Nintendo has extended the life of the 3DS and Wii eShop by a few days, offering a last chance to download those classic games – but only for some.
A little over a year ago, Nintendo announced that it would be closing its classic eShop in 2023, after which it would no longer be possible to purchase digital games for the classic Wii and 3DS consoles.
The date for that cull was set for March 27, which has obviously already been and gone. However, Nintendo has now extended the eShop’s life until April 3 thanks to en error on the gaming giant’s part… at least for those in the US.
A statement over on the Nintendo of America support website reads: “As the feature to redeem download codes was disabled earlier than scheduled, we’ve extended the ability to redeem download codes until approximately 9:30 PM Pacific Time on April 3, 2023. Please redeem any remaining download codes from the Nintendo eShop for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U before then.”
The location of that statement and the “9:30 PM Pacific Time” wording is key. Users here in the UK won’t find the same courtesy extended to them (evidently because the same mistake wasn’t made, but still).
I’ve checked on the equivalent UK webpage and once again logged in on my trust old 3DS. Sure enough, Nintendo’s generous four day extension hasn’t been applied to us Brits, with games on the eShop now listed as unavailable.
Still, if you’re able to work around these location-based restrictions somehow, or happen to be over in the US before April 3, you might still be able to hoover up those last few Wii and 3DS classics.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
