At the end of last year, Nintendo revealed that 2024 would mark the end of online play for both the Nintendo 3DS and the Nintendo Wii U. Now, the clock is ticking, as Nintendo has specified an exact end date to the online services for both systems. You have until April 8th, at 4pm PDT to get around to playing any old favorites online, before they're gone for good. Leaderboards, online play, and all other services that use the internet on either the 3DS and Wii U will no longer function after that deadline.

There is a single exception to the shutdown, with Pokemon Bank and Pokemon Transporter still staying up and usable, as Nintendo deems both software to be still relevant for fans importing their old Pokemon into new games.

For those looking to get some online play in after it's all over, both the Citra 3DS and Cemu Wii U emulators have their own form of custom servers that allow for online play.

Update: as of 4/8, online play and other functionality that uses online communication will end service for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U software. Thank you very much for your continued support of our products.

Find out more: https://t.co/VdIdewGmB5

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) January 24, 2024

 

[Marc_LFD]

And there were fans thinking Nintendo would support free online play for years to come.

End of the road.

 

[lordelan]

Pretendo.... please hurry up! There's not much time left, and I don't know if the service is available to everyone yet...

This! Not much time left to reverse engineer the missing parts. I hope they can make it. :/

 

[ihaveahax]

If you want to help out Pretendo, you can make network dumps for games that use Nintendo Network: https://pretendo.network/docs/network-dumps

 

[RAHelllord]

And if they were taking down the servers entirely, that would be understandable. But if they're still leaving servers up for Pokemon Bank, how many extra pennies could it possibly cost to allow the dwindling numbers of players to keep playing other games?

Those servers are paid for by game freak, and they don't run "other" software on them. Do remember that those servers are virtual ones in a data center somewhere, not physically distinct machines sitting in an office somewhere.
Chances are the pokemon bank and home servers specifically run on hardware that's also running other pokemon related crap, and thus can just stay running without any further considerations.

 

[console]

I was surprise about this very serious news. Because I had Nintendo 3DS XL and New Nintendo 3DS XL hardware. Same apply to my old Nintendo Wii never bought any digital games on eshop. Never used Nintendo eshop for online because I not interest in them anymore. I'm old school of physical collection always buy from store and online store to shipping games to my home. Then I end up get Gateway 3DS and Sky3DS + flashcart then happy with them because I save some of money. I don't care about Nintendo quality is good or bad. But I feel quality about Nintendo will going down road like Sega. Yes, just awful messy like that.

Because this will be end date for 3DS and Wii U online services which are means to be clean out old games from servers for make room for Nintendo Switch 2 new games upcoming. Just like new consoles to recycle old consoles again, again every about between 5 - 15 years. That's why. I and people are getting tired of heard from news similar again then done with them.

Next Nintendo Switch is turn will face similar problems. Nintendo officially announces the end date for Nintendo Switch (all versions) online services in next few years. RIP Nintendo Switch in near future. Everyone will saw news upcoming and get very angry about them then will maybe quit Nintendo for reasons.

I glad don't buy Nintendo Switch because feel like similar to Wii U. But I skipped and force myself to moved in PlayStation 4 instead from Wii U/Switch where I own Nintendo Wii then jump direct toward PS4 (booming a lot of good video games sales) due to very stronger sales of games than Nintendo. I have 53 games for my PS4! How sad when Nintendo become Sega just like worst due to poor sales of games and not enough good library of games compare to Nintendo 64, GameCube and go on. I will going to buy PS5 Pro for myself. If what I saw PS6 force to digital only then I will ditch Sony complete then use PC instead for many years. I never like or hate digital only hardware because will be a lot of e-waste end up in landfill!

