eShop

It was an exciting day for developer Strange Scaffold. In less than 24 hours, it would launch its next game, Sunshine Shuffle, on PC and Nintendo Switch. The narrative poker game about cute animals (who also happen to be former bank robbers) had been slowly building momentum ever since it was announced on a Day of the Devs stream last November. On the eve of its release, the studio was preparing for a fairly routine launch for its indie hidden gem. Things didn’t quite go according to plan. One day before its release,…

Nintendo was supposed to shut down its Wii U and 3DS eShops for good on March 27th at 5PM PST, but it looks like you'll have a little more time. The company has announced that it has extended the ability to redeem download codes until April 3, 2023 at 9:30PM. The reason? "The feature to redeem download codes was disabled earlier than scheduled," Nintendo wrote in a customer support FAQ seen by Game Developer.  The company announced the eShop closures back in February 2022, and barred users from adding funds to their…

The Nintendo eShop for the Wii U and 3DS game consoles officially closed for business on March 27th, 2023, permanently disabling all new purchases on the platforms. We knew this was coming. Nintendo quietly announced the eShop's closure over a year ago, asserting that it was the "natural life cycle for any product line as it becomes less used by consumers over time." That's true. It's even a reasonable business justification. That doesn't make it any less of a loss for Nintendo fans, because legally playing some of these…

The 3DS eShop is no longer allowing Nintendo fans to make new game purchases, marking the end of a long era of DS-branded handhelds. Not only that, but it’s also sunsetting a vibrant indie community in the process. After helping smaller developers break through with WiiWare and DSiWare, the 3DS eShop was where indies really started to flourish on Nintendo consoles. Multiple games and developers built success stories on the platform, starting series that are still recognized in the eyes of Nintendo fans and stand as…

As we approach the final days of the Wii U’s life span with the impending eShop closure, I’ve been reflecting on my time with that system. Although it’s considered a low point for Nintendo, the Wii U and 3DS era was when I truly became a fan of the company, closely following every new announcement and release. I enjoyed many great Nintendo games on Wii U, like Super Mario 3D World and Xenoblade Chronicles X. Still, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD is the Wii U game I still come back to the most. Maybe it’s…

Oh s#!t, here we go again For all the good that Nintendo brings into the world with its wonderful creations, it’s clear there are still some areas where the company could be doing better. One crucial area where the company has failed for as long as it’s been a household name is continuing access to legacy games. Since the NES was dropped in favor of the SNES, Nintendo fans have had to hold onto old hardware if they wanted to keep playing their favorite games from the previous generation. It hasn’t always tripped up with…

The eShops on the 3DS and Wii U will shut down on March 27, so players are splurging on great games that they want to pick up in the final days of each storefront’s life span. If you can’t drop any cash on games for these systems before then though, you’re probably wondering what’s available from them for free. For the most part, it’s demos, as the 3DS and Wii U weren’t really known for their free-to-play offerings. Even then, many of the available free-to-play games — or “free-to-start” titles as Nintendo called…

If you've got money spare and want to pick up some classic games, then you might want to pay a visit to the Nintendo eShop. Nintendo is shutting down the 3DS and Wii U eShop stores on March 27, meaning you only have one week left to purchase games digitally for both platforms. This includes post-release DLC, so make sure you purchase any expansions for games you already own.The news was announced by Nintendo: "As of 27 March 2023, it will no longer be possible to make purchases on Nintendo eShop for Wii U and Nintendo…

The day of reckoning is fast approaching: The Nintendo 3DS and Wii U eShop isclosing down on March 27. When that happens, you’ll no longer be able to make any digital purchases on those systems. Considering that several games on each platform only ever got digital releases, it’s creating a bit of a preservation nightmare. Hidden gems that never came to another platform, like Affordable Space Adventures, will be totally lost to time. But it isn’t just obscure indies that are impacted by that change: One of Nintendo’s…

While the Nintendo 3DS had a rocky launch, the handheld system recovered gracefully and ended up having one of the best game lineups of any Nintendo system. Many of these 3DS games, like Super Mario 3D Land and Fire Emblem Awakening, were very popular and well-known. Still, the 3DS had a lot of fantastic games that not as many people know about and threaten to be lost to time when the eShop closes down. The 3DS eShop will shut down soon, preventing people from purchasing new games. As such, we’ve been…