Nintendo Closes eShops for Wii U and 3DS: Impact on Gamers and Preservationists

What Happens After the Closure?

Nintendo officially shut down the eShops for its beloved Wii U and 3DS game consoles on July 31, 2022. This marks an end to the Virtual Console functionality, where players could purchase individual games from Nintendo’s vast library without any subscription. Now, many popular games have become nearly impossible to play, especially for those who never had the chance to buy them before the closure. People can still download or redownload any titles previously purchased, but there will be no new additions to the libraries.

The Loss of Access to Modern and Classic Games

The closure of Nintendo’s digital storefronts has resulted in fans losing easy access to modern and classic games from a dozen platforms. This loss of convenience is painful and comes at a time when it is becoming tricky than ever to find and play older games. One of the significant issues is that digital storefronts offered an affordable alternative for buying a vast library of games, including exclusives. Additionally, retro gamers are facing another challenge: The market has recently been flooded with bootleg cartridges that are not properly labeled as reproductions. Consequently, prices for used games have shot up dramatically.

A Bleak Future for Classic Games

Many preservationists are advocating legal access to archived video games in light of these closures. Unfortunately, independent game preservationists have very few options available, and the only way to legally play these games would be to physically visit the library themselves and sign a consent form onsite to play it. There are concerns about DRM-protected work lobbying against legal access to archived games in official systems such as these, which means that gamers may lose access permanently.

Impact on Pokemon Bank Users

In addition to losing access to more than 1,000 digital-only games, the closure of the 3DS eShop has made Pokemon Bank inaccessible to new users. Pokemon Bank was an app that allowed players to transfer Pokemon from handheld devices to cloud storage. It supported 19 years’ worth of Pokemon games, and previously, players had to pay a $5 subscription fee to use the Poke Transporter service for transferring creatures into Pokemon Home.

However, despite being free now following the 3DS eShop shutdown, many players who didn’t already acquire transporter cannot download it now. This app is now completely inaccessible even for users who did not pay for Pokemon Bank. While old subscribers can still save their old Pokemon, others will have to say goodbye to their creatures.

The Future of Classic Games

Nintendo has pointed gamers in the direction of Nintendo Switch Online as the future home for classic games. Nevertheless, concerns remain as the service’s current offerings are a minuscule fraction of what was available before. Moreover, accessing the Wii U and 3DS digital libraries proved cumbersome as native payment options were disabled. Game preservationists argue that the commercial games industry can no longer be relied on to preserve its history as publically mourning the loss of digital stores won’t stop companies from closing them in favor of streaming, subscription services, and other newer trends.

In conclusion, it’s becoming clear that gamers and preservationists are deeply concerned about the loss of access to classic games due to closures such as these. While streaming services such as Nintendo Switch Online may offer some solutions, they don’t address all concerns about preserving classic video gaming content. Regardless, gamers remain hopeful that future platforms will be designed with this need in mind.

Image Source: Wikimedia Commons