For years, Nintendo has operated dedicated stores in Japan and the U.S. Now, Canada is getting a Nintendo shop of its own.
Starting on Saturday, Oct. 17, the flagship EB Games on Yonge St. in Toronto will be home to Nintendo’s first-ever “store-within-a-store” experience in North America. It’s tucked in the back of the first floor of EB Games, so you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s small. But enter the 1,500 sq. ft. space, and you’ll immediately be surrounded by all things Nintendo, from Switch 2 demo stations and products to tons of general Nintendo merchandise and themed displays, including a Mario statue.
Having visited all of the Nintendo Stores around the world, including the latest one in San Francisco, I’m pretty impressed. After all, Canadians are well-conditioned to get these kinds of things either late or not at all — certainly compared to our U.S. neighbours. So, it begs the question: how did Canada end up getting this North American first?
“Canada is a huge gaming audience. Actually, 50 per cent of people in Canada say they game, and that’s split pretty equally between men and women,” says Susan Pennefather, vice president and general manager of Nintendo of Canada.
“Toronto is such a great Nintendo town,” adds Jim Tyo, president of EB Games Canada. “There’s such enthusiasm and fandom here.”
Pennefather notes that Nintendo has held many popular events at that very EB Games flagship, including special launches for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and the Nintendo Switch 2. “So it really felt like EB Games was a great partner, a great space in downtown Toronto, to bring this to life and really create an experience for Nintendo fans, for families, to come in and get the sense of discovery and fun that everybody associates with Nintendo.” She adds that the teams have found “really great inspiration” from what’s been done with Nintendo in other markets.
This Toronto storefront, however, comes at a notable time. Tech products across the board are rising in price, with the Nintendo Switch 2, in particular, becoming $50 more expensive last month. Factor that in with overall higher living costs, and it’s clear that more people are tightening the belt. Given that, how does Pennefather hope the storefront will continue to attract Canadians?
“I think about families that might have just seen the Super Mario Galaxy Movie for the first time this spring, and started to fall in love with Princess Peach, Mario, and [are now] able to come into a space and maybe take a picture with Mario in his warp pipe, take home a plushie to add to the collection on their bed, and try the games where these amazing characters came to life for the first time,” she says. “I think that’s the experience we’re hoping to expand, but also, to talk to the fans that have had love for Nintendo for so long.”
Of course, the space itself always presents the opportunity to tailor experiences to different Nintendo products. Right now, there’s understandably a big focus on The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake that launches on Nov. 5, for which Pennefather teases a special launch event. And beyond that, she looks to something like next year’s highly-anticipated Pokémon Wind and Waves as an example of how Nintendo “can continually evolve and bring amazing experiences” to the store.
“I can imagine having a great Pokémon takeover, having the game playable for fans to enjoy together,” she says. “I think we’ll be able to evolve the experience as new releases come out, and we have new experiences that we want to share with consumers and fans.”
“We have such a strong partnership and connection,” remarks Tyo. “We share the same values. We want connection. We want community. We want play, so we’ll continue to work on that and evolve it together.”
But no discussion of expansion would be complete without asking about bringing this store concept to other Canadian provinces, including Nintendo of Canada’s own home in B.C.
“I think for today, I’m just taking this all in, excited to see how consumers react, and we’ll assess how things are going, and then take it from there,” she says. “So right now, it’s all about staying in the moment, but we’re always thinking about what’s around the corner, and we’ll keep you posted.”
On the subject, then, I also had to ask: could we ever see a proper Nintendo Store in Canada in the vein of what’s in Japan and the U.S.?
“I can’t speak to what the future might hold. I think for now, this is an amazing experience that people are going to get so much out of,” she says. “Maybe there’s a path forward in the future, but right now this is what we’re doing here in Canada.”
For now, at least, the store gives Canada’s faithful Nintendo fans a place to regularly celebrate the brand. Being in the store, I’m reminded of the fact that while Nintendo is obviously popular across the globe, the company’s games perform exceptionally well in Canada. Based on data released every month from the Entertainment Software Association of Canada, Nintendo games regularly chart higher comparatively than they do in America.
As we wrap up our interview, I mention this to Pennefather. What is it that makes Canadians especially big fans of Nintendo? While she doesn’t have an answer for that, she says it’s that passion that’s kept her at Nintendo of Canada for nearly 25 years now.
“I feel very fortunate that we have very passionate fans in Canada. You’re absolutely right. Zelda is a great example. The franchise does really, really well in Canada. Mario does really, really well in Canada. And I think we’ve just found a way to make people feel like they want to experience our games, characters, and worlds,” she says.
The grand opening for the Nintendo space at EB Games is Sat., Oct. 17 at 10 a.m. For launch day only, EB Games is offering one free $50 Nintendo eShop gift card when you spend $200 or more on Nintendo products or two free $50 eShop cards when you purchase Nintendo Switch 2 hardware, while supplies last.
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