Monday, August 26, 2013

A few thoughts on (and a photo of) the new Club Nintendo Pikmin tote bag

You knew before now that as of a few weeks ago the North American Club Nintendo is offering a Pikmin-branded tote bag as one of its rewards, right?

Well, if you didn't, you know it now.

I picked one up as soon as I was able, of course--mostly because I'm a huge Pikmin fan, but also because I like cute-but-practical things.

Anyway, my tote arrived on my doorstep last week. Here's a photo of it in its current resting place (on the back of my office chair):

The tote's actually a bit smaller than I thought it would be, I have to say. Not that it's tiny; it's plenty big, but I wouldn't plan on using it to pick up a week's worth of groceries or anything like that. It's more suited for carrying, say, a laptop and a few notebooks, I think.

It also should be noted that the tote seems pretty sturdy. Of course, I'm not the most experienced tote owner in the world, so what do I know? Regardless, it doesn't feel flimsy--or it doesn't feel that way to me.

The question is: how will I be using it? Or will I be using it at all? The answer to both of those questions, sadly, is that I probably won't use it at all.

Who knows, though, maybe I'll use it the next time I travel--just so everyone at the airport can "oooh!" and "ahhh!" as I walk clutching this most fabulous looking tote.

Did any of you snag one of these beauties? If so, what do you think of it so far? And how are you putting it to use (if you're putting it to use at all?

25 comments:

Kensloth said...

I snagged one of these for my wife, who along with myself is a massive Pikmin fan. It is used as one of several grocery bags we take each week to the store, and is well suited for holding lots of fruit or other small items. :)

Justin Difazzio said...

It's adorable, but I only wish the colors were more vibrant.

thegaygamer.com said...

Well, that's great to hear, Kensloth! I still probably won't use mine for groceries--I'd be too scared that it would get stained, etc. I can see using it for traveling, though, or for transporting my laptop to a nearby coffee shop, etc.

thegaygamer.com said...

I can see that, Justin. I think everything's a bit more visible in person than it is in this photo, though. Did you pick up one, too, BTW, or are you mainly reacting to my photo or images you've seen elsewhere?

Justin Difazzio said...

I haven't ordered one. I don't think I will. I'm not a fan of muted colors as a rule...especially in games. Give me full saturation.

thegaygamer.com said...

I understand. Personally, I like that it's kind of muted, but I can't hate on someone for wanting its design to be bolder!

Kensloth said...

Yeah, it's a pretty decent little bag. :) I couldn't find anything else I wanted with my points either, so it made it an easy choice.

thegaygamer.com said...

Yes, that helped a lot, too, didn't it? And then there's the fact that if in the end you don't want to keep it you can sell it to someone else on eBay!

Zaphod65 said...

I ordered one. I have an old Waldenbooks tote I use for transporting my Wii U from my apartment to my parents' house when I go, but I couldn't resist a gaming-related bag to replace it. I have Pikmin 3, so it seemed appropriate.

thegaygamer.com said...

That seems like a PERFECT use of this tote, Terry. Good for you :)

apricotsushi said...

I love it! I ordered one myself, and it's currently sitting at my parents house (they'll bring it over when they visit in October). It looks structurally similar to the 1up tote bag they released a while back (which I also have): http://www.gamingtruth.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/tote_bag_big_2.jpg It's not huge but I usually bring it along when I buy groceries. There's a gal at my local grocery store who always tells me the same story about a Mario cosplayer who hit on her whenever she sees it ^^;;


Anyway, it's too bad you won't use it! Is it because it's too small, or that you don't use tote bags normally? I find I bring one with me almost every day!

Riven said...

I ordered this tote even though I still haven't played Pikmin. Decent U.S. Club Nintendo rewards are few and far between, and the good ones tend to go out of stock fast. I'm still sad that I didn't have the points to get the gold wii nunchuk during the short time they had it in stock. I really wish they'd get the wii super NES classic controller over here.

I also have the mushroom tote bag, so picking this one up was an easy choice. It's a nice sturdy canvas. I think it's a well-made item. I use these kind of bags to carry all kinds of stuff around when I go out; a reusable coffee mug, coupons, a hoodie, my 3DS, or a small umbrella. Basically, anything I want to bring with me that doesn't fit into my purse.

thegaygamer.com said...

Oh, I completely forgot about that 1up tote, Anne! I wonder why I didn't buy that one when I had a chance?


Anyway, I love that you use yours--and even get a bit of public feedback/recognition when you take it to a particular establishment :)


I didn't mean to imply I'm against using my tote or that I'll never use it, by the way. It's more that I don't usually use totes, etc. Should I leave the house sometime soon and need to bring a few things with me, I may use it. Of course, I also have a messenger bag that I cherish, so I may use that instead. We'll see!


Oh, and thanks for the photo of your tote. It's wonderful :)

thegaygamer.com said...

I certainly agree with you about decent NA Club Nintendo rewards being few and far between, Riven. Which is too bad, really. Anyway, that's also why I picked this up--what else am I going to spend all of those CN points on?


Anyway, I'm glad to hear you make regular use of your 1up tote, too. Maybe I'll have to reconsider this "I'm not the sort to use a tote in public" stance of mine :)

apricotsushi said...

Oh haha, that's not mine! I just went to Google for a quick image. Mine's a bit dirty since I use it for fruit and veg


Speaking of totes, right before the Pikmin tote was released I ordered Culty's new Animal Crossing tote.. so I'm literally swimming in tote bags! Not that I didn't have a ton already... (I think I have a problem)

apricotsushi said...

Waldenbooks! Now that's a name I haven't heard in a while

Zaphod65 said...

It's a sturdy tote, with "A book is good company" on the side. I've used it for years.

thegaygamer.com said...

Heh! Me, too, Anne :) I used to looooooove that place...

thegaygamer.com said...

Well, at least it's a nice problem to have, right? ;)

thegaygamer.com said...

Aw, what a nice sentiment! :)

Zaphod65 said...

And it's true. Until I got an iPod Touch and loaded it with e-book apps, I never left home without an emergency paperback. You never know when you'll have time to read. lol

Reggie White Jr. said...

I'm debating on weather I should pick up this bag or the Donkey Kong poster set. I used my Platinum Reward status to nab the three poster set they (Pikmin 3, Wind Waker HD, Year of Luigi) offered so I could always gain another 400 points to get the DK poster set another time. Besides, I love Pikmin and this bag looks freaking adorable.

thegaygamer.com said...

Go for the tote, I say. Those posters probably will be around for a while!

diaglyph said...

I grabbed this. Pretty much because it's the only interesting thing in the Aussie Club Nintendo. It's pretty nice. I'll probably use it to carry my Wii U if I need to take it anywhere hehe

thegaygamer.com said...

I agree with you about this being just about the only interesting thing in the CN rewards catalog at the moment, Igor. Ugh!


Really, Nintendo should just make the items it produces for its Japanese Club Nintendo catalog available to all regions. They're always the best, and people always want them more than they want what's in their own CN catalogs, so why not do it? Oh, right, because it would be a good idea :|


Finally, I love that this tote's main purpose seems to be to carry around Wii Us. How often do you really need to take your Wii U somewhere, though?