The 3DS is finally an ex-console (Nintendo)
Dedicated superfans have been keeping the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U servers alive long past their expiration date, but those days are now over.
The online servers for the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U consoles were shut down back in April, but this didn’t stop enthusiastic fans from trying to stay connected anyway. In fact, it wasn’t until July when the final Wii U player was disconnected, marking the console’s ‘true’ death.
This left only one Nintendo Network user, Fishguy6564, to keep its legacy going for as long as possible. Through some technical knowhow they’ve managed to keep an online lobby for Mario Kart 7 on the 3DS open since April, despite having no one else to play against.
As of November 4, 210 days after Nintendo shut the servers, the dream has been forcefully ended, and online support for the 3DS (as non-existent as it was) is no more.
Fishguy6564 broke the news on X, sharing a screenshot of their 3DS displaying an error message. ‘It’s over. Rest in peace, Nintendo Network,’ they wrote. Their post was shared by GaffsNotLaffs, who had been keeping track of the 3DS and Wii U’s remaining online users and added, ‘We can all go home now.’
To those closely involved with keeping the 3DS and Wii U servers alive, it must be surreal for this saga to have finally wrapped up. Lcd101, who made a name for themselves by being the last Splatoon 1 player online, posted: ‘I’m still sitting here and processing that this era of our lives is over. We can move on now. I’ll never forget it, nor would I trade it for anything.’
While most Nintendo fans will have long since moved onto Switch titles for online multiplayer, there remains a devout following who still want to experience older titles, like the original Splatoon and the Wii U/3DS versions of Super Smash Bros., with friends. As such, one group of fans has put together the homebrew Pretendo network as an alternative, which Nintendo surprisingly has yet to take down.
The last holdout (Fishguy6564)
Which games are only available on Nintendo 3DS?
With the 3DS well and truly dead, along with its online store, there is a not insignificant number of exclusive games you can’t play anywhere else. Any digital-only titles are now impossible to get hold (at least legally) and second-hand physical copies of certain games may well become rarer and expensive to purchase.
Video games trapped on Nintendo 3DS
Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy
Aero Porter
Age 12
Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer
Animal Crossing: New Leaf
Art Academy: Lessons for Everyone!
Asphalt 3D
Assassination Classroom: Grand Siege on Koro-sensei
Attack of the Friday Monsters! A Tokyo Tale
Attack on Titan: Humanity in Chains
Bakutsuri Bar Hunter
Beyond the Labyrinth
Bit Boy!! Arcade
Bit.Trip Saga
BlazBlue: Clone Phantasma
BloodRayne: The Shroud
Bloody Vampire
BoxBoxBoy!
BoxBoy!
Brain Age: Concentration Training
Bravely Default
Bravely Second: End Layer
Bugs vs. Tanks!
Bust-a-Move Universe
Bye-Bye BoxBoy!
Cave Story 3D
Chase: Cold Case Investigations – Distant Memories
Chibi-Robo! Photo Finder
Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash
Code Name: S.T.E.A.M.
Combat of Giants: Dinosaurs 3D
Cooking Mama 4: Kitchen Magic
Cooking Mama 5: Bon Appétit!
Crashmo
Crimson Shroud
Crosswords Plus
Cubic Ninja
Culdcept Revolt
Dead or Alive: Dimensions
Deca Sports Extreme
Dedede’s Drum Dash Deluxe
The Denpa Men: They Came By Wave
Detective Pikachu
Dillon’s Dead-Heat Breakers
Dillon’s Rolling Western
Dillon’s Rolling Western: The Last Ranger
The Disastrous Life of Saiki K.
Disney Art Academy
Disney Magical World
Doctor Lautrec and the Forgotten Knights
Dr Mario: Miracle Cure
Dragon Ball Fusions
Dragon Ball Z: Extreme Butōden
Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 3
Driver: Renegade
DualPenSports
Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion
Etrian Mystery Dungeon
Etrian Odyssey 2 Untold: The Fafnir Knight
Etrian Odyssey IV
Etrian Odyssey V
Etrian Odyssey Nexus
Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millennium Girl
Ever Oasis
Face Raiders
Fantasy Life
Final Fantasy Explorers
Fire Emblem Awakening
Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia
Fire Emblem Fates
Flipnote Studio 3D
Fluidity: Spin Cycle
Fossil Fighters: Frontier
Freakyforms: Your Creations, Alive!
