
So. The 3DS and Wii U eShops are closing. You probably got that from the title. The full closure will be on the 27th March, 2023, with some games becoming unavailable even before that. We've got the full rundown on the closure here:
Of course, you can still add credit with 3DS and Wii U eShop cards until August 29th, and if you link your Nintendo account to your Switch account, you can add credit until March 2023, so there's not a massive rush, depending on how you want to add funds. We've got a guide for that too, with a bonus discount:
We've also got a guide to the best Wii U, 3DS, and DSiWare exclusive games you should get:
- 39 Best 3DS eShop Games You Should Get Before They're Gone Forever
- 23 Best Wii U eShop Games You Should Get Before They're Gone Forever
- 31 Best DSiWare Games You Should Get Before They're Gone Forever
But, of course, many games on the 3DS and Wii U eShops have downloadable content that will also sink with the SS eShop when it goes down. So, we've compiled yet another list for you, this time, just for the free and paid DLC that you can nab from the Wii U and 3DS eShops. It's not an exhaustive list, but it covers the stuff we think is best to get — and we hope you find something of interest!
Alright, let's get listing...
Fantasy Life (3DS)
Cost: £7.19 / €7.99 / $8.99
Out of all the DLC you can get on 3DS, the Fantasy Life one is perhaps the best bang-for-your-buck. Origin Island — which can only be accessed once you've purchased the DLC, finished the main story, and reached level 50 — adds six new areas, new characters, enemies, and materials to make new weapons, a whole bunch of new story, and a bunch of new characters. In short, it about doubles the length of the game — and adds co-op!
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Xenoblade Chronicles X (Wii U)
Cost: Free
Xenoblade Chronicles X on the Wii U doesn't have paid DLC (all of the Japanese DLC is included by default in the Western release), but there are optional downloadable packs that improve the performance of the game, fixing things like texture pop-ins and adding HD textures. They're worth grabbing for anyone with a disc copy of the game, but be aware that they're quite large in terms of file size, so you can skip them if you'd rather just have more games.
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Spirit of Justice (3DS eShop)
Spirit of Justice offers three paid DLC chapters — two are jokey, 30-minute long stories, and the third is a full case. You'll be able to play each of these once you've finished the first case of the game. Note that Spirit of Justice is a 3DS eShop only release, so unless you want to grab it on iOS, this is the only place you can get it!
Here's a summary of each:
Phoenix Wright: Asinine Attorney
Cost: $3.99 / £3.59 / €3.99
Phoenix has to prove that Pearl Fey is Princess Rayfa in order to buy more time for a rescue operation. It's quite hands-off, and only gives you two pieces of evidence to present during your trial. This also comes with a 3DS theme.
Apollo Justice: Asinine Attorney
Cost: $3.99 / £3.59 / €3.99
Another short story, Apollo has to go toe-to-toe with Klavier Gavin to argue that Princess Rayfa should be allowed one more day in America. Not quite as hands-off as Phoenix's mini-case, but does involve more evidence and more action. Comes with a 3DS theme.
Turnabout Time Traveler
Cost: $5.99 / £5.39 / €5.99
A full-length case, this DLC episode takes place during a wedding gone wrong. With plenty of interesting characters and the return of Larry Butz, this episode is well worth the price for anyone who enjoys the Ace Attorney games — it's one of the best cases in Spirit of Justice.
Outfits
Cost: $0.99 / €0.99 / £0.89
You can also buy outfits for the three main leads, Phoenix, Apollo, and Athena. Phoenix dresses as Fauxnix pretender Furio Tigre, Apollo as a schoolboy (perhaps meant to be Ryunosuke Naruhodo) and Athena as the waitress from Tres Bien, Maggey Byrde.
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies (3DS eShop)
Cost: $5.99 / €4.99 / £3.99
Much like Spirit of Justice, Dual Destinies has an extra case available as DLC. It's called Turnabout Reclaimed, and it's one of the best cases in the game, in which Phoenix has to defend... an orca. This DLC episode comes with an extra outfit, too — Phoenix's "Nostalgic Sweater", with the big heart on the front, from Turnabout Memories.
Players can also download a costume pack, which includes Phoenix's original suit, a casual outfit for Apollo, and the Themis Academy uniform for Athena.
Also like Spirit of Justice, Dual Destinies is a 3DS eShop only release, so unless you want to grab it on iOS, this is the only place you can get it!
Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy (3DS)
Cost: $0.99 / €1.00 / £0.90 each
Theatrhythm has a ton of downloadable songs available from past Final Fantasy games, so it's a good idea to grab all the ones you like while you still can. There are 52 tracks in total, which can be purchased separately for 99c — or you can buy them all for a total of $51.48. There's a full list available on the Final Fantasy wiki if you want to window-shop!
Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call (3DS)
Cost: $0.99 / €1.00 / £0.90 each
Like its predecessor, Curtain Call also has DLC, including characters and 100 songs to download, including songs from other Square Enix games like Chrono Trigger and Live A Live. You can check out the full list on the Final Fantasy wiki.
Fire Emblem Fates (3DS)
Cost: $19.99 / £17.99 / €19.99 for each path
The third campaign for Fire Emblem Fates, Revelation, is only available as digital DLC or as part of a very limited edition physical printing. So, your best bet is to download it off the eShop. It'll add a new story to the game, which expected you to pick a side between Birthright and Conquest in the main story, but Revelation instead has the player choosing no side. This story offers more insight into the events of both Birthright and Conquest, and if you can't get enough Fire Emblem, then it's an excellent purchase.
You can also purchase the game you didn't get — Birthright or Conquest — as DLC for the same price as Revelation. Players who play through two or all three paths will get bonus in-game content, too.
You can also download map packs. Here's a run down of their pricing and contents, from Serenes Forest:
Map Pack 1
Note: Can be purchased as a whole for $17.99 / £16.19 / €17.99, which comes with an extra 10,000G.
DLC | Reward | Difficulty | Cost |
---|---|---|---|
Before Awakening | Exalt’s Brand, Hero’s Brand (first time), Pebble (unlimited) | ★ | Free |
A Gift from Anna | Sighting Lens or Witch’s Mark (first time) | N/A | Free |
Boo Camp | Experience (unlimited) | ★ | $2.49 / £2.29 / €2.49 |
Beach Brawl | Special illustrations | ★★ | $2.49 / £2.29 / €2.49 |
Ghostly Gold | Funds (unlimited) | ★ | $2.49 / £2.29 / €2.49 |
Museum Melee | Weapons (unlimited) | ★ | $2.49 / £2.29 / €2.49 |
Royal Royale | Various stat-boosters (first time), Dread Scroll, Ebon Wing (unlimited) | ★★★★ | $2.49 / £2.29 / €2.49 |
Hidden Truths (1 and 2) | Fell Brand, First Blood (unlimited) | ★★★ | $4.49 / £4.09 / €4.49 |
Vanguard Dawn | Vanguard Brand (unlimited) | ★★ | $1.99 / £1.79 / €1.99 |
Anna on the Run | Anna (first time) | ★ | $1.99 / £1.79 / €1.99 |
Ballistician Blitz | Sighting Lens (unlimited) | ★★ | $1.99 / £1.79 / €1.99 |
Witches’ Trial | Witch’s Mark (unlimited) | ★★ | $1.99 / £1.79 / €1.9 |
Map Pack 2
Note: Can be purchased as a whole for $17.99 / £16.19 / €17.99, which comes with an extra 10,000G.
DLC | Reward | Difficulty | Cost |
---|---|---|---|
Another Gift From Anna | Boots and Paragon (first time) | N/A | Free |
I: In Endless Dreams | Skilltaker and Lucktaker (unlimited) | ★★★ | $0.49 / £0.49 / €0.49 |
II: Realms Collide | Magictaker (unlimited) | ★★★ | $1.99 / £1.79 / €1.99 |
III: The Changing Tide | Strengthtaker (unlimited) | ★★★ | $1.99 / £1.79 / €1.99 |
IV: Light’s Sacrifice | Defensetaker (unlimited) | ★★★ | $1.99 / £1.79 / €1.99 |
V: Endless Dawn | Speedtaker, Resistancetaker (unlimited) | ★★★ | $1.99 / £1.79 / €1.99 |
End: Lost in the Waves | Point Blank (unlimited) | ★★★ | $1.99 / £1.79 / €1.99 |
Comments 75
I already have the DLC for Fantasy Life 3DS.
Secured all of the Fire Emblem and Phoenix Wright DLC the moment this news was announced.
It's also worth pointing out that the two Ace Attorney games, Dual Destinies and Spirit of Justice, never received a physical release outside of Japan.
When the 3DS eShop closes, you'll lose access to more than just the DLC for these games.
Lego Avengers for Wii U I think has a Season Pass DLC that adds many interesting missions and some maps I think.
