What else can be said about the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U? One had a rough start, but has since flourished. The other had it rough its entire lifespan. Only now has gaming deserved its praise. Unfortunately, we’re seeing the end of these two consoles. As we’re always told, “All good things must come to an end.” If there’s one thing that’s constant, it’s change. Because change is inevitable, sometimes that means bringing things to a close. Something that seems far superior to what was made to replace it. The eShop isn’t only more accessible to say without abbreviating it, but it’s also more robust. Offering a variety of games that you could choose to buy individually. Rather than having to opt-in to a tiered subscription service for Virtual Console games. As the night closes in on the Nintendo eShop for the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS, it makes one wonder “Will something like this ever exist again?” To be honest, the eShop closures aren’t going to affect us too much. People who own these consoles have already modified them, or intend on doing so. So obtaining lost or exclusive titles will not be difficult with Homebrew applications. What this means is that Nintendo is officially leaving them behind. What is devastating is that this is for two platforms. As for me, these were the two consoles I relied on for gaming. The reason is that the Wii U GamePad provided accessibility, so I didn’t have to stand close to my TV.
Nintendo 3DS.
I’ve taken my 3DS XL around with me on occasions to hopefully get a StreetPass tag, or simply to entertain myself. Rarely do you see much activity now from users. While I did buy a New 2DS XL years later, these play sessions do not feel the same. Additionally, nobody is online. I used to fill my days playing The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, and Steel Diver Sub Wars. Before you could no longer add funds, I purchased Ocarina of Time 3D just because I had the opportunity. Regardless of all of the titles and applications, it was designed to be portable. Having the folding design makes it unbelievably easy to travel with. Opening it and hearing the hinges snap into place gives me a sense of nostalgia. There’s nothing else like the Nintendo DS, DSI, and 3DS. There will almost never likely be a family of systems like these. In recent years, we’ve seen Nintendo forget about these consoles. They don’t conform to the Switch’s console design. The dual-screen concept design will make it difficult to port these games over to the Switch. Honestly, I would love to see Nintendo come up with some innovative way to port these titles. Although it wouldn’t be ideal to pay for games again, I’d consider it. Since Nintendo ported games from the Wii U to the Switch.
3DS Virtual Console.
The 3DS Virtual Console wasn’t something I would’ve expected from Nintendo when I initially got my Nintendo 3DS. Being able to play some of my favorite NES, GameBoy Color, and SNES games on the go became one of my favorite things about the Nintendo 3DS. When I could, I would spend so many hours of my free time playing Virtual Console titles. The majority of the games I played were for the first time. This included A Link to The Past! While I only completed generic Nintendo titles such as Mario and Zelda, I’ve gone back and finished them. If you can, I highly recommend finishing games you grew up with or quitting halfway through your childhood. At the time, my 3DS went everywhere I went. It’s so easy to take it with you and have it ready whenever you need it. Features such as StreetPass made it even better to go outside and find another 3DS owner.
Another great feature that the 3DS had is that it was backward compatible with Nintendo DS, and DSI titles. Unfortunately, the feature didn’t last long with the Switch removing it possibly due to it being used as an entrypoint for the Wii, 3DS, and Wii U, but it meant that you could play previous games you owned. But if it weren’t for the Nintendo 3DS, I most certainly wouldn’t have ever played Mario Kart DS. But it wasn’t only the 3DS that provided DS games. That is why the Wii U is so innovative!
Nintendo Wii U.
Playing Nintendo DS games on the Wii U felt like you had a large Nintendo DS Console. Your TV was like the top screen, and the GamePad was your bottom screen. Other play schemes also worked well. The Wii U can do more than simply play DS games though. It could also play GameBoy Advanced, NES, and N64 games. In addition, it could also play Wii games. Later in the Wii U’s lifespan, Nintendo offered Wii titles on the Nintendo eShop. Although some of the titles weren’t cleaned up, they ran well. But in all fairness though, comparing them to newer titles shows that they ran better. Which is how it should be. Games and features on almost every console are improving. What hasn’t improved is how we get access to these games. On the Wii U, they were available to purchase individually. You could choose what you wanted for one price, and then you have them for as long as your console functions. While some consoles are reportedly bricked, showing the error code 160-0103, you just need to continue to use them over time. But compared to what we have now, I envy myself and the previous times and opportunities we had. It’s nice to have a variety of games that we can play however many times we want with a yearly subscription. But theoretically, these are only rentals. If you don’t keep up with your payment, they’re gone until you cough up more money. What’s even worse is the Expansion Pack. Getting access to N64 games now costs you more money yearly. I still haven’t paid for this service and to be honest, it doesn’t feel as if I’ve missed anything. I’d like to pay for N64 and GameBoy titles, but not for the price, Nintendo is demanding yearly. But that’s what is so great about the Virtual Console for the Wii U and 3DS. Pick the games you like, and only pay once for them. Then play them as many times as your heart desires. Not only was this something I did on my Wii, Wii U, and 3DS. But the best part of having these games on the Wii U was, Nintendo gave us the ability to remap our buttons. As well as making an effort for the Wii U. When it was proven that it was a failure, Nintendo tried to entice people to buy their struggling home console. Most people overlooked it, but many didn’t know what it even was. This was common. For me, the Wii U was my primary home console. Even though I owned a PS4, the Wii U had most of the games I wanted to play.
Games For The Wii U.
Nintendo had made incredible games for the Wii U. They were incredible enough to be re-released on the Switch, sell them for more money than they were originally, and get away with it! That could also be because people were playing these games for the first time. Games I’ve played on the Wii U with fond memories include Mario Kart 8, PIKMIN 3, New Super Mario Bros U, Super Mario 3D World, Bayonetta, and Bayonetta 2. I played these games years before some of them made their way on the Switch. It was interesting to see the hype for these ports when they were announced for the Switch when I along with many others had been trying to tell others how great they were