Josh Hendrickson
Starting today, select airports around the U.S. will have a bold new site for travelers—Nintendo pop-up lounges. There, you’ll be able to charge your stuff, try out the latest Nintendo Switch games, order Nintendo products, and even score some freebies. Assuming you’re at the right airport anyway.
Waiting for your flight can be monotonous, especially with a long layover. Nintendo’s pop-up lounges should help that, at least to an extent. Not only do they have big red seats to plop your keister on, but you can play demos of Nintendo Switch games, in both TV mode and handheld mode.
Of course, there is a catch or two. You can’t just go to an airport and hop into a Nintendo lounge; you won’t see them until after the screening area. So you’ll need a plane ticket. Also, it’s only a few airports around the U.S., currently, D.C., DFW, Chicago, and Seattle are the lucky locations. And these are demos, you won’t get through an entire game of Breath of the Wild (not that you could on a layover).
And naturally, Nintendo isn’t doing this entirely out of the goodness of its heart. The company hopes to sell you a few things while you’re gaming. At the lounge, you can order a Nintendo Switch or Switch Lite and have it delivered to your home in approximately two days. But if you do, you’ll get a free case for your new console (while supplies last). Nintendo also has games and other merchandise for sale.
But you don’t have to buy anything, and if you stop by, you’ll get a free Nintendo Switch branded luggage handle wrap and a $10 coupon from Target to use on any Nintendo purchase of $75 or more (while supplies last). As marketing gimmicks go, at least this one might make your travels a little more enjoyable.
But be warned, if you blast a stranger with a Blue Shell in Mario Kart just before the finish line, you might cause a TSA incident and miss your flight. Don’t be that person.
