Bandai Namco Cross and Gundam Base Stores at the Mall of America Open This Month
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Gundam became famous worldwide for revolutionizing the robot (mecha) anime genre by introducing the “Real Robot” concept and being supported by a highly addictive model kit (Gunpla) ecosystem.
Before Mobile Suit Gundam was released by Studio Sunrise in 1979, most robot anime followed the “Super Robot” theme, in which robots were depicted as entities with magical powers or invincible superheroes.
Gundam’s popularity skyrocketed after Bandai Entertainment released plastic model kits known as Gunpla. The thrill and satisfaction of assembling detailed parts from scratch into a complete robot created a highly loyal collector base spanning generations—from children of the ’90s to adults. To date, hundreds of millions of Gunpla units have been sold worldwide.
Gundam has never been confined to a single era. For decades, the franchise has continued to produce new series set in different timelines to attract new generations—from the classic Universal Century (UC) era, to the Gundam Wing era, which was hugely popular in the West and Indonesia during the ’90s and 2000s, all the way to modern series like *Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury*.
The Japanese government has even honored the creator, Yoshiyuki Tomino, with a cultural award for his extraordinary contributions to the country. Various life-size Gundam statues, standing over a dozen meters tall, have also been erected in several cities across Japan (such as Tokyo and Yokohama), making them global tourist destinations and tangible proof that Gundam has become part of modern cultural identity.
We’ve seen The Gundam Base stores pop up outside of Japan before. In fact, there’s another one in the U.S. Midwest. The Fashion Outlets of Chicago in Rosemont, Illinois, is home to one such location. That store opened in late 2025. A new Bandai Namco Cross Store and The Gundam Base are set to open at the Mall of America in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on October 30, 2026.
