Nintendo has announced in a post that the Nintendo eShop for the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS will be discontinued in March 2023, which is sad news for those who browse and purchase classic Nintendo games on those systems.
While March 2023 is when the online storefronts will officially cease operations, certain functions will stop working before that. From 23 May 2022, users will no longer be able to use credit cards to add funds to their Wii U and Nintendo 3DS accounts on the Nintendo eShop. From 29 August 2022, users will no longer be able to use Nintendo eShop cards to add funds to their accounts on those systems. However, download codes can still be redeemed until late March 2023.
The silver lining for users who already purchased games using the eShop, it will still be possible to redownload them, receive software updates, and play online on those systems, even after the online storefronts cease operations. This is expected, of course, since the Wii U is 10 years old while the Nintendo 3DS is 11 years old. However, now that Nintendo is mainly focusing on a subscription model with the Nintendo Switch Online as a way to grant access to their older titles, this is perhaps the swan song for users to be able to purchase and then own those titles without relying on the secondary market.
As Nintendo states in an FAQ, beyond the Nintendo Switch Online subscription model, they “currently have no plans to offer classic content in other ways”.
Brandon shapeshifts between being a nerd and a geek like Mystique, but with fewer options. He reads an unhealthy amount of comics and manga, while playing a healthy amount of board games and video games.
Trinity Sun