About Microsoft did make new of next generation of Xbox console hardware will be forced to digital only. How people like new Xbox console is digital only? No! Microsoft want force people to buy digital only consoles. Problems with Microsoft company is screw up with all of us and people. No thanks to Microsoft then company will going to lost a lot of money then dead in graveyard for worst digital only consoles around in the world! A lot of people will give middle fingers to Microsoft company for learn big mistake lessons on digital only problems. We know Microsoft company would go to H*LL just like pure evil for abuse and force us and people to buy digital console only is very wrong! Microsoft is full of s**t.

I'm strong hate digital store online period and always stick with physicals like cartridge and disc based forever. Never mess with old school physical collection period. All companies must learn biggest mistake about digital would face huge problems like now to future. I don't support digital period! Never mess with old school period! When internet will get destroyed then people will be sorry to lost all digital download games forever just like trip to graveyard without warning! Bury all digital games in graveyard then RIP for all of world because digital will always dead means never come back anymore because companies kill support off digital store around the world. Have all people learn mistake bought digital games? That's their fault for not learn about digital problems like now to future. All digital games only are trash and not important to us and people. Most people will become anti-digital fans same like me never buy any games from digital stores period.

Digital = Dead = RIP period!

 

[InsaneNutter]

I wonder if Pokebank / Transporter will eventually stop working due to requiring SSL certificate updates? I suspect with no way to update them it could eventually happen.

Hopefully these remain around for years to come as it will be sad to see 20+ years of backwards compatibility between Pokemon games end due to cloud services.

 

[JaNDeRPeiCH]

I measure my height in melons.

Jeje Spicy...Pics or Didnt happen?

 

[LokeYourLord]

Thank god they made the exception for Pokémon Bank and Transfer, as that was the only thing I was worried about actually, the rest is rather unimportant to me.

Also, tip to the GBATemp writers: Avoid using timezones and/or formats that are local to you as the writer, since everyone around the globe is reading this. Use for timezones UTC, as that is universal, time formats 24 hours, day formats ISO standard (year/month/day, other way around also works), and other globalized standards, rather than the typical American standards that the rest of the globe doesn't use. It comes over as more professional if you do so, and I am speaking from experience as a longtime translator who's translating between five languages back and forth, and has done plenty of other jobs that required global standards to be used. Get used to it, you're only doing yourselves and everyone else a favour by that.

 

[Bladexdsl]

this should be nintendos MOTTO: we'll support you until we don't fucking feel like it anymore!

 

[Mike_77712]

Dead or Alive: Dimensions bros..this is our last hoorah

 

[Pokemonfan6498]

Pretendo.... please hurry up! There's not much time left, and I don't know if the service is available to everyone yet...

Even though we have pretendo it will be hard to keep every 3ds game what has online running up to this day

 

[zebrone]

Nintendo has crashed balls. Let present switch 2....!
Patience is finished

 

[CoolMe]

Oh no, it's getting close

 

[m_babble]

I assumed this had already happened.

 

[Purple_Shyguy]

Smash 4, Kid Icarus, Mario Kart 7 and Monster Hunter 3/4/G are going offline forever!

 

[xbmcuser]

Do we still need to download Brain Age for wii u to get untethered jailbreak?

Sorry not touched my wii u for 5 years

 

[SS4]

Guess we are gonna have to wait for private servers like on the Wii

 

[BeniBel]

And if they were taking down the servers entirely, that would be understandable. But if they're still leaving servers up for Pokemon Bank, how many extra pennies could it possibly cost to allow the dwindling numbers of players to keep playing other games?

There is a huge difference between servers for one or two apps, or for a few dozen. The extra cost would be a bit more than a few pennies. You might want to look up how servers actually work to really understand.

 

[HarveyHouston]

(starts humming the funeral dirge.)

 

[kuro0628neko]

There is a huge difference between servers for one or two apps, or for a few dozen. The extra cost would be a bit more than a few pennies. You might want to look up how servers actually work to really understand.

You think the 3DS uses that much memory or power? Especially with such a small user base? I got news for you bud, it ain't that deep. Nintendo could afford to keep the servers up indefinitely with a few thousand dollars.