@RupeeClock yeah, they're on our list of must-haves for the 3DS but I'll add a wee mention in here too
Thank you NL! MORE 3DS articles please!
I have to remind myself to always go back on my 3DS before March.
Thank you for this list, Nintendolife! I was bending over backwards to get this information from all the different social platforms out there.
Edit: How about the radiant historia: perfect chronology dlc? This one gives extra side quests, a new dungeon, a new difficulty and art packs. I think it’s worth a spot on this list for RPG fans such as me.
Wouldn't take PIkmin 3 on switch over Wii U, but probably would take everything else on that list on switch.
I wish I could get Rusty's Real Deal, they never released it here.
Also I loved the Streetpass games but nobody carries their 3DS around anymore so they're hard to play now :/
The only benefit to buying the Phoenix Wright games on 3DS is to have them in stereoscopic 3D.
But for those willing to wait, it's only a matter of time before Capcom re-release these on modern hardware (like they do with what seems like almost all of their post-2000 releases).
And while I did buy the DLC maps for Fates, many of them are just a cynical way to take the sting out of grinding (they're glorified cheat codes, really). The second map pack, however, offers the "true ending" to the various paths, and it's so unfortunate that this content in particular was not included in the physical release.
How I would love to play it all again if it were to come to Switch though.
If I do go on a spending spree, however, I might grab the Fire Emblem Echoes DLC, however, I am quite resistant, and I might also grab a bunch of GB/GBC games that I haven't yet purchased, but I'm a little over spending money on games that I'll barely spend any time playing.
I'm actually in the process of buying a 32GB Wii U. I don't know if there's anything I want from its eShop as I buy mainly to play the 2 Batman Arkham games in "handheld mode" (ok there's a third 2.5D one too, but I already have that on Vita and 3DS).
I might be interested in Deus Ex: Human Revolution Director's Cut and Splinter Cell: Blacklist as well; does anybody know how much they go for on the eShop these days? (they're quite pricey physically).
My 3DS is stacked by now. More games and content than I’ll probably ever get to anytime soon but hey, at least I’ll have plenty to play. Long live the 3DS!
@shgamer : Ubisoft games were typically dirt-cheap while on sale, but I haven't used my Wii U in a few years, so I couldn't tell you if Ubisoft still discounts their games on the platform, unfortunately.
It might actually be cheaper to find a physical copy instead.
@Friendly I agree, this information was a total pain to find. This piece took me three days and it's still not exhaustive 😫
@Silly_G I just checked myself: £29.99 for Deus Ex and £19.99 for Splinter Cell (I doubt they will go on sale at this point).
If I buy the Revelations path and map packs for the physical copy of Fates Conquest, will the DLC also be compatible with a Fates Birthright physical copy?
I miss 3DS... 😭😭😭
I just watched the Fantasy Life trailer and that trailer alone got me more excited than most new games do.
For $40 you could go home with a brand new fun game that felt like your own personal experience.
Rusty's Real Deal Baseball with all of its games bought will become a hidden gem from the 3DS once the eShop closes. I'm glad I got its games earlier this year, it helped me bear the situation when I accompanied my grandma while she was in the hospital.
Other DLC from the list that will be bought eventually before the closure are the Smash Bros. characters and stages (not sure about Mii costumes, but the intention is to have "for Wii U" as complete as possible) and New Super Mario Bros. 2 DLC courses.
Seems like they're not accepting credit card payments... I want to avoid buying gift cards as I want to spend the exact amount. I guess I'm out of options...
A lot of these have physical releases. I came here to strongly endorse Pocket Jockey.
The Etrian Odyssey series also has lots of dlc worth checking out
@BispoSnake Unfortunately the past eShops don't accept credit cards anymore, you can use Prepaid Cards or if you have linked your Nintendo Account (Switch) to your Nintendo Network (Wii U/3DS), you can merge funds and add them on Switch to use on the 3DS.
In that case, even if you still have unused funds after it closes, you can use them on the Switch eShop.
Miss my 3DS and all my games. And with the eShop closing there's a few I will never get to play.
Rusty's is an amazing little game package. I don't own them all but I haven't touched my 3DS in over a year. I wish the next iteration would come to the Switch.
