Earlier this month, the servers for the Nintendo Network were shut down.
Launched in 2012, the Nintendo Network was a free online service that granted users the ability to play Nintendo 3DS and Wii U games online. This platform was the successor to Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, which accomplished the same tasks for the Nintendo DS and Wii systems until its shutdown in 2014.
In addition to online multiplayer, the Nintendo Network also powered other applications, acting as the backbone for the 3DS and the Wii U. The Nintendo eShop let users purchase and download titles digitally, Miiverse was Nintendo’s very own social network that was shut down in 2017, and Wii U Chat was Nintendo’s answer to Skype that closed down that same year.
The discontinuation of the Nintendo Network follows the shutdown of the Nintendo eShop storefronts on the 3DS and Wii U platforms in March 2023, which made certain games into lost media if they were only released through digital means. After the 3DS and Wii U eShops closed, it was only a matter of time before the online multiplayer portion of the Nintendo Network did the same.
Shortly before the launch of the Nintendo Switch in 2017, production of the Wii U was officially discontinued. Then, support for the 3DS ceased in 2020, and thus began the decline of the Nintendo Network. Its replacement, a paid subscription service called Nintendo Switch Online, was rolled out in late 2018, and much of Nintendo’s player base started to migrate to the new NSO service.
Many notable titles for both the 3DS and Wii U were supported by the Nintendo Network, such as Mario Kart 7, New Super Mario Bros. 2 (pictured above), Pokémon X & Y, Splatoon, and Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U.
Combined with the Wii, much of my formative years were spent playing the 3DS and the Wii U. I remember playing a number of games online through Nintendo Network, either with friends or against random people from around the world. These included the aforementioned Mario Kart 7 and Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, as well as Mario Kart 8, Mario Tennis Open, and Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed.
Yes, I understand that there are fan-made servers that let you play 3DS and Wii U games online through console modding. Be that as it may, the official means of playing these games online is now gone.
Although the cessation of an online service for two now-discontinued video game consoles might not sound like a big deal, what is a big deal is the ability to play your favorite games online for free. For a long time, that was one of the biggest draws of Nintendo’s online platforms, as competing platforms such as Xbox Live and PlayStation Plus are instead offered as paid subscription services.
While I am not advocating for the Nintendo Network to return, as both the 3DS and the Wii U have been discontinued for some time now, I am sad to see it go. I will always fondly remember that era and the fun times I had playing those games online over the years.
Goodbye, Nintendo Network. Thanks for the memories.
Featured image by Denise Jans.
