Nintendo will shut down its eShops for 3DS and Wii U, so what does this mean for your favourite games?

Nintendo has announced that they will be discontinuing the eShops for both 3DS and Wii U in March 2023. While it might seem like a long way ahead, it’s still pretty upsetting to hear that you might have to scramble just to get the games you want that only are available on those consoles.

“As of late March 2023, it will no longer be possible to make purchases in Nintendo eShop for the Wii U system and the Nintendo 3DS family of systems. It will also no longer be possible to download free content, including game demos,” wrote Nintendo on their announcement page.

Even though they will only close next year, it will “no longer be possible to use a credit card to add funds to an account in the Nintendo eShop on Wii U and the 3DS family of systems” as of 23 May 2022. And as of 29 August 2022, you can no longer use a Nintendo eShop Card to add funds, either. However, it will still be possible to redeem download codes until late March 2023. The family of systems include the Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo 3DS XL, Nintendo 2DS XL, Nintendo 3DS XL, Nintendo 2DS, Wii U Deluxe, and Wii U Basic.

Nintendo still assures its fans that it would still be possible to redownload games and DLC, receive software updates and enjoy online play on those consoles—even after March 2023. But if you have been planning to get yourself an old-school 3DS or Wii U game like Pokemon Omega Ruby or Bayonetta, you should do it before that.

Fan reactions

The news made quite a few Nintendo fans on Twitter scramble to try and pick out the must-buy games from the older consoles before the eShops close forever. Comedian Adam Conover even tweeted to ask what he should get “before Nintendo sets fire to the last remaining copy”. Replies varied from the popular Persona Q, to not-as-popular but must-play 3DS games like Pocket Card Jockey and Stella Glow.

Twitter users also pointed out that the closing of the eShops would mean that the Pokémon Bank service—which provides a giant digital storage facility for all the Pokemon caught across different games and saves—would also be lost. However, Nintendo stated that you will still be able to transfer the Pokemon you’ve deposited in Pokemon Bank to Pokemon Home even after the paid service is discontinued… but you’d need to get Pokemon Home.

A Twitter user also noted that Sony had also shut down its PS3 store last year. However, Microsoft “doesn’t just keep the 360 store up, but also adds 4K and FPS boost to boatloads of 360 games.”

As a fan of Nintendo games, I’m also suddenly panicked as there are quite a few games that might not be easy to find physically for the Nintendo 3DS. But hopefully, as Nintendo has done with old school games, 3DS and Wii U games might show up through Nintendo Switch Online—eventually.

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