Wii U & Nintendo 3DS eShop Discontinuation

[weirdfeline]

As of late March 2023, it will no longer be possible to make purchases in Nintendo eShop for the Wii U system and the Nintendo 3DS family of systems. It will also no longer be possible to download free content, including game demos. Furthermore, as this date draws closer, related services will cease to function:

As of May 23, 2022, it will no longer be possible to use a credit card to add funds to an account in Nintendo eShop on Wii U or the Nintendo 3DS family of systems.
As of August 29, 2022, it will no longer be possible to use a Nintendo eShop Card to add funds to an account in Nintendo eShop on Wii U or the Nintendo 3DS family of systems. However, it will still be possible to redeem download codes until late March 2023.
Users who link their Nintendo Network ID wallet (used with Wii U and the Nintendo 3DS family of systems) with their Nintendo Account wallet (used with the Nintendo Switch family of systems) can use the shared balance to purchase content on any of these systems until late March 2023. After that, the balance can only be used to purchase content for the Nintendo Switch family of systems.

No changes are planned for Nintendo eShop on the Nintendo Switch family of systems.

The changes to Nintendo eShop on Wii U and the Nintendo 3DS family of systems will simultaneously take effect in software on these platforms where it is possible to make purchases, such as StreetPass Mii Plaza, Theme Shop and Nintendo Badge Arcade.

Even after late March 2023, and for the foreseeable future, it will still be possible to redownload games and DLC, receive software updates and enjoy online play on Wii U and the Nintendo 3DS family of systems.

We thank you for supporting Nintendo eShop on Wii U and the Nintendo 3DS family of systems. While we hope that you will continue to enjoy using these systems, we have taken this opportunity to prepare a website where you can look back on your time with them via various play statistics. Please visit https://my-nintendo-3ds-wiiu-memories.nintendo.com/.

Q&A
Why is this happening?
This is part of the natural lifecycle for any product line as it becomes less used by consumers over time.

Why are you announcing this now?
We are providing this notice more than a year in advance of the end of purchases so users will have plenty of time to prepare.

Are any other services or functions of Wii U or the Nintendo 3DS family of systems going to be discontinued, such as online play?
There are no plans to make any further changes at this time.

How long will it still be possible to redownload previously purchased content in Nintendo eShop for Wii U or the Nintendo 3DS family of systems? How long will those systems still support online play?
For the foreseeable future, it will still be possible to redownload games and DLC, receive software updates and enjoy online play on Wii U and the Nintendo 3DS family of systems.

There are still Nintendo eShop Cards at retailers that show the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS logos. What will happen to them?
These cards will continue to be at retail while supplies last.
All Nintendo eShop Cards can be used to add funds to a Nintendo Account balance for use on the Nintendo Switch
This can be done via Nintendo eShop on the system itself.
If someone visits Nintendo eShop and wants to download something on Wii U or the Nintendo 3DS family systems after late March 2023, what will they able to do?
On both platforms, users will still be able to:
Redownload content they own
Download existing software updates
On both platforms, users will not be able to:
Purchase any content
On Nintendo 3DS, this includes paid content, plays and passes in software such as StreetPass Mii Plaza, Theme Shop, Nintendo Badge Arcade and Pokémon Bank.
On Wii U, this includes passes in software such as Wii Sports Club.
Download demos
Download free-to-start software
Redeem a download code
Add funds to their Nintendo eShop balance
On Nintendo 3DS family systems, users will still be able to:
Download a small number of free themes from Theme Shop

Source: https://en-americas-support.nintendo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/57847

[wolff242]

I was literally just thinking about this last night...how long will the Wii U be supported. Sad for sure, but I'm grateful they are giving ample notice with a clear breakdown of what is happening when.

Thanks for the info.

[telly]

Any ideas about what games might be worth picking up? I was thinking about getting some of the Mega Man Battle Network games since it doesn't seem like we'll be getting a special release of any of them as a collection. 

[Warmsignal]

"For the foreseeable future you can still access updates." This is what I often worry about most; at some you'll be left with what comes on your physical copies. It's just now occurring to me the importance of backing up as many games as possible onto external storage because at some point, there will be no access to important patches directly through the consoles. Especially with today's broken game releases, you never know what trouble you'd face not being able to connect with a modern console.

I'm sure there will be a few Wii U physical games to go up in price, as a result. Even if it's just artificially induced hysteria, it's probably boiling over as we speak. Digital games, I've just never been interested. Anyhow once they go offline, I'd consider them fair game for piracy if need be.

[mrkonasoni]

I thought it could be sooner.
I can't think about a Nintendo console that don't become better after hacking it...

This certainly open the question if Switch is going to the same path after the next Nintendo console is out, I wish Nintendo would take Microsoft idea and just make sure from Switch to future consoles everything will be a same platform.

