As you probably know by now, Nintendo is discontinuing the 3DS and Wii U eShop as of 28th March 2023. And later this month on 29th August, you'll no longer be able to add eShop card funds (aka points) to accounts.
This is happening worldwide, and as a result - Nintendo fans around the globe are grabbing certain digital titles before the deadline. Even the Super Smash Bros. director Masahiro Sakurai is making the most of these digital shops while he still can.
Here's a rough translation of his most recent social media post (via Google translate) - essentially reminding fellow 3DS and Wii U users of the closure:
"In a little over two weeks, you won't be able to add points to 3DS and Wii U...I'm patrolling the e-shop thinking it's my last chance. Because of the touch panel, there are probably many things that won't be ported to other models."
Unfortunately, he didn't specify if he made any purchases, but as he noted - a lot of the games using these systems' touch screens, might not necessarily get ported to other platforms in the future. We can't imagine he is thrilled about older Super Smash Bros. DLC being retired, either.
The 3DS and Wii U eShops aren't the only things coming to an end - with Sakurai announcing earlier this month that he was almost out of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate screenshots.
You can learn more about the upcoming eShop closures in some of our previous posts. It's worth noting the sales of Fire Emblem Fates will end on 28th February 2023 and its DLC is available until 27th March 2023.
Learn more about Nintendo's 3DS & Wii U eShop closure:
- When Does The 3DS And Wii U eShop Close? Nintendo eShop Closure Guide
- Feature: 10 3DS Retail Games That Might Be Cheaper To Buy Digitally While You Can
Are you making the most of your time with these eShops, like Sakurai is? Any specific games you'll be picking up before it's too late? How do you feel about the whole closure at this point? Leave your thoughts down below.
Comments 65
I have decided to not adding my eshop fund for my 3DS and Wii U. Also, I changed my mind to get Yokai Watch 3 English digital version as I still not consider my digital games purchase as real things so I decided to get another games in physical than spending some $$$ for digital games.
Sakurai is of course a true fan of retro games, so I imagine he'd be feeling this loss pretty hard. As am I and many other retro fans.
They’re removing the ability to add points from the eshop cards too?
@Freddyfred yup that too
@Anti-Matter Yokai Watch 3 is on my radar.
For the rest, some DLC for Etrian Odyssey games, Pokémon VC games and that's it, and what's left money wise will be used on the Switch when I need it.
I’m going to try to buy a few games that I want that are either too expensive physically or not available
@Rayquaza2510
I have finished the storyline of Yokai Watch 3 Tempura 3DS Japanese version last year so I have experienced with Yokai Watch 3 game despite with Japanese texts. Thanks goodness I could get the game in physical from my local online shopping website with very cheap price.
I just managed to link my 3DS account to my Switch account. Many thanks to the article on Nintendo Life for helping me do this
As I understand it I can now add funds to my Switch and access those funds on my 3DS until the end of March 2023
Can you still purchase direct downloads from the nintendo website after the discontinuation of eshop card support?
i just grabbed some childhood games i wanted but never had money for. mainly the pushmo and dillons rolling western series
This won't matter as long as you hack your 3ds
I've been meaning to do a check on the games stores before their closures. However, considering I never owned a Wii U and the last time I've only seriously used my 3DS twice since getting my Switch in 2017, I've been putting this off and I might just never get around to it. I'm also pretty lucky to already own all the games I want for the 3DS physically.
At this point, I'd rather just wait for a Switch/modern console port or emulate.
@Mauzuri Yeah. Kirby's Blowout Blast. It gets more difficult with combo attacks if you want it to but after Super Mario games I really needed a relaxing experience and 3D Kirby is amazing. It reminds me of Super Mario 3D World
So far I went full crazy on getting dlc for the 3ds games that I don't have.
I got:
Debating:
I am not sure if there are any other must have dlc for games that I have.
I've picked up nearly everything I wanted. I'm still going to purchase Fire Emblem Fates Revelations, Pushmo World, Ogre Battle 64, and the second and third Dillon games.
I was just thinking of buying the Smash dlc for my 3ds XL's. I don't need much else. Was thinking Fatal Frame on Wii U but however just picked up the Switch version on Play Asia. I highly recommend downloading Steel Diver Sub wars & 3DS Classics 3ds before the shop closes. Had alot of fun in sub wars online!
@SilentHunter382 : I wasn't aware that there's DLC for Fantasy Life, thanks for pointing it out!
I have a two-page long wishlist on my 3DS that I check every week for discounts. I'll probably cave in next year and buy everything on it anyway.
I keep debating getting Yokai Watch 3 and now I'm running out of time. The physical copy's price is ridiculous.
I hope one day we get another KI game.
Going to grab some DS games and Devil's Third for WII U.
