle-patterned sweater vest or a tourist looking for a “gamer-y” souvenir for a relative, the San Francisco Nintendo store looks like a perfect place to spend all your rupees and bells. Just watch out for mischievous Pikmin along the way.