A Weird Silver Lining to Nintendo’s Decision
Nintendo’s recent announcement that it will end purchases from the 3DS and Wii U eShops next year came as an incredible disappointment, yet not a surprise. Most big game companies have repeatedly failed to respect or preserve their legacy content in meaningful ways, and while I understand that Nintendo has no obligation to maintain unprofitable businesses or even keep fans happy for the sake of it, I was nonetheless gutted by the news. Hopefully, a move like this reminds all of us that these corporations are not your friends—and never have been—and are only willing to make older content available if they can benefit in the immediate term.
That said, I have identified two positive outcomes from this announcement, insofar as the shuttering of stores with access to hundreds of downloadable games, many of which can’t be downloaded on modern hardware (or, in some cases, can’t be played on any other platform legally), can in any way be viewed as “positive.” First, the news prompted me to finally buy several older Game Boy and Game Boy Advance titles from the 3DS and Wii U Virtual Console libraries, a few of which I’ve had my eye on for many years. Going back to these online marketplaces after ages away also brought about another positive: a walk down memory lane for an era of Nintendo that I hold very dear to my heart, even if by most accounts it was a failure.
Old Games Are Old, But Still Good
Recently, I purchased five games I’ve wanted to play for years but never got around to: Donkey Kong Land 2, Donkey Kong (1994), Metroid: Zero Mission, Metroid Fusion, and Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3. Once the 3DS and Wii U eShops close for good, the only way to play these games would be to find physical copies of them, so I figured why not just play them now? These oldies certainly don’t dazzle quite the way a newer release would, but I am adoring my time with them and learning a lot about gaming history through my experiences with them.
Every single one of these titles is a good time in its own right, and there’s so much I’ve learned from playing through them. Donkey Kong Land 2 is a lesser facsimile of Donkey Kong Country 2, but still maintains the spirit of its SNES counterpart and underscored Nintendo’s handheld strategy at the time. Donkey Kong ‘94 is an excellent puzzle platformer that served as a harbinger for how the Big N would approach revitalizing older franchises. Metroid Fusion presents a more linear, plot-driven approach to the series, and you can clearly see its DNA in the recently released Metroid Dread. Meanwhile, Metroid: Zero Mission is a perfect example of how to properly reimagine an old game with new ideas and might be the second best entry in the franchise. Additionally, the Wii U version of Super Mario Advance 4 comes with all the e-Reader levels, many of which could be lost to history once the Wii U eShop closes for good.
I plan to parse through all these games in greater detail another time, but just playing them at all has felt like a blessing. Sure, they’ve been on my mind for years, and I always assumed I could just get them on Switch eventually. That has yet to occur, so I felt the need to play them now, and I’ve enjoyed almost every minute of it. Amid all the hype and potential FOMO around new releases like Elden Ring and Horizon Forbidden West, spending my days with black-and-white Game Boy screens has reminded me that it’s never too late to discover a gem, even if it sometimes feels that way.
A Welcome Return
Moreover, returning to the 3DS and Wii U eShops has been a more joyful experience than I had imagined. People largely remember that era of Nintendo—let’s say from 2012 through 2016—as one marked by numerous failures, but I enjoyed my time with the Big N’s offerings.
With the 3DS, I had access to some of Nintendo’s best handheld titles ever, including the first handheld Smash Bros. game, a triumphant return to 2D Zelda with A Link Between Worlds, and even the great (and unfairly maligned) Super Mario 3D Land. With the Wii U, I spent hundreds of hours with the first Super Mario Maker, had a blast with online play in Splatoon and Mario Kart 8, and even got to try out some incredibly clever ideas in games like Nintendo Land and Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker. Neither of these systems will go down as among the best Nintendo has ever made, but they had a lot to offer, and it was delightful to be reminded of that.
(It also should be noted that Breath of the Wild also launched on Wii U, and that’s where I played it.)
In addition, I loved just being in the Wii U and 3DS eShops again, both of which are more aesthetically and sonically pleasing than the Switch shop. Sure, the Wii U often went through content droughts (largely stemming from a complete lack of third-party support), but I always had the Virtual Console to fall back on in times of need. And with the 3DS, a cheap, smaller title like Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move was always there if I wanted something to tide me over in between big-time releases. A lot of people (rightfully) complained about a lack of consistently good content during that particular stretch for Nintendo, but I rarely experienced a dull moment: I could always fall back on an oldie for a good time on 3DS or Wii U.
It’s Still A Bummer
Shutting down both of these digital marketplaces likely won’t go down as one of Nintendo’s lowest moments, but it’s a mistake nonetheless. I understand that it certainly isn’t cheap to maintain online services that go underutilized, but there’s no guarantee we get any of these games easily ported to the Switch or any future Nintendo hardware. We always hear rumors of Game Boy games coming to Switch Online or the Metroid Prime Trilogy getting remastered, but I can’t know for sure whether any of that will happen anytime soon, if at all. I’m especially pessimistic that the 3DS and Wii U digital exclusive titles, such as Minis on the Move and Pushmo, will ever be available for purchase again, making them potentially lost forever.
I’m definitely not pleased with any of this, but I can’t deny that I’ve had a great time over the last couple of weeks playing older titles that have lingered in my backlog for ages. I also missed certain aspects of the 3DS and Wii U I’d nearly forgotten about, such as Miiverse, Spotpass, and just the general feel of dual-screen gaming. Eventually, though, such feelings will subside, and I’ll go back to begrudgingly repurchasing classic Mario and Zelda games as they arrive on Switch. For now, I’ll stick with this feeling of delightful nostalgia while I still can.