WHAT?!? They’re removing the option to add points via cards this month? Now I really have to speed up getting everything in Rusty’s real deal baseball!
What do they mean by ‘points’? Points was a Wii thing wasn’t it, that closed ages ago? 3DS and Wii U was all about £??
What I’m confused about is whether I can still add funds via the website after 29th August to use for purchases on my 3DS? And if so, can I only purchase direct or can you still add funds this way from eShop cards?
It’s all a confusing mess to be honest! I don’t have a Switch so can’t add funds that way.
@iLikeUrAttitude Just finally did the homebrew/Fbi tutorial and it took me like 30 minutes so hella worth it would recommend 👌.
We need(ed) more big eShop sales. Even with the eShop closing, a lot of games I'd be willing to try are a bit of a hard-sell at full price.
@PtM thanks.
It’s so funny to me that people take a digital store closure as an excuse to spend more money on that store. It should be obvious that those digital games are worthless.
The 3DS eshop was/is a goldmine. Loads of games have been removed now.
Classics:
Shantae and the Pirates Curse, Heroes of Ruin, Link Between Worlds, Xeodrifter, Castlevania: Mirror of Fate, Rune Factory 4, Shovel Knight, ......
So many more!
@iLikeUrAttitude I'm not an advocate for piracy, but when Nintendo opts to close an entire digital storefront down? I don't blame people for breaking out the eyepatches and setting sail on the high seas.
@Crono1973 Why are your purchases worthless? You can still redownload your games. The logic of your argument doesn't make sense to me.
Truly a sad state of affairs..
@ibookboyuk
Yes! Another person who appreciates this game.
I found the one other person!
@Crono1973 I picked up Metroid Prime Trilogy and Pandora's Tower as I'd rather spend £35 on downloads rather than £100+ on getting them physically. Yeah my Wii U could break in 10 years, but then a physical copy of a game could also break. By then they'll probably be another download version of said games, and buying said games 3 times in a lifetime is probably the cheaper option.
@strollin_stu Yeah for me, not being able to add funds isn't a big deal because my switch, wii u, and 3ds accounts have a synced balance.
I'm still waiting for an official way to play a lot of GBA SNES, MD, arcade games etc on 3DS. So I can feel more honest while playing them.
Actually, just a few hours ago me and my three kids took our last shopping spree. Them with thier 2DSs and me with my New 3DS XL. It was really weird basically saying goodbye to the 3DS eshop forever especially since I got it right after my oldest child was born. Now she is almost 12! I remember playing with the AR cards while she was a baby on the floor. SUCH fond memories with the 3DS...
Not bothered in the slightest. If there's a game I want to play in the future, and it's not available... well it is available, isn't it.
Well, Nintendo could simply add a touch panel accessory for the Switch, or make the Switch backwards compatible with the Wii U game pad... Come on, Nintendo, lift your game!
He’s right. The 3DS is so unique that a lot of games likely won’t be ported or, if they are, they’ll be significantly changed. The Diamond and Pearl remakes gave us a taste of this. It just wasn’t the same to use all the Poketech apps when you had to have them obscure the screen rather than be on a second one. It just loses something that way imo.
Nintendo loves supporting piracy
@Franklin Haahaaa! Yeah. I know what you mean. I love Super Mario but it's not popular. The gap between Twitch viewer figures compared to something big like Fortnite or Fall guys is massive
But there is a lot of love for Burnout Blast in Nintendo Life comments section, I promise. Deservedly so, too. Great game
@invictus4000 Many thanks for sharing such a great memories with your family and 3ds(I also have those lovely memories with my little nephew at 2011-13, when the 3d effect was really hot). But don't worry, as long as you have your family and the 3ds consoles you can re-live those incredible moments everytime you want. For me personally I spent more time with my 3ds 's handhelds in the last 2 years than the past 10 years(I have a huge backlog and I love the unique 3d effect) so I'm not going to abandon the 3ds. My first kid will be born in 2-3 weeks and I can' t wait to live all these moments not only with my 3ds's but with all my Nintendo consoles since Nes hahaha!! Long live the 3ds!!
Xenoblade X on Wii U will be practically unplayable if you don't download the speed data packs from Wii U eshop before it closes.
The data packs make the game run more smoother than it would be without.
Nintendo have already pulled a large amount of games and other publishers pulled alot of content years ago. It's impossible to get some games from my wishlist now.
Still, I have a solid library of games on both 3DS and Wii U so in that respect I am fortunate.
@Crono1973 People aren't buying these games for investment purposes, they're buying them to (eventually) play and enjoy. You've adopted a beancounter's fallacy of trying to classify life's experiences as financial assets.