[weirdfeline]

If you were hoping to use the Nintendo website to browse Wii U games you might want to buy, they decided to release a redesigned website today and you can no longer view Wii U games on it. They were there yesterday. 3DS games are still intact for now.

Here's an alternative: https://vgcollect.com/browse/eshopwiiu/

[Warmsignal]

What interests me most since I have very little knowledge about download only titles, is what if anything is actually exclusive to the Wii U e shop?

[sworddude]

I thought it could be sooner.
I can't think about a Nintendo console that don't become better after hacking it...

This certainly open the question if Switch is going to the same path after the next Nintendo console is out, I wish Nintendo would take Microsoft idea and just make sure from Switch to future consoles everything will be a same platform.

they'd need to ditch motion controls for good than, remember titles like mario odyssey or botw have them.

[Warmsignal]

Wow, the Wii U e shop is riddled with trash. This is why I don't bother with downloadable games, so many of these aren't worth the $2 to $5 most are asking. I can't believe some of this crap even gets accepted onto the platform. Of course, some of the titles which apparently existed in a 2018 list have been de-listed, so there's always that when it comes to these types of markets too.

[sworddude]

Wow, the Wii U e shop is riddled with trash. This is why I don't bother with downloadable games, so many of these aren't worth the $2 to $5 most are asking. I can't believe some of this crap even gets accepted onto the platform. Of course, some of the titles which apparently existed in a 2018 list have been de-listed, so there's always that when it comes to these types of markets too.

I've mostly seen people complain about the loss of dlc or alternative ways to get pricy physical 3ds titles such as SMT radiant historia etc etc.

Personally not to much attachment to the 3ds, had a decent time and still have but it ain't an amazing console, not much lost imo.

[burningdoom]

Wow, the Wii U e shop is riddled with trash. This is why I don't bother with downloadable games, so many of these aren't worth the $2 to $5 most are asking. I can't believe some of this crap even gets accepted onto the platform. Of course, some of the titles which apparently existed in a 2018 list have been de-listed, so there's always that when it comes to these types of markets too.

I've mostly seen people complain about the loss of dlc or alternative ways to get pricy physical 3ds titles such as SMT radiant historia etc etc.

Personally not to much attachment to the 3ds, had a decent time and still have but it ain't an amazing console, not much lost imo.

I'm in agreement. I don't own a whole lot of 3DS games, I play more DS games on mine than I do 3DS games.

[megasilverx1]

I was looking through both eShops for game's I'd want to snag before the stores close and I was expecting to have a bigger list of games, especially for the 3DS, but no, both lists of games I wrote down weren't very long. I had more Wii U eShop games that interested me than 3DS eShop games (thanks to the Wii U having TG-16, GBA and DS games). There are some good games buried under pages and pages of junk on the 3DS/Wii U eShops. Games where getting a physical copy is expensive or they're digital only. Just depends on your tastes in games/how much time you want to spend sifting through trash...or you could just hack the consoles. Games like:

3DS
-Avenging Spirit
-Summer Carnival RECCA '92
-Dragon Quests 7/8
-Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright
-Game Freak's HarmoKnight and Pocket Card Jockey
-Most of the SMT games
-The BoxBoxBoy trilogy
-Metal Gear Solid Snake Eater 3D
-Picross e series
-Yokai Watch 3
-All Game Boy Pokemon games
-Trip World
-Mole Mania (which is apparently expensive now?)

Wii U
-Zelda Windwaker HD/Twilight Princess HD
-Mario Advance 4: SMB3 (has all the e-reader levels)
-Metroid Fusion/Zero Mission
-Metroid Prime Trilogy
-Rythm Heaven Fever
-Ogre Battle 64
-Game & Wario (which ALSO is apparently expensive now? Why?!)

[koemo1]

The European eshop for the Wii U is almost complete, the 3DS I still need to work on some more

[telly]

I was looking through both eShops for game's I'd want to snag before the stores close and I was expecting to have a bigger list of games, especially for the 3DS, but no, both lists of games I wrote down weren't very long. I had more Wii U eShop games that interested me than 3DS eShop games (thanks to the Wii U having TG-16, GBA and DS games). There are some good games buried under pages and pages of junk on the 3DS/Wii U eShops. Games where getting a physical copy is expensive or they're digital only. Just depends on your tastes in games/how much time you want to spend sifting through trash...or you could just hack the consoles.

Thanks for providing some ideas! The Wii U shop has so much junk to sift through, will definitely think about picking up some of these, particularly the ones that are very expensive physical or on consoles I don't own.

[gngtiger]

I haven't played the full game, but I think it's a great idea to try to snag Rhythm Heaven megamix. Fever's amazing, but so expensive, and all the best mini games are in megamix (which is only $29.99).