Super Smash Bros. for 3DS DLC can no longer be re-downloaded, following the system's eShop closure. Super Smash Bros. has been considered a staple of gaming history since the original 1999 game's release, and the 3DS and Wii U versions were a massive hit. Though the Switch has been Nintendo's priority for a long time now, the closure of the eShop for the 3DS and Wii U systems made it clear that Nintendo was finished with the previous console generation. However, the preservation of the company's legacy titles may be at stake as a consequence.

Each Super Smash Bros. game contained all the available content at launch until the series' time on the 3DS and Wii U. The most recent game, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, has received online support long after its 2018 launch. Most recently, a Super Smash Bros. Ultimate patch introduced Amiibo support for Sora, the game's final DLC character. Unfortunately, some gamers are running into issues with the DLC for the 3DS iteration of Super Smash Bros.

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DLC that users have purchased in Super Smash Bros. for 3DS cannot be re-downloaded. In a post on Reddit, user Tjoeb123 highlights the issue. In the video, the user boots the game on their 3DS and attempts to access the Smash Bros DLC shop. They receive an error code along with a message that says "This service has been discontinued. Thank you for using this service." This is an effect of the full closure of online services for last-gen Nintendo systems. If anyone still using their 3DS happened to uninstall the game to make room for something else and was not able to download the content before the 3DS store closure, they wouldn't be able to get back the DLC they paid for.

Online Store Closures Make Super Smash Bros Games Difficult to Preserve

Not being able to access DLC content is the cause of concern for many game preservationists, especially for a franchise that has left as much of a long-lasting legacy as Super Smash Bros. Users rushed to purchase SD cards to fit all of their 3DS content onto. However, several issues still exist. Firstly, if someone wants to experience older Super Smash Bros. games, they have no way of accessing any of the DLC. If a gamer manages to get their hands on a used 3DS cartridge but doesn't have an SD card with the DLC, they will not be able to experience additions that helped define the game, such as the introduction of characters like Bayonetta and Cloud.

Many players enjoy Super Smash Bros. Ultimate currently, and that game featured a steady flow of DLC until the release of Sora from Kingdom Hearts. One day the Switch's online stores will likely face a similar closure, based on the precedent that Nintendo has set with the 3DS and Wii U. If that happens, players who manage to pick up copies may not be able to play as these game-changing characters because they didn't come on release. A fully complete edition is one of many reasons Smash Bros. Ultimate may benefit from a next-gen port. Some fans hope that eventually, Nintendo will release copies of the game that include all the content in one place.

Super Smash Bros.

Super Smash Bros is a Nintendo-exclusive 3D action fighting and brawling game starring a roster of beloved Nintendo and third-party characters. Taking place across a plethora of arenas, players duke it out in real-time as their favorite characters.

Video Game(s)

Super Smash Bros. , Super Smash Bros. Melee , Super Smash Bros. Brawl , Super Smash Bros. for 3DS , Super Smash Bros. for Wii U , Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Publisher(s)

Nintendo

Creation Year

1999

Developer(s)

HAL Laboratory , Sora Ltd. , Bandai Namco Studios , Game Arts