Both the 3DS and Wii U eShops are no longer available to users. The 3DS and Wii U have offered digital distribution options throughout the last decade through their eShops.
The Wii and DSi represented Nintendo’s first push into digital game distribution, with the former’s WiiWare and the latter’s DSiWare services. The Nintendo eShop, available on the 3DS, Wii U, and Switch, is the successor to these. In February 2018, Nintendo stated that the 3DS and Wii U eShops would close in March 2023. In a later update, the exact date of closure was specified as March 27, 2023, at 5 pm PT.
The last day to purchase via the 3DS and Wii U eShops was March 27. Free demos, 3DS themes, and premium content in games like Nintendo Badge Arcade, which lost some functionality last week, are no longer available for download in the eShop on any console. On its official website, Nintendo stated that “for the foreseeable future,” both consoles can access online play and receive upgrades and redownload games. Several members of the online communities for both systems have been buying up large quantities of games and paying emotional farewells to the digital game libraries of their respective platforms.
So long, Wii U and 3DS eShop…. pic.twitter.com/kMuCGYJAHp
— Nintendo Wire (@NinWire) March 28, 2023
went crazy
by u/jah1july in 3DS
goodbye, 3DS and Wii U eshop. it’s been fun ???? pic.twitter.com/SQGACZq0Gv
— ????bozo???? (1????????) (@bozosart) March 27, 2023
Several of the digital games available on these systems were specific to those consoles and used the 3DS’s 3D display and the Wii U GamePad’s technologies. Many of these titles are no longer available for purchase through official channels because they have yet to be ported to other systems. Several others, like the YouTuber “The Completionist,” who notoriously spent thousands of dollars acquiring every 3DS and Wii U eShop game before their eShops closed for preservation, saw this as a further incentive to acquire these games digitally while they could.
In this era of digital distribution, the shutdown of digital game stores has serious implications for game preservation initiatives and players who want to use legitimate channels to get their favorite titles. Nintendo has been steadfast in its plan to cease support for the eShops, in contrast to Sony’s decision to keep its digital shops live for the PS3 and PS Vita. Several people were saddened by the chain’s decision to shut down. Unfortunately, this issue is not going away for gamers any time soon.
Source: Nintendo
