Normally, video game companies put on Santa Claus’ hat and dedicate themselves, during the last week of December, to spreading love to all their followers. Well, all except Nintendo, who has decided to dress up as the Grinch and dedicate their efforts to removing online features, four months ahead of time, from Wii U and 3DS. A tear in honor of the fallen heroes.
I took away all my love, at hate dot com
If you are one of those who still played ‘Mario Kart 7’ online (it was a huge hit back in the day), I’m afraid it’s time to switch to the next version on Switch, because, despite Nintendo announcing that they were going to shut down the servers in April 2024, everything seems to indicate that they have done it during this Christmas with premeditation and treachery.
There are alternatives, of course: Pretendo, for example, is an open-source application designed as a replacement for Nintendo Network so that both platforms can continue to function online, and it is the one that has sounded the alarm. Several Wii U and 3DS games can no longer connect to the network, which leads to the belief that it is the beginning of a slow but sure plan to remove the services of both consoles.
To be honest, Nintendo already warned that interrupting services earlier than expected was something that could happen if “something happens that makes it more difficult to continue offering them”. Some of the most affected famous games have been ‘Super Smash Bros 3DS’, ‘Pokémon UltraSun and UltraMoon’, ‘Zelda: Tri Force Heroes’ or ‘Animal Crossing: New Leaf’. Quite something.
It’s the law of life, on the other hand: it should be noted that the Wii U has not been manufactured since 2017 and the 3DS since 2020. Despite everything, the Pokémon Bank and the possibility of downloading previously purchased games and applications will continue after the debacle… at least for now. Rest in peace, 3DS and Wii U online.
