Mario Shopping Kart: Nintendo unveils Tokyo store to lure casual gamers

Nintendo game character Mario merchandise on display at a new Nintendo store during a press preview in Tokyo on Nov 19. Nintendo opens the doors this week at its first brick-and-mortar store in Tokyo, offering everything from Super Mario mugs to Zelda handbags at a complex targeting visiting gamers and local enthusiasts. — AFP

TOKYO: Nintendo Co Ltd unveiled its first Japanese store on Nov 19 in Tokyo's trendy Shibuya shopping district, in a step towards greater commercialisation of its cast of popular characters.

The Nintendo Tokyo store in the fashion-focused Parco department store marks the latest move into the mainstream for Japan's gamer culture and gives Nintendo a key location to attract more casual fans.