Nintendo enthusiasts on the West Coast have a new reason to celebrate as the iconic gaming company opens its San Francisco store today, May 15, located at 331 Powell Street in Union Square. This marks the second official Nintendo store in the United States, following the immensely popular New York location. Previously known as the Nintendo World Store, the New York branch underwent renovations and rebranding, reopening as Nintendo NY in 2016.
IGN had the opportunity to explore what Nintendo has in store at their new San Francisco location. Additionally, we sat down with Nintendo of America's President, Doug Bowser, to discuss the strategic decision behind opening their first West Coast store at this time.
During our interview, we couldn't help but dive into details about the highly anticipated Nintendo Switch 2, set to launch on June 5. We asked Bowser about the Switch 2's availability in the U.S. at launch and in the future, as well as the much-discussed Game-Key Cards and other related topics.