Monday, April 8 is the end of an era for Nintendo, as the online services for both the Wii U and 3DS are shutting down after today. Many Nintendo fans have been dreading April 8, as it means that the online functionality for a significant number of games will cease to function. For some games, this means losing certain game modes. For games with a heavy online focus, it means that they will effectively cease to exist.

Nintendo fans have known for quite some time that the Wii U and 3DS shutdowns would be happening on Monday, April 8. In fact, this isn't even the first major shutdown that the two consoles have experienced. Last year, Nintendo closed the eShops for both 3DS and Wii U, making it impossible for gamers to buy digital games for the platforms. The Wii U and 3DS online shutting down is just the final nail in the coffin for the platforms' online functionality.

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'Impossible' Super Mario Maker Level Beaten, Clearing All Levels Before Wii U Shutdown

Shortly before the Wii U's online services shut down, a Super Mario Maker player clears the final "impossible" level uploaded to the game.

After today, the online services for Wii U and 3DS will cease to exist. The good news is that, traditionally, most Nintendo games do not have a big focus on online modes anyway. However, there are still games that are going to be seriously impacted by these shutdowns nevertheless. The online for the 3DS Pokemon games will no longer work, for example, and a couple of significant Wii U games will be severely kneecapped by this development.

Nintendo Wii U and 3DS Are Shutting Down

The original Splatoon is primarily a multiplayer game, so after today, it will lose a great deal of its functionality. Super Mario Maker is all about downloading user-made levels, but that will no longer be possible. There are other examples as well, but those two games stand out as two that will be seriously impacted by the shutdowns.

On the bright side, it's not all doom and gloom for Nintendo fans that love games like Splatoon and Super Mario Maker. Even though the online services are shutting down for the original versions of the game, new versions exist on the Nintendo Switch. Splatoon 2 and Splatoon 3 are readily available for the Switch, as is Super Mario Maker 2. Another Wii U game with a big focus on online multiplayer, Mario Kart 8, has a far superior version on the Switch called Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

Whereas the Wii U was a sales failure, the Switch has been a massive success for Nintendo. Eventually, the Switch's online services will be shuttered as well, but considering how long Nintendo supported the Wii U and 3DS online, fans shouldn't have to worry about that happening at any point in the near future.

Nintendo Wii U

Brand

Nintendo

Original Release Date

November 18, 2012

Hardware Versions

Nintendo Wii U

Original MSRP (USD)

$299Deluxe Sets: $349

Weight

3.3 lbs