WiiU & 3DS eShops now closed. You are still be able to download purchased software 'for the foreseeable future'.

[ryodi]

Quote

 

Nintendo is shutting down Wii U and 3DS eShop purchases in late March 2023

 

Starting May 23, 2022, it will no longer be possible to use a credit card to add funds to a 3DS/Wii U eShop account. Starting Aug 29 2022, no longer possible to use eShop card to add funds to 3DS/Wii U eShop account. It will be possible to redeem download codes to March 2023

 

Starting May 23, 2022, it will no longer be possible to use a credit card to add funds to a 3DS/Wii U eShop account.

Starting Aug 29 2022, no longer possible to use eShop card to add funds to 3DS/Wii U eShop account. It will be possible to redeem download codes to March 2023

 

After March 2023, users will be able to redownload content they own and download existing software updates.

Users will not be able to make purchases, download demos/themes or free-to-start software, redeem a download code, or add funds.

 

 

Time to buy the Spirit of Justice and Fire Emblem DLC that never went on sale. 

 

As for Pokemon Home

 

 

Proof that I buy a lot of 3DS games but never actually play them and Badge Arcade is so high because I spent most of my time playing it waiting for it to load. 

[Paulando]

 

Another heavy RPG leaning over here. Bravely Second was wonderful, and it was a great platform for the genre.

 

One of my greatest memories is playing Pilotwings Resort for the first time and see the plane fly around in 3D. A true headfuck moment. It’s also a great game, and massively underrated. One of the best on the console, and some of the loveliest music in any game ever.

 

 

I’m surprised there were 74 games to play, but I imagine most were virtual console games. It’s telling that my two most played games were remakes of Wii and GameCube games. It was a pretty rubbish console truth be told.

[moosegrinder]

That's the rest of the Picross E series getting bought, then.

[ryodi]

My WiiU memories are pathetic in comparison

 

 

I've already softmodded my WiiU and once I've finished transferring Pokemon and bought the 3DS DLC I want I'll probably softmod my 3DS to clone it as well. I've bought a lot of software from the eShop and I don't trust the system transfer to work once they've shut the eShop down if there's a problem. 

[the_debaser]

Jeebus, I had nearly 200 hours on Splatoon. 

[Droo]

I can’t log into my wii u account, no idea why?  Doesn’t appear linked with my switch account. 

[Hitcher]

Time to mod your Wii U's and 3DS's then.

[Hylian]

1 hour ago, Paulando said:

It was a pretty rubbish console truth be told.

Software-wise this is absolutely not true. Mario Kart 8, Splatoon, Pikmin 3, Mario 3D World, NSMBU, DK Tropical Freeze. Some of the best games Nintendo have ever released. 

[smac]

1 hour ago, the_debaser said:

Jeebus, I had nearly 200 hours on Splatoon. 

 

I know I've done well over 1000 on 2, over three years; I played the first for 2 years solid, so I expect I had over 1000 on that, too.

[Mr. Gerbik]

This is not the way.

[Jarik]

No Real Surprises here.  I've always been a Mario & Zelda guy.

 

 

Here on the other hand, yeah.  I used my Wii U mostly as a YouTube & Wii/GBA BC Machine.  Still use it as the second one actually.

 

[smac]

3 minutes ago, Mr. Gerbik said:

This is not the way.

 

Never had the WiiU connected to the store, so don't have the screen to post...

 

[Jamie John]

8 minutes ago, Hylian said:

Software-wise this is absolutely not true. Mario Kart 8, Splatoon, Pikmin 3, Mario 3D World, NSMBU, DK Tropical Freeze. Some of the best games Nintendo have ever released. 

 

And Breath of the Wild.

 

Anyway, here's my memories thing for the 3DS:

 

 

I definitely don't remember spending that much time on Majora's Mask...

 

And Wii U:

 

 

Kind of annoying that they class Netflix and other apps as 'Games', but hey-ho. For a crap console, I got a lot of mileage from my Wii U.

[Paulando]

18 minutes ago, Hylian said:

Software-wise this is absolutely not true. Mario Kart 8, Splatoon, Pikmin 3, Mario 3D World, NSMBU, DK Tropical Freeze. Some of the best games Nintendo have ever released. 

I mean, the actual console with the big, plasticky controller and confusing marketing meant these games just didn’t get the recognition they deserved.

 

It was cool to play the games on the screen, but the one time I really needed this - to play Tokyo Mirage Sessions while spending Christmas at the in-laws - the game didn’t fucking support it 

 

Thankfully all these brilliant titles have been given a new life on the Switch, so there’s little reason to go back to the Wii U. Maybe to play the odd Wii game with an HDMI connection?

[ryodi]

If anyone has got Layton vs Phoenix Wright and hasn't completed it yet you might want to. The option to download the free DLC only becomes available once you've completed the game. 

[Dig Dug]

If you ever plan to play Xenoblade X make sure you download all the pre-install packs so the game runs smoothly.

 

Also Fire Emblem Fates: Revelation will become exclusive to the special edition carts, meaning it will likely become one of the most expensive 3DS games.

[moosegrinder]

100 hours for Picross 3d is probably inflated because of standby. Not sure.

