Dear fans of video games, especially Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, the day has come when the clock will strike and we will no longer be able to use the online services. In less than 24 hours, we will say goodbye to online multiplayer gaming on these devices, and only the memories will remain.
The Nintendo 3DS and the Wii U gaming consoles have been with us since 2011, and 2012 respectively. These consoles are the consoles of many childhoods, the reason for many friendships around the world, in Japan, North America, and Europe, and countless sleepless nights. But everything has an end, and so does this.
Today, April 8, 2024, is the day when all online services stop, and we have less than 24 hours, until 4 pm PDT, to say goodbye to all content, all friends, and all progress.
But before that, let’s recall a few details before they go into the past.
Nintendo 3DS
- Release Date: February 26, 2011 (Japan), March 27, 2011 (North America)
- Key Features: Glasses-free 3D display, backward compatibility with DS games, StreetPass and SpotPass functionality, eShop for digital downloads
- Legacy: Sold over 75 million units worldwide, known for popular titles like Pokеmon, Animal Crossing, and Mario games
- Online Services: Supported online multiplayer, eShop for purchasing digital games, Virtual Console for retro titles, and online communities
Wii U
- Release Date: November 18, 2012 (North America), November 30, 2012 (Europe)
- Key Features: GamePad with second-screen functionality, Miiverse social network, backward compatibility with Wii games, Nintendo eShop
- Legacy: Sold over 13 million units worldwide, introduced popular games like Splatoon, Mario Kart 8, and Super Mario 3D World
- Online Services: Supported online multiplayer gaming, eShop for digital game purchases, Miiverse for social interactions, and digital content sharing
These consoles will now start to lag and will load games very slowly.
An era has ended, and we move on with more interesting, much better consoles and video games.
