Servers Shut Down

On April 8th, 2024 at 5pm PDT, Nintendo discontinued the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U Servers. Devices affected include the New Nintendo 3DS, New Nintendo 3DS XL, New Nintendo 2DS XL, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo 3DS XL, Nintendo 2DS, Wii U Deluxe, and the Wii U Basic. Any online play and other functionalities that used online communications were also discontinued. This includes software exclusive to the New Nintendo 3DS systems, online cooperative play, internet rankings, and data distribution.

“We sincerely thank players for using the online services of Nintendo 3DS and Wii U software over a long period of time and apologize for any inconvenience,” Nintendo Support said.

Players should still be able to use features and game modes that do not require online communication. At the moment, the Pokemon Bank and Poke Transporter services are still available for use. There may be some other online services provided by publishers other than Nintendo that still work. However, Nintendo advises customers to contact those specific publishers for more information. For the foreseeable future, updated data downloads and the ability to re-download purchased software and downloadable content from the Nintendo eShop are still possible.

Nintendo’s StreetPass, found on the Nintendo 3DS family systems, still has functionality as well. This is because StreetPass uses local communications between 3DS systems. However, the SpotPass service is now no longer available because it uses online communication. This means that, for example, users can still use StreetPass in StreetPass Mii Plaza. But features in the game that use online communications, such as receiving panels in Puzzle Swap, no longer work.

Nintendo 3DS

Nintendo’s 3DS system was originally announced in March 2010. It was visually similar to the popular DS family of handheld systems. Major improvements to the design included glasses-free 3D, a circle control pad, motion controls, backward compatibility with DS games, and more. One year later in March 2011, the 3DS hit store shelves in Japan, Europe, and North America. Despite a strong list of games at launch the system failed to generate as much interest as the original DS.

In an attempt to increase sales, Nintendo lowered the price of the system by eighty dollars. Those who had purchased the system before this price slash were inducted into the Nintendo 3DS Ambassador Program. This gave them access to some free classic Nintendo games among other perks.

Wii U

On June 7, 2011, at their E3 press conference, Nintendo unveiled their next home console, the Wii U. This successor to the Wii came with a touchscreen controller that includes standard buttons, motion controls, and HD graphics. Nintendo promised that these new features would bring a new world of play styles and possibilities for players. The Wii U was released during the holidays of 2012 in the form of various packaged deals and colors. Almost every launch game was available in both retail stores as physical copies as well as digital copies through the eShop. Some exceptions included games that required bundled hardware such as SiNG Party.

Like the 3DS, the Wii U had backward compatibility for most Wii titles but not GameCube titles. Additionally, users could transfer all WiiWare and Virtual Console purchases to the Wii U with all saved data. For optimal compatibility, the Wii U included a “Wii Mode” which could be accessed from the Wii U main menu. This was a special environment that mimicked the Wii’s interface.

Even though both systems had rough launches, the 3DS and Wii U consoles would make a name for themselves and lead to hours of entertainment for users across the world. The online aspects of these devices will be missed.