[MW_Jimmy]

20 minutes ago, Paulando said:

Thankfully all these brilliant titles have been given a new life on the Switch, so there’s little reason to go back to the Wii U. Maybe to play the odd Wii game with an HDMI connection?

 

From a preservation perspective it's absolutely worthwhile going back to the WiiU. I bought my WiiU after buying a Switch. The full compatibility of Wii (and technically GameCube) is great. It's the only system you can play every major Zelda game (bar Link between Worlds).

 

Its also still online - I've been playing WiiU Mario Kart and Splatoon - still popular because it's free.

 

And finally, it's also great for picking up cheaper versions of Switch repackaging stuff.

 

I'm still buying stuff for both 3DS and WiiU (bought NES Remix 1 & 2 this week) so feels a bit early this. Looks like I'll need to pick up the rest of the 3DS Guild series before they disappear too.

[Wiper]

Combined with the large number of 3DS games unavailable (or very rare) on physical carts, the region locking, and the whole inability to easily transfer saves between systems, it's going to be a very tricky console to preserve your personal library for

[MW_Jimmy]

Just now, Wiper said:

Combined with the large number of 3DS games unavailable (or very rare) on physical carts, the region locking, and the whole inability to easily transfer saves between systems, it's going to be a very tricky console to preserve your personal library for

 

I'm still annoyed at Shin Megami Tensei IV not getting a physical release here.

[Wiper]

Oh, and:

 

Why yes, that is Fire Emblem, Fire Emblem and Fire Emblem topping the 3DS! Not sure I agree with Phoenix Wright showing up as "RPG", mind.

[jonathanhoey]

6 minutes ago, Wiper said:

Combined with the large number of 3DS games unavailable (or very rare) on physical carts, the region locking, and the whole inability to easily transfer saves between systems, it's going to be a very tricky console to preserve your personal library for

This leads nicely into a question I was about to ask.

 

I will be hitting the 3DS store fairly hard to buy up things I never got around to (eg the later Picross games, as @moosegrinder mentioned).

 

What happens if I subsequently buy, say, a New 3DS? Would I be able to transfer all my games on to that (at any future date or indeed at all?)

 

Or for example would I need to get the new console before the shop shuts and just buy the games on the new device?

 

The L button on my launch 3DS isn’t working properly and if contact cleaner doesn’t help it, I have a choice of spending some money getting it repaired, or spending some more money on a newer, better console.

[Jamie John]

I'm anticipating an episode of The Back Page Pod now where they go through all the must-haves from the 3DS and Wii U eShops. Didn't they do that when the PS Store got pulled from the Vita?

[the_debaser]

1 hour ago, smac said:

 

I know I've done well over 1000 on 2, over three years; I played the first for 2 years solid, so I expect I had over 1000 on that, too.

 That’s amazing. I still occasionally miss the WiiU screen when I play 2. 

[smac]

It's the only on-line multiplayer game I have ever played (other than some MUDs back in the 80s/90s) - and the four-minute match time has that 'one more go' to infinity.

 

So I got thoroughly hooked.

[Protocol Penguin]

(Depressingly, this doesn’t include data from my first 3DS, which Game idiotically wiped during a trade-in.)

 

(Tellingly, I used my Wii U far more as a streaming device than I used it for actual games.)

[Yiggy]

What are the chances of some last month sales offering Eshop bargains? Presumably very low, but it’s the last chance of any revenue being earned from most of them, especially 3DS before people turn purely to eBay. 
 

I think the only thing I need to pick up is Apollo Justice to complete my main line digital Phoenix set. Would love to pay less than £20 for it! 

[Protocol Penguin]

46 minutes ago, Wiper said:

Combined with the large number of 3DS games unavailable (or very rare) on physical carts, the region locking, and the whole inability to easily transfer saves between systems, it's going to be a very tricky console to preserve your personal library for

Thinking aloud, I’m wondering if jailbreaking is easy and convenient these days. Because there’s likely to be bugger-all official means to preserve all of this content.

 

(Also, this announcement cements my decision to avoid purchasing download games on the Switch as much as possible. There’s no guarantee that the Switch won’t be as much a technological ‘dead end’, as in without BC-equipped successor formats, as the 3DS and Wii U.)

[MW_Jimmy]

5 minutes ago, Protocol Penguin said:

Because there’s likely to be bugger-all official means to preserve all of this content

 

It's all been preserved already. The community already has private servers ready to go once the official ones disappear. They are also currently testing Miiverse to bring back that functionality too.

[Jarik]

6 minutes ago, Protocol Penguin said:

Thinking aloud, I’m wondering if jailbreaking is easy and convenient these days. Because there’s likely to be bugger-all official means to preserve all of this content.

 

(Also, this announcement cements my decision to avoid purchasing download games on the Switch as much as possible. There’s no guarantee that the Switch won’t be as much a technological ‘dead end’, as in without BC-equipped successor formats, as the 3DS and Wii U.)

 

IMO the DS/3DS is a unique case because if watching Retro Dodo on YouTube has taught me anything it's that devices that replicate the form & function of the Gameboy/GBC/GBA are ten a penny, but no-one has tried to do the DS/3DS 2 screen form factor let alone the 3D functionality.  Such a device may exist someday, but I wouldn't hold my breath.