2020 has been one of the oddest years in human history, in and outside of the world of gaming. As video games have been affected by COVID-19, companies have altered plans, regrouped, and adjusted. This is no different for Nintendo, who is just now working on re-opening its NYC store.
Towards the beginning of the pandemic, Nintendo changed its hours of operation for the NYC store to combat the coronavirus. However, shortly thereafter, the store was officially closed for the foreseeable future, and it's been nearly five months. Fans can now rejoice, as the store is finally re-opening.
There will be some hurdles that fans will need to jump through to visit the Nintendo NYC store. Fans will need to book reservations to visit. Reservations only include one person and one guest. Fans can only be in the store for 30 minutes, and a Nintendo Account is required to register. Attendees will need to practice social distancing, wear a mask, and anyone who has been exposed to COVID-19 is asked to not visit the store.
It is nice to see the Nintendo Store in NYC re-open, but the restrictions will certainly make it difficult to visit, even if they are understandable during these tough times. Nintendo has perhaps been hit hardest by COVID-19, as there has been a massive unexpected lull in game news. Even the big June Nintendo Direct was delayed, as that was going to take place around E3.
Nintendo Switch games may have been delayed during this process, as the traditional game development company has worked hard to keep up with employees working from home. The Switch seemingly had endless new content since it launched in 2017, but this year is the first time some Nintendo fans have been reminded of the Wii U or GameCube droughts.
2020 is the 35th anniversary of Mario, and there were reports that Nintendo was remastering Mario games to celebrate. But unfortunately, no official news has presented itself, and 2020 is starting to run out of time. It could be that the plans were to release some Mario goodness this year, but plans needed to be changed.
It is wonderful to see signs that Nintendo is working on opening up and fighting through the coronavirus. Even if it is not as easy as simply walking through the Nintendo Store doors, the fact that the NYC store is opening at all is a good sign. Fans can only hope that the gaming news and releases will follow suit.