Zoom / The end of two of Nintendo's digital storefronts is imminent.
Physical eShop gift cards, which can still be purchased from major retailers, are redeemable until August 29th. But today is the last chance to add eShop money directly without going through a third party.
According to Nintendo, players who add money today (or use money in a linked "Nintendo Account Wallet" like it's used on the Switch) can still make purchases until "late March 2023." Purchases made prior to this discontinuation will continue to be available for re-download "for the foreseeable future", although "free to start" demos and games will no longer be downloadable after this date.
What we lose
The imminent shutdown means Nintendo will no longer offer classic games for direct purchase as part of its long-running Virtual Console program. It Contains Over 300 Titles on Wii U Selected from NES, SNES, TurboGrafx-16, N64, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS Libraries and Nearly 200 Titles on 3DS Selected from NES, SNES, Game Boy, Game Boy Color and Game Gear Libraries.
In a February FAQ, Nintendo noted that it offers more than 130 classic games as part of its Nintendo Switch Online membership and that "we currently have no plans to offer classic content in any other way." This answer (Archive here) was removed from the company's Public FAQ within 24 hours of its posting.
The closure would also mean the end of the availability of hundreds of exclusive e-books that have never been released on other consoles or any kind of physical media. Fans Gather List of 700+ Exclusive 3DS Online Store Deals And Nearly 200 Exclusive Wii U eShop Deals It will no longer be available after this transition. Also, many critics have been busy piling up sub menus to check out the best exclusive deals on the eShop before they're gone forever.
Even some 3DS and Wii U games that technically saw a physical release may be hard to come by when the eShop closes. The second-hand prices are already rising Rare 3DS cartridges like Professor Leighton vs. Phoenix Wright And Rhythm Diebauch when they are available in . format Relatively cheap downloads In the online shop (for now). The same goes for Rare Wii U Hard Drives like Bayonet 2 and Small Sports Club.
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