(suggestion: check spellings in this part of this article)
"The Sonic Lost World DLC puts the blue hedgehog in the worlds of NiGHTS Into Dreams, The Legend of Zelda series, and Yoshi's Island. Sadly, the NiGHTS word is only available in the Deadly Six Bonus Edition (available only as a pre-order bonus) and the PC version of the game, but the other two are still worth checking out. In fact, Sonic running around the open world landscape of Hyrule is the closest we'll get to checking out Sonic Frontiers before it comes out..."
Went and downloaded Fantasy Life expansion right away. I'd forgotten it had DLC. I like the game but haven't finished it.
Other than that, I don't need anything else from the list. I have all the Ace Attorney DLC and the songs I want from Theatrhythm as well as the free stuff for certain games. I don't particularly care about Fire Emblem DLC. I would get the rest of the StreetPass games I'm missing if it'd still be possible to pass other people.
I'll be loading up funds one last time this weekend. As far as DLC goes, Fire Emblem is my big focus.
Fantastic feature, NL.
The prices here definitely don't match the Canadian eShop... most of these are $40-$55 each.
FE Fates is particularly problematic. Nintendo is essentially cutting access to 1/3 of the game because it didnt get a wide physical release
@HammerGalladeBro agreed. That was a cool little game.
@TheDragonDAFan : I imagine that they would, but perhaps you ought to contact Nintendo Support just to be sure.
If its not in the base game I'm generally not interested, but I appreciate the existence of this article and will mull it over. The incentive to open one's wallet is hard to calculate, given that the day after access disappears, the only option will be piracy anyway.
Don't forget about all the Japan exclusive 3DS/ Wii U download games and virtual console titles. Way too many to list here but there a ton of gems!
@HeyNavComm we usually provide prices in USD, EUR, and GBP. It's often much more difficult to find prices for other countries, especially CAD, where it's not always clear if $ means US or CA. Sorry!
Yeah, I was hoping the US pricing would convert as $19.99 USD would be $29.99 but it's actually $49.99
From the list I bought the dlc for:
I am still debating if I should pick up some dlc for all the Shin Megami Tensei games.
@Friendly Oh there is dlc for that game. I bought it digital when it was cheap (like €6) but have yet it play it. I will add that to my list of maybes. Thanks.
Don’t forget the Smash 3DS DLC. All the characters are in Ultimate, sure, but Smash Run enthusiasts would get great use out of Bayonetta.
Too much work on my 3ds consoles. I have spent already a large amount of money the previous months for great digital only 3ds games. It's time now for all these dlc's not only for the games that have mentioned on this excellent topic but many more like etrian odyssey series, shin megami tensei apocalypse and devil survivor 2, radiant historia, culdcept revolt etc. Also the priority is to finally finish the ace attorney vs professor layton to get the dlc. (Guys, don't forget all the free dls 's for the 2 Professor Layton 3ds games!).
The last 6 months will be totally nightmare!
Superb job, Nintendo Life. I can't wait to check what DLC New Super Mario Bros 2 has. I love that game. Always have and always will
@ibookboyuk It’s good, but worthy of $30 is debatable. Most people prefer the Impossible Pack out of the DLC.
How about the Louvre guide software? So much content and tied to the 3DS forever.
You guys just missed the DLC for the Etrian Odyssey titles on the 3DS (not including EO IV and Untold 1). Those include access to items that make the games less grindy, new quests that often involve new areas and bosses, and even extra character classes.
I’m very sad about this.
@HeyNavComm ohhh I seeee. Yeah, I'm based in Canada, and the prices for games are ridiculous. I usually just buy them through the UK eShop. Even the EUR/USD conversions in this article aren't great...
@SilentHunter382 you’re welcome
@kategray yeah, these lists never are, which is why my backlog is so extensive. So many ‘hidden gems’ and ‘must buys’ that people on the internet are recommending. Nonetheless, thanks for your work on this one
No mention of Breath of the Wild? For shame!
All Atlus games, get them. I do believe you can add money on your switch. Then it will connect to your 3DS and WiiU.
What games are supposed to become unavailable before March 2023, as the article says?
I've not heard anything about that. Does anyone have a list of content that's confirmed to be pulled before the eShop's end?
Just made an account to post that everyone should get Rhythm Heaven Megamix for the 3DS
Or you could just hack your 3ds... the way I see it, when Nintendo gives us no other way to play these games, it goes from being piracy to being preservation.
@Ciao yes, that game is worth making an account to tell everyone about it. It is one of the very few games that I started up my 3DS to play after getting my switch at launch.
