If that is the case than was more than likely some behind the scenes work.

All it showed was freaky forms (original) has an update, but I didn't find anything

Alright, I am not sure about you guys, but the e-shop is still being updated where I am.
I hope the best comes out of this maintenance...
~Miiverse (Possible, but unlikely)
~Flipnote Memo (Doubt it)
~More full retail games (maybe)
~More DLC (maybe)
~And whatever else I have not mentioned

True, I wonder what's that about.

It's probably for compatibility with the new game I think.

Nah they we're ready to release Sonic Labyrinth and Blast but then it crashed.

We'll just have to wait and see I suppose. I don't think Nintendo will just update the eShop all day just to work on one game or do background fix-ups.

This happend in Europe too, but i cant see a difrence. Annyway, ut wasnt as early as yours, I think the EU was araound 18:00 or somthing like that.

The e-shop is all up and running where I am, and I can see no difference.

Perhaps something special will happen after Thursday-Friday

I hope... This is really getting frustrating with them updating and nothing happening...I have over 100 ideas, but non of them are happening

Just cause WE dont see it happen doesn't mean nothing happened. Its probably background work that they needed to do to prepare for the Wii U launch. I have been playing MMOs for years and this sort of thing happens just before a new expansion hits. Take World of Warcraft for example, they released their latest expansion about a month ago and a few weeks before that the servers would be down for several hours and when they came back up nothing was different or changed game wise but Blizzard stated that it was behind the scene stuff. Thats probably the deal here. Honestly I dont know where you people think that just cause there's an update that its something for the public. It could have just been them switching servers.

I thought it was PokeDex 3D Pro, or was that out before the update?

I seriously hope it was just laying the foundations for MiiVerse...

I hope Miiverse will be released before the Wii U for the 3DS, but I HIGHLY doubt it.
Also I hope Miiverse will be a down loadable app for the 3DS, and not browser based. I am so excited
and cannot wait for Miiverse.

What Tasuki said

Also, who ever said anything about them updating anything?

^usual matinance is at most 3 hours, and for only one system at a time, this was for ALL 3 and for 12 hours, if that doesn't say something IDK what does

The Nintendo Europe website has been given a complete overhaul. Happened around the same time as the maintenance on the eShop.

Well with a update lasting 12 hours, I expect something special this Friday on the e-shop...

^ditto or hopefully with in the next 2 weeks I mean all I saw was freaky forms have an update, but IDK what it did, probably SP compatible to DX version, but Europes shop was down and I doubt 12 hours for DX compatibility.

I checked for a freaky forms update, did not see one, though I did have one about a couple of months ago, probably why there was not one for me, but IDC
I hardly ever play freaky forms any more. I will be trying to get a lot of full retail games downloaded from now on, unless there is a very good e-shop game to get.

At the moment though I dont care about any e-shop games, I want Miiverse!!!

@CosmicMii_&_HarmoKnight: Please explain to me where it says that you are suppose to get something for them doing a 12 hour update? Honestly I am having a hard time understanding why you think just because it was down for 12 hours you are suppose to get something out of it? As I have said it more than likey was some behind the scene work to prepare for the Wii U launch. I am seriously going to laugh my a** off when Friday comes and goes and nothing happens.