The Nintendo Switch basically replaced both consoles. It got two birds with one stone, being the absolute portable handheld and living room gaming console. We could see this coming from a mile away, but none of us was ready to accept it until now.
Shut down date for the 3DS and Wii U eShops
Taking to Twitter, on July 19 at around 7:00 am, the Japanese gaming giant unexpectedly announced that the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U eShops will finally be shutting doors for good next year on March 27, 2023.
– As of 29/08/2022, it will no longer be possible to add funds. – As of 27/03/2023, purchases will no longer be available. More details: https://t.co/XUEf0YZIxC — Nintendo UK (@NintendoUK) July 19, 2022 Nintendo was unsure about providing an exact down for the shut down of the eShops, but it’s unfortunate to know that they’re going through with this. We didn’t imagine that the 3DS would be coming to the end of its life cycle. If you think about it, it’s still a solid handheld that has performed well for over a decade. But, Nintendo is expediting the shut down of the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U eShops and trying to limit customer interaction with the online service. Around August 29, Nintendo will restrict the addition of any funds or currency, whether by gift card or otherwise, to the storefronts on either of the platforms. So, we think it’s a good time to use all those unused codes and gift cards if you’re still a user of the 3DS or Wii U. So, what does this mean if you’ve already purchased tons of games from the 3DS and Wii U eShops? Well, Nintendo has already taken this into consideration and allows users to re-download any previously purchased games. You can still receive software updates and use online features for both of the gaming systems, so that’s a relief. We thought we wouldn’t be able to play Mario Party or Mario Kart in multiplayer on our 3DS and Wii U systems. What’s pretty strange is that Nintendo is going to halt the sales of Fire Emblem Fates a month earlier than the closure of the 3DS and Wii U eShop? What drove Nintendo to make this move? Honestly, we don’t know, but supposedly, it’s probably in our best interests, or maybe not. Nintendo hasn’t provided any reasoning for this. Still, you’ll be able to purchase any DLC associated with the game until the 3DS and Wii U eShops close down. This seems to be a contentious issue if you think about it. Preserving game libraries is a major part of gaming culture, and we wouldn’t want to see any Wii U and 3DS titles fade into the abyss. Nintendo doesn’t care all that much as they have no plans to preserve any of the affected games, according to Edge Magazine. But that’s where pirates come in to save the day, as the whole catalogue of Wii U and 3DS games is already preserved on the internet. Is Nintendo making the right move by shutting down the eShops? Will they re-release the 3DS and Wii U library for the Nintendo Switch? For now, we don’t know, but as time passes, we might see 3DS and Wii U titles popping up for the Nintendo Switch. For further updates on the matter, make sure to keep tabs on Appuals as we’re just getting started!