Why did you have to bring up themes!?! I probably bought $15 to $20 worth of themes and badges for my 3DS and 2DS. It was such a great way to customize a device that I play daily. Grumble grumble.
even living in an area where streepass was impossible, i loved the streetpass games. i even "beat" one of them purely using play coins. ill consider the 1st bundle as something i can slowly chip away at
I thought I’d be helpful and try and save people some money: don’t waste your hard earned cash on any of Fire Emblem Fates’ DLC. The game is terrible. My pleasure.
@GravyThief
Hard disagree! It's my least favourite of the modern FE games, suffers by having far too many characters, the generational stuff is nonsensical and a somewhat unsatisfying story but the game is still great. The core gameplay is refined over awakening and the music is excellent.
I put more hours into it than any other 3ds games across the three routes...
Maybe it's Stockholm syndrome then! 😅
@NerdyBoutKirby The Impossible Pack. Got it. Thank you
Where is mention of the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon DLC?
I love these articles complaining about how wrong it is we can’t get in the eshop anymore, so to teach Nintendo a lesson, let’s give them more money for things we can’t actually own before we can’t access the store anymore. That’ll teach them.
I have just check my collection of physical 3ds games. I forgot about the dlc of Monster hunter stories and Conception II.
Also the dlc of the digital only Steel diver sub wars.
So many games to organize god damned!!
@Eel I hopped down here to say this. Several Etrian Odyssey titles add alternate music, artwork, and convenience quests (Exp bonus, Money bonus), and the portraits and music alone will be worthwhile for fans of the series.
WTF IS AN ORCA DOING NEXT TO PHOENIX.

The sequel trilogy got f***** weird it seems.....but man it makes me want to play them even more.
@Fizza Well even on the first game, he cross examines a parrot.
@Matroska Fair enough honestly. Here's hoping in a possible TGAA 3 we get to cross examine Chief Inspector Toby.
@Ddude you have to wait until March 2023 to use that argument
@kategray might I suggest this list too? This one seems very thorough. And makes mention of nintendolife.com as a bonus.
https://www.resetera.com/threads/wii-u-3ds-eshop-shutdown-exclusive-games-dlc-and-features-list-thread.553420/
❓️What about all the people who haven't been born yet that never had a chance to play it?
Boo-hoo-hoo!
Digital Services eventually come to an end. People are going to have to stop crying over the upcoming closure of the 3DS E-Shop and move on.
There's so many games with DLC with so little time.
Any other SMT game in the 3DS that has DLC?
Finally got around to purchasing the Fantasy Life DLC today.
Hi, I made an account just so I could post this
New Art Academy has some DLC, all priced individually at £1.79 each, so buying all 12 comes to £21.48 in total. Within game, navigate to Lessons and from there to Add-On Content to purchase the DLC:
01. Mixing Paints
02. Pointillism & Textures
03. Fur & Feathers
04. Paint like Monet
05. Drawing Birds
06. Illumination
07. Paint like Van Gogh
08. Reflections
09. Glass & Light
10. Expressionism
11. Life Drawing
12. Paint like Turner
I only just found out about this DLC late last night and bought them all this morning. I also checked if Pokémon Art Academy has any DLC but it doesn't.
PS Thank you so much for this helpful article! I had no idea about the Ace Attorney DLC but have now bought them all.
I write this less than two weeks before the shutdown.
Capcom has dropped the prices of all its games in North America to $2.99 (USD). But the DLC prices remain unchanged.
New Style Boutique 2 has several free DLCs, which can only be added in-game, not via the eShop:
01. Spring-Summer Styles Pack
02. Pink Latte - Nautical Casual Pack
03. Pink Latte - FABBY-tacular Pack
04. Three Colour Stripe Pack
05. Sporty Splatoon Pack
06. Peach's Yukata
07. Rosalina's Yukata
08. Animal Crossing HHD Pack
I also checked whether New Style Boutique 1 and 3 have DLC - they don't.
I'm seeing it around that the Mario Golf Tour DLC is not working and is not letting users In the UK & Europe get past the loading screen to purchase the DLC. I've tried to contact Nintendo UK and have seen others do the same. Maybe if everyone who wants the DLC for this game contact UK/Europe Nintendo then they might try and do something to allow us to buy the DLC before it closes. Such a good DLC pack full of content not able to be bought would be a pain for anyone who wants it before the eshop closes. Hopefully it gets fixed in time.
@WillSilva98 It got fixed on wednesday!
Same for Pokémon mystery Dungeon, btw!
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