I spoke to a represep8ntative a few weeks ago regarding adding points to the ACCOUNT through nintendo switch and using said points in the 3ds/wiiu eshop. According to this person we can still do that until march. However nowhere online I've been able to see this reported.
I'm downloadinng everything I can, specially games that won't get ported, like Sakurai pointed out, on my modded Wii U. It has a great library of games, and my kids are enjoying most of them.
I remember some people bringing up a good point about the Switch's design: A flip-grip and a stylus might be something Nintendo would consider in the future, if they decided to expand NSO to the DS and maybe 3DS library in a similar manner to the Wii U with VC.
I may be a bit optimistic considering how minimalistic Nintendo really seems to be, but it's definitely possible and has proven to work, at least on regular and OLED models (note: the Switch Lite may be a reason why we wouldn't get DS/3DS games).
As a side note though, I'm glad Sakurai is being pretty bluntly honest from his developer and gamer standpoint.
Are there any eShop games that aren't up for purchase on Nintendo's site? I've bought the vast majority of my digital copies from nintendo.co.uk rather than the consoles' own eShop apps.
This is not a request, this is an order: get Metroid Prime Trilogy on Wii U Virtual Console while you still can!
@Freddyfred You can still buy games if you have the switch balance and Nintendo network balance linked to each other
@Ralizah
Being able to redownload games or keep them even after the store closes is the main reason why im critical of how NSO handles its retro games, since while you can buy the DLC on NSO separately if you want to keep it you cant do the same with the Retro titles.
I can see why some would result to other methods to play those games if the only alternative will be to entrust your library to a subscription service where if a game is delisted or the service ends then the game is gone.
Its one of the reasons why im happy that were getting more collections and remasters from third parties at least (still hope one day we will get that old school FF one on switch now that there's viable remasters available on pc and mobile)
Am I the only one who hasn't touched his New 3DS XL in years? I have far too much of a catalog to get through on the Switch, playing old 3DS games is the furthest thought from my mind. And this is coming from a fan of the 3DS with over 150 digital games on the system. I just don't have time to look back.
@Crono1973 Stupid comment. Most people here buy their games for enjoyment not to make money from them.
@steventonysmith I wouldn't say you're the only one but I expect you would be in a minority here.
I’ve downloaded pretty much everything that I wanted for the Wii U, pretty much all the GBA games that are noteworthy as well as a bunch of SNES games that I’ve always wanted plus some indie titles like Affordable Space Adventures and plenty of others. My 3DS saw an influx of puzzle games, the BoxBoy and Pushmo series but I went down a DSi rabbit hole to get the Art Style games I wanted plus a bunch by Dylan Cuthbert’s studio. All I’m waiting for now is a Level 5 sale, Crimson Shroud, Friday Monsters, Liberation Maiden etc but I can’t see a sale really happening.
My physical collection of 3DS and Wii U games plus my digital collection has basically stopped me buying a Switch and I’ve become more interested in retro gaming and indie titles.
There’s so much for everyone but still plenty of time to get what you need.
@RubyCarbuncle
Judging by the insane software sales of the Switch I doubt I am the minority
@Mgalens Square-Enix baffles me. The pixel remasters would sell extremely well on consoles. I can't imagine why they wouldn't port them.
@Mauzuri Get what you want?
I would say grab the Zelda titles, especially the Oracles.
Get stuff you won't easily find anywhere else.
@Crono1973
"disc rot"
google it.
@-wc- Do you think my 3DS games will get disc rot?
3DS remains my favorite system of all time. Just so much good content on that little gem, and such a nicely made piece of hardware.
I want to remind Nintendo fans who are bothered by the closure of the eshop to google "3DS guide" and achieve true freedom.
@Crono1973
do you think your cartridges will last forever?
@-wc- Well my NES/SNES/N64 cartridges seem to be going strong. 3DS games will certainly outlast the eShop. For that matter so are my PS1 discs and I have no doubt that the Wii U discs will outlast the eShop as well. It’s really not hard to take care of your games.
So far I've gotten most of the Virtual Console games I wanted, now I'm going for the 3DS downloadable games like Pocket Card Jockey and Harmoknight.
@Crono1973
you arent wrong, but nothing is forever and the games on my sd card will probably last about as long as the "physical" copies, i reckon. many of them i treasure to death and i got for like 3 bucks on sale! whats important is the we have games to play, right? ✌️
(ive had a couple games fail, now, and i take pretty good care of my games, btw. but to be fair, we are talking 2 wii discs, and a GBA cart, that come to mind. my nes/snes/64 carts are all going strong, too 😊)
I wasn’t too happy that a few of my older DS games no longer work, the pins of the cart had degraded or something and the 70% alcohol wipe carefully applied did not work. I wasn’t a fan of digital downloads previously but for preserving those games you really want to keep I think it’s the best option.
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