The company isn’t planning on preserving any classics, so you’ve got about a year to get your hands on the games you’re missing.
(Feature image credit: Nintendo)
In a publication entitled Wii U & Nintendo 3DS eShop Discontinuation, Nintendo has just announced the official closure in March 2023 of the application used to make purchases on these consoles.
The effects of this closure may be felt even sooner, here is how:
- As of May 23, 2022, players will no longer be able to add a credit card or add funds to an existing Nintendo eShop account for Wii U and 3DS.
- As of August 29, 2022, players will no longer be able to add funds through an eShop gift card to their account. However, game redemption codes will still be valid until the official eShop closes.
As for the games already downloaded on these consoles, Nintendo mentions that they can be enjoyed as before. After March 2023, it will still be possible to re-download games or DLC, receive game updates, and enjoy online modes for Wii U and Nintendo 3DS.
Disappearance of several classics
This announcement was somewhat predictable, since the 3Ds is now eleven years old, and the Nintendo Wii U ten. What hurts more on the other hand, will be the disappearance of the opportunity to buy several classics that were now exclusively for sale on these consoles. When asked about the possibility of porting some of these classics to the Nintendo Switch eShop to keep the opportunity to obtain them, here is Nintendo’s answer.
In our Nintendo Switch Online subscription plans, over 130 classic games are currently available in growing libraries for iconic consoles. Games are often enriched with new features such as online play.
We believe this is an effective way to make classic content easily accessible to a wide range of players. In these libraries, new and long-time gamers can not only find games they remember and have heard of, but also other fun games they might not have thought to look up otherwise. .
We currently have no plans to offer classic content in any other way.
This news disappoints some gamers who don’t think the subscription offer is equivalent to owning a game. However, you will have to buy the classics available on these consoles fairly quickly, since they will officially no longer be available after March 2023. But, if like many players, you have abandoned these consoles for several years for the Nintendo Switch, this closure will not affect your games already purchased in digital version for the moment.