The Nintendo 3DS and Wii U eShops were taken offline yesterday, but Nintendo has re-enabled the ability to redeem download codes for games on both platforms for a limited time. There are a few kinks that Nintendo has to work out in closing both the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U eShops, with download codes getting a later expiration date given the circumstances.As new generations of Nintendo consoles are released, support for older ones slowly disappears as the Japanese developer prioritizes resources for the freshest launches. With the Nintendo Switch already six years old as of earlier this month, Nintendo has decided to close the Wii U and 3DS eShop, with a warning given to fans several months ahead of time. While many Nintendo players have clambered to download the 3DS and Wii U titles that their collections were missing, others voiced concerns about download codes that are still redeemable.Twitter user Wario64 is known for confirming a wide array of video game details, and they have issued a tweet informing Nintendo fans that they still have a few days to redeem 3DS and Wii U codes. Because the Wii U and 3DS offered several first and third-party titles through these redeemable download codes, some fans may have forgotten about free Nintendo games in the form of vouchers that may be lying around their library. According to a Nintendo eShop discontinuation Q&A shared by Wario64, fans will continue to be able to redeem these codes until April 3 at 9:30 Pacific time.
Nintendo recently added an important note to the 3DS and Wii U eShop discontinuation Q&A that clarifies that the redeem option for these codes was temporarily removed, but the issue has been rectified. Based on the note, this feature was intended to be removed on April 3 but had inadvertently been linked to the eShops going offline, and Nintendo has recommended that players redeem these codes before the April date. The statement specifies that it's been adjusted for all the members of the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS families of consoles, with the latter being more broadly represented.
Although much of the Nintendo community has spent the last few months unlocking the 3DS and Wii U titles that they initially passed on, some may still have code vouchers that remain unredeemed. While some Nintendo fans have expressed that they serendipitously have redeemable codes, others remain hopeful that Nintendo will change its mind on the removal of the 3DS and Wii U eShops.