E-Shop for 3DS and Wii-U to be closed by 2023

[Tron 2.0]

For anyone that hasen't bought for what games they want still digitally do so asap.
https://www.ign.com/articles/nintend...p-discontinued

[Gamevet]

A friend of mine talked me into buying the GBA Super Mario Bros. 3 for the Wii U, before the shop closes. It has all of the extra levels from the e-reader cards.

[Tron 2.0]

A friend of mine talked me into buying the GBA Super Mario Bros. 3 for the Wii U, before the shop closes. It has all of the extra levels from the e-reader cards.

Yeah i want to buy that game asap since the e-card reader levels are included.

[Nz17]

It always upsets me when a digital games shop or service is discontinued. It is one thing if it is a small dev. that can't afford to keep a server running. It is another thing when a multi-billion international corporation is like, "Oh, we're making money from them all right, just not /enough/ money from them, so we're going to kill them to promote /the current/ or /next thing/!" Sure, these consoles have been online for a decade, however, I am not done yet with paying and playing! Thanks to these "inevitable" announcements, I have got to hurry to get the themes, DLC, and games that I wish to purchase bought before it is not possible.

Unfortunately, it is starting *this August* that you cannot add funds for anything from the Nintendo Wii U and 3DS eShops. That's right, not 13 months (that's for most downloads), we have only 6 months before no funds / shop credits can be bought at all. If you are planning to use a credit or debit card, you have even fewer months than that. The March 2023 part is only for download card codes for specific games like Animal Crossing which you might find at Amazon or GameStop.

The way Nintendo explains it could be clearer. Something like a calendar with bullet points would have been simpler to understand. As it is, here is their page and FAQ about the discontinuations:
https://en-americas-support.nintendo...kw/eshop/p/605

[Gameguy]

Not to worry, I'm sure Nintendo will make a new shop available for a new upcoming console. You'll safely be able to rebuy everything you own again, and again, and again. There will probably be new ports or remastered versions of certain games as well so they'll work on those new systems with different controls, they're just waiting for everyone to quickly buy the old versions before the store closes, and then they'll make the announcements for the new versions.

[RARusk]

Reminds me: I need to start softmodding my 3DS system.

[Aussie2B]

The end is nigh. Anybody else making some last-minute purchases before both eShops close tomorrow? I don't have a Wii U myself, but I do have some funds on my 3DS that I need to spend. I added the funds with a Nintendo gift card prior to them disabling that option and spent most of what I had a while back, but I've been waffling on what to do with the last 16-some bucks on there. I'll probably grab a couple of games from Level-5's Guild series, but there is a nice Capcom sale going on. Nice discount on Gurumin 3D too, but I played through that on PSP just recently. I wish more publishers were doing a last-minute sale, but I guess they figure FOMO will make people buy even at full price.

It is still possible to add funds if you want, but I don't know the exact details of it. I've never made a Nintendo Network ID, but if you have one and link your system to it, you can add funds online or via Switch or whatever and then those funds will be available on your linked 3DS/Wii U as well. Sometime like that. If I'm getting any of the specifics wrong, feel free to correct me.

This is also the end of the Virtual Console service. Pretty sizable run from 2006 to 2023. I'm sad to see it go, since I much prefer the idea of a one-time purchase than having to pay a subscription. Plus, there's so much that appeared on the Wii, 3DS, and Wii U via Virtual Console that isn't available on Switch. So many of these games are going back to only being available legally via old secondhand physical copies.

[Niku-Sama]

i tried but it wont let me log into my account on the wii u i am using. says something about it not being the primary system or something like that

edit:
right after i posted this i found my 3ds in a box i was adding more stuff to so i charged it and got a few games but nothing major.
Otosan something or rather for $1 and Gurumin 3d for $1.99

i only had $3 and change in there and the rest of the games i wanted are also available physical so i'd rather just get those.
i would have really liked to get on my wii u to download things but after the shitshow nintendo made of that system i have no issue getting the games i want for it by other means

[Tron 2.0]

The end is nigh. Anybody else making some last-minute purchases before both eShops close tomorrow? I don't have a Wii U myself, but I do have some funds on my 3DS that I need to spend. I added the funds with a Nintendo gift card prior to them disabling that option and spent most of what I had a while back, but I've been waffling on what to do with the last 16-some bucks on there. I'll probably grab a couple of games from Level-5's Guild series, but there is a nice Capcom sale going on. Nice discount on Gurumin 3D too, but I played through that on PSP just recently. I wish more publishers were doing a last-minute sale, but I guess they figure FOMO will make people buy even at full price.

