November 19, 2006. March 3, 2017. Two dates that live in my mind for a variety of reasons. As a Nintendo fanboy for my entire life, these two particular release dates were monumental. These days marked the release of the revolutionary Nintendo Wii and the sleek and stylish Nintendo Switch. But more importantly, they were some of the most terrifying days for those hoping to get their hands on the newest Nintendo consoles. Wiis were out of stock everywhere, even if you camped out overnight. Switches were going for double or triple their MSRP on eBay. That’s why I feared the release of the Nintendo Switch 2, a system I didn’t even get a chance to preorder. Until I walked into a Target at roughly 11am CST and just… bought it off the shelf. I’ve never had the luxury of getting a Nintendo console on the launch day before, but that changed today.
I Figured That the Nintendo Switch 2 Was Going To Be Sold Out for the foreseeable future. I Was Wrong.
FOMO is one hell of a thing. As someone interested, but not necessarily needing a Nintendo Switch 2 at launch, I watched my social media feed fill up with folks excitedly bragging about their new purchase. My TikTok feed was filling up with gameplay clips of Mario Kart World, and I finally broke. My will was shattered, and I started checking online to see if there were any in stock. Gamestop? Nothing, except for a massively overpriced bundle that came with a lot of accessories that I would never use. Walmart? No luck on my end, but kudos to those who got their deliveries nice and early, with a Coke and Pringles to snack on. Best Buy? Nada. But then, that little red Target came to mind.
I checked their website, once again disheartened to see that the Switch 2 was not available online. But a small glimmer of hope arose within me. I noticed, at a store roughly an hour away from me, they had them in stock. 5 Bundles of the Mario Kart World / Switch 2. I called the store to verify this and headed out. As you can see, I wasn’t lucky enough to snag one of the Mario Kart World bundles. Some of the locals must have gotten their hands on them first. Hopefully, genuine fans and not someone trying to make a quick buck. But regular consoles without the bundled game? They had dozens of them. I left, shopping back, Switch 2, and a physical copy of Mario Kart World in hand, and my first successful Nintendo product launch in my pocket.
After Trying To Get Both a Switch and Wii at Launch, this Was a Walk in the Park
When the Nintendo Wii first launched, I was only 14 years old. While we didn’t have the funds to get one at launch, my Dad took me to, ironically enough, a Target to try and secure a console for me about a week after. We waited, coffee in his hands, hot cocoa in mine, in the cold Wisconsin weather for the store to open up. We were assured that they had Wiis in stock, but they were moving fast. He waited in line in the electronics department, completely out of his element. I was busy looking at the Wii games, particularly The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. As the line slowly moved forward, I heard the booming voice of my Dad yelling at someone. They were trying to purchase the last few Wii consoles that Target had in stock, and he was threatening to kick their ass if they did so. Needless to say, I left that day with a shiny new Nintendo Wii in hand, alongside my copy of Twilight Princess.
Similar to the Wii, my brother had scoured the internet in search of a Nintendo Switch shortly after launch. He wanted to get me one for my birthday, and after finding someone on eBay selling theirs for only $100 over MSRP, which was a steal at the time, I had my Nintendo Switch in hand on March 12, 2017. Today marks the start of a new era. Much like my original Nintendo Wii that my Dad almost fist-fought someone for, I’ll hold onto my original Nintendo Switch for as long as I live. It’s a cherished piece of my life, getting me through countless memories. While I have the new Nintendo Switch 2 in my life now, I’ll still revisit this console as time goes on. Happy to relive the memories of a time that once was. Exactly as I do when I boot up Wii Sports to play with my family.
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