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Are Nintendo Products Cheaper In Japan?

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Have you ever wondered about buying products from the country they were made in? Maybe you like good deals, or are looking to buy direct from the source. No matter what answer you are looking for, you will be able to find it in this article. 

So are Nintendo products cheaper in Japan? 

If you are looking to buy Nintendo products, they are going to be a little cheaper in Japan. The problem is once you pay for shipping and importing you will most likely pay more than if you just purchased the item where you live.

If you want to know about specific Nintendo products you will definitely want to keep reading. In this article we will go into all the Nintendo products and the pros and cons of buying them in Japan. 

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Why are Nintendo products cheaper in Japan?

Nintendo is a Japanese multinational video game company. It is one of the largest video game companies all over the world. Nintendo first released its games in Japan because all of the games are manufactured there. Because there are no shipping or import fees, the items are a little cheaper in Japan. 

On the other hand, when Nintendo delivers their products to the USA, UK, Brazil or Canada they have to add their shipping and import fees. Because Nintendo wants to sell to these other places Nintendo just charges a little more for the items to cover these costs. 

Should I buy a Nintendo Switch in Japan?

Although the Japanese Switch console may be a little cheaper in Japan, it is the same console as the ones sold here in the United States. Because the Nintendo Switch is region free you can play it anywhere all over the world. The downside of buying one in Japan, is that if your console is not multi-language supported then you have to play it with Japanese language.

Although you would probably pay the same once you factored in shipping costs, some people still prefer this method and purchase it online. If somehow you go to visit Japan then I would highly recommend buying it while you are over there for yourself. If you purchase it while you are in the country, you don’t have to pay any import tax because it is your personal property. 

How much are original Nintendo games worth?

Nintendo games are expensive all over the world. Although Nintendo games are cheaper in Japan, when we compare them with other countries, they are still expensive. So how much are Nintendo games worth?

Sony’s PlayStation and Microsoft’s Xbox release their games at a high price; but then after a little time, they decrease their game price quite a bit. In March 2017 Zelda-Breath of the Wild was released for PlayStation 4 for $59.99. The game was well-received by gamers everywhere! They even sold 1.5 million games during the first two month period. But just two months after the game was released, you could buy it for a mere $19.99. 

This is  happening because Sony and Xbox develop their games for third-party developers and most of their income comes from these same third-party developers. Nintendo on the other hand has its brand value. Nintendo never develops their games for third-party developers. 

The Playstation 4 or Xbox one sell their games on compact discs. The capacity of these discs is 25 gigabytes to 50 gigabytes. Nintendo on the other hand sells their games on con cards or cartridges. The capacity of these is one to thirty two gigabytes. Most people know this, but the cartridges that Nintendo uses to make their games are up to 60% more expensive than the PlayStation and Xbox discs.

Because the price of cartridges are more expensive than CD’s Nintendo’s production cost is higher, and the games are more expensive. The other thing is that Nintendo has been in the gaming industry for more than 30 years. Over the years Nintendo has created so many unique games and characters. These characters and games are the reason people love to play all the different Nintendo games.

So if you want to play exclusive games like Pokémon, Super Mario Bros, and The Legend of Zelda then the original Nintendo games are what you want! Because Nintendo didn’t outsource their games, they were always made with great quality.

What is the most successful Nintendo console?

There are a lot of video game consoles released by Nintendo. Here is a list of the consoles they have released in the United States.

  1. Nintendo Entertainment System(NES), 
  2. Super Nintendo Entertainment System(SNES), 
  3. Nintendo 64, 
  4. Nintendo GameCube, 
  5. Wii, 
  6. Wii U
  7. Nintendo Switch
  8. Nintendo switch Lite

Here are the sales of each of the Nintendo consoles 

  1. NES sold 61.91 million consoles  
  2. SNES sold 49.10 million consoles
  3. Nintendo 64 sold 32.93 million consoles
  4. Nintendo GameCube sold 21.74 million consoles
  5. Wii sold 101.63 million consoles 
  6. Wii U sold 13.56 million consoles
  7. Nintendo Switch sold 41.67 million consoles 
  8. Nintendo Switch Lite 1.85 million and counting

According to sales of units sold, the Wii was the number one console ever sold by Nintendo since they have been a company. Although these numbers do not show the bottom line, the Wii has almost two times the sales as any other console, and probably the highest bottom line as well. The Wii was so advanced and ahead of its time when it released gamers all over the world stood in line for hours just to possibly purchase one. 

What is the best Nintendo console to buy?

The latest console is always going to be the best if you like to stay modern, but if you are going purely off of popularity, then you will want either the Wii or the original NES. The latest Nintendo console is the Nintendo Switch which was released in March 2017. This is the eighth generation home video game console and it has a lite version that is handheld and has almost two million sales only 10 days after it was released.

The Nintendo Switch is a hybrid console that can be used as a home console and a portable device. It has wireless Joy-Con controllers with standard buttons and directional analog sticks for user input. It also has motion sensing, tactile feedback, and can attach to both sides of the console to support handheld-style play. 

They can also connect to a Grip accessory to provide a traditional home console gamepad form or be used individually in the hand like the Wii Remote and Nunchuk, for local multiplayer modes. The Nintendo Switch’s software supports online gaming through Internet connectivity, as well as local wireless connectivity with other consoles. 

The Nintendo Switch games and software are available on both physical flash-based ROM cartridges and digital distribution via Nintendo EShop. The system is region free, which allows you to use it all over the world. If you do not have a Nintendo Switch yet, this is the best place to buy one! 

Conclusion

Although Nintendo products may be a little cheaper in Japan, it is probably not worth it to hop on a flight to go over and purchase one. Also you take risks when you purchase from a different country that speaks a different language.