Frogger 3D
Gaist Crusher
GameCenter CX: 3-Chōme no Arino
Gardening Mama 2: Forest Friends
Gon: Baku Baku Baku Baku Adventure
Gotta Protectors
Gravity Falls: Legend of the Gnome Gemulets
HarmoKnight
Harvest Moon 3D: A New Beginning
Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley
Hatsune Miku and Future Stars: Project Mirai
Hatsune Miku: Project Mirai 2
Hero Bank
Heroes of Ruin
Hey! Pikmin
Inazuma Eleven GO
Inazuma Eleven GO 2: Chrono Stone
Inazuma Eleven GO: Galaxy
Island Days
Jake Hunter Detective Story: Ghost of the Dusk
Jewelpet: Magical Dance in Style Deco!
Johnny Hotshot
Johnny Impossible
Johnny Kung Fu
Kersploosh!
Ketzal’s Corridors
Kid Icarus: Uprising
Kirby Battle Royale
Kirby Fighters Deluxe
Kirby: Planet Robobot
Kirby: Triple Deluxe
Kirby’s Blowout Blast
Kirby’s Extra Epic Yarn
Kokuga
KORG DSN-12
Korg M01D
Kyūkōsha no Shōjo
Langrisser Re:Incarnation Tensei
LBX: Little Battlers eXperience
The Legend of Korra: A New Era Begins
The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes
Lego City Undercover: The Chase Begins
Lord of Magna: Maiden Heaven
Madden NFL Football
Mahjong Cub3d
Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story + Bowser Jr.’s Journey
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser’s Minions
Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move
Mario & Luigi: Dream Team
Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam
Mario Golf: World Tour
Mario Kart 7
Mario Party: Island Tour
Mario Party: Star Rush
Mario Party: The Top 100
Mario Sports Superstars
Mario Tennis Open
Metal Max 4: Gekkō no Diva
Metroid Prime: Federation Force
Metroid: Samus Returns
Monster Hunter 4
My Hero Academia: Battle for All
My Nintendo Picross: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Nano Assault
Naruto Shippūden 3D: The New Era
New Super Mario Bros. 2
Nintendo Badge Arcade
Nintendogs + Cats
Pac-Man & Galaga Dimensions
Paper Mario: Sticker Star
Parascientific Escape
Parascientific Escape: Cruise in the Distant Seas
Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth
Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth
Picross 3D: Round 2
Picross e
Pilotwings Resort
Pokémon Art Academy
Pokémon Bank
Pokémon Battle Trozei
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity
Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire
Pokémon Picross
Pokémon Rumble Blast
Pokémon Rumble World
Pokémon Sun and Moon
Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon
Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon
Pokémon X and Y
Poyopoyo Kansatsu Nikki
Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 3D
Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy
Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask
Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
Project X Zone
Project X Zone 2
Pushmo
Puyo Puyo Chronicle
Puzzle & Dragons X
Puzzle & Dragons Z + Super Mario Bros. Edition
Rabbids Rumble
Regular Show: Mordecai and Rigby in 8-Bit Land
Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D
Return to PopoloCrois
Rhythm Heaven Megamix
Ridge Racer 3D
River City: Tokyo Rumble
RollerCoaster Tycoon 3D
Rusty’s Real Deal Baseball
Sakura Samurai: Art of the Sword
Samurai Warriors: Chronicles
Sega 3D Reprint Archives
Sekaiju to Fushigi no Dungeon 2
Senran Kagura 2: Deep Crimson
Shin Megami Tensei IV
Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse
Shinobi (2011 video game)
Slime Mori Mori Dragon Quest 3
Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice
Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal
Spirit Camera
Star Fox 64 3D
The Starship Damrey
Steel Diver
Stella Glow
Story of Seasons (video game)
Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns
StreetPass Mii Plaza
Stretchmo
Style Savvy: Fashion Forward
Style Savvy: Styling Star
Style Savvy: Trendsetters
Super Mario 3D Land
Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS
Super Monkey Ball 3D
Super Robot Wars UX
Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition
Swapnote
Tank Troopers
Team Kirby Clash Deluxe
Teddy Together
Tekken 3D: Prime Edition
Tenkai Knights: Brave Battle
Tetris: Axis
Theatrhythm Dragon Quest
Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call
Tokyo Crash Mobs
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars
Tomodachi Life
WarioWare Gold
Weapon Shop de Omasse
Yo-kai Sangokushi
Yo-kai Watch 2
Yo-kai Watch 3
Yo-kai Watch Blasters
Yo-kai Watch Busters 2: Secret of the Legendary Treasure Bambalaya
Yoshi’s New Island
There have been rumours of the Switch getting at least one 3DS remaster, to help pad out Nintendo’s release schedule until the Switch 2 arrives.
Another Wii U remaster, Xenoblade Chronicles X, was recently confirmed for a March 2025 launch, so it wouldn’t be surprising if a handful of other older titles are waiting in the wings on Switch.
Mario Kart 7 is offline only forever (Nintendo)
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