Nintendo has got to stop dropping country-exclusive merch

If there’s one thing Nintendo is fantastic at outside of its games, it’s delivering on the cutest and most interesting merchandise in the gaming sphere. It doesn’t really matter how cool Capcom’s Monster Hunter T-shirts are, I fear they will never close the gap between Nintendo’s merch and… everybody else’s. Like, seriously, have you seen the Pikmin plushies? Are you enlightened in the ways of the Princess Peach hair tie collection?

Enter, new Kirby merch. An extension of the previous Kirby line, it’s got keychains, plushes, bags, stickers, a drinks tumbler, and even a reversible travel pillow, all as cute and fun as each other. The prices are reasonable, with the plushes being just under $20, and the stickers only $5 a piece. Perfect. Oh, wait, did I forget to mention? It’s only available for Australia and New Zealand.

And look, I really don’t have anything against those countries – it’s just that this is classic Nintendo. Because of the way the company operates, Nintendo of America and Nintendo of Europe don’t operate in the same way, offering the same products to consumers. I get that, I really do, it’s just that it’s sad. Case in point, Japan got the coolest Pokemon event I’ve ever seen, with no plans to make it global. Where can I get my Kirby dango plush without flying across the world?

Fortunately, there’s a new Kirby game on the way, with Air Riders releasing on the Switch 2 in November to a generally pretty positive reaction so far. Pre-order your copy now to avoid missing out on this new Sakurai-directed adventure!

For more Nintendo news, check out our list of new Switch games, as well as our humble opinion on the best Switch games. Also, take a peek at our Kirby and the Forgotten Land Switch 2 review, and to prepare your Switch 2 for intense racing, take a gander at our best Nintendo Switch 2 accessories guide.