It is still possible to add funds if you want, but I don't know the exact details of it. I've never made a Nintendo Network ID, but if you have one and link your system to it, you can add funds online or via Switch or whatever and then those funds will be available on your linked 3DS/Wii U as well. Sometime like that. If I'm getting any of the specifics wrong, feel free to correct me.

This is also the end of the Virtual Console service. Pretty sizable run from 2006 to 2023. I'm sad to see it go, since I much prefer the idea of a one-time purchase than having to pay a subscription. Plus, there's so much that appeared on the Wii, 3DS, and Wii U via Virtual Console that isn't available on Switch. So many of these games are going back to only being available legally via old secondhand physical copies.

I was able to for the wii-u and buy a few games before the shop closes today.I was gonna buy another gift card to buy more but i figure i have enough on the wii-u all ready.If i ever want to put any more games on the console there are soft mods for the console etc.By the way i also prefer the virtual console model more compared to the subscription of nso for switch.

[kupomogli]

I own the PSP version, but I bought Gurumin 3D because I love the 3D effect on the 3DS when it's done well and Gurumin is one of those games that I really wished had a physical release on 3DS. It was only $2 digital so I was like, whatever, why not. I also purchased the RPG Maker app so I can at the very least play RPGs others have made and it was free to do so, so why not. I probably won't ever use it, but hey, if I ever decide to do so now I can.

[SparTonberry]

It is still possible to add funds if you want, but I don't know the exact details of it. I've never made a Nintendo Network ID, but if you have one and link your system to it, you can add funds online or via Switch or whatever and then those funds will be available on your linked 3DS/Wii U as well. Sometime like that. If I'm getting any of the specifics wrong, feel free to correct me.

You have to (assume Nintendo doesn't just wipe balances) link the account to a Nintendo Network ID. Then create a profile on Switch, linked to the same Nintendo Network ID. Then on the Funds menu inside the Switch eShop, there will be an option to share the balance with Wii U/3DS. Again, hopefully Nintendo won't wipe balances and will keep them there to be reclaimed in this manner.
Problem if you are a user linked out-of-region accounts is that although Nintendo allowed me to use my US credit card to buy funds on the JP account on my JP 3DS previously, they don't allow that on Switch. It will detect and refuse CC or Paypal accounts outside the account's region. It'll let you still link the account, even if the Switch doesn't match, and you can even access the store. But to add funds, it'll only accept Prepaid Cards (which means you'll have to buy codes from a seller you trust).

[Aussie2B]

Yeah, now's the time to load up on any free apps or demos or whatever you may want too.

I got skunked by tax, since I didn't bother to do the math beforehand. I was less than 50 cents short from getting two of the $7.99 Guild games. So I just grabbed Attack of the Friday Monsters!, which seemed to be the highest praised one, and instead of getting Crimson Shroud, like I had planned, I randomly bought Pocket Card Jockey. I was looking for something priced at $6.99 so I wouldn't be left with much leftover funds. I figured I like games with weird premises, and I'm up for trying more non-Pokemon Game Freak games.

Several months back, I spent the rest of the funds I added getting all three BoxBoy games on 3DS, Pushmo (to go with Crashmo, which my husband already bought on this 2DS years ago), and Earthbound on Virtual Console.

If I cared more about the 3DS, I probably would've added more funds and got all the Guild games and more of the digital-only 3DS-exclusive games, but honestly, I've mostly ignored the 3DS thus far. I was way more focused on the Vita. But it's nice to grab a few things while I can.

[kupomogli]

When you guys buy games on eshop in the future, purchase the games online with Paypal, this way you don't have to add extra funds.

[YoshiM]

When I found out "Dungeons and Dragons:Chronicles of Mystara" was on the cheap so I added some funds and jumped into the shop. As I strolled through the virtual aisles I picked up one of the Monster Hunter games on the U followed by "3D Classics: Kid Icarus" on the 3DS. Last weekend I rounded out my shopping with the Smash Contoller option for the 3DS along with Retro City Rampage DX.

I've already played some Kid Icarus but dang...I didn't think they'd mess with the sound.

[SparTonberry]

Kid Icarus is based on the Famicom Disk System version.
I instantly recognized that from the instant I booted it up. The distinctive FDS farty FM sound.
That and the save function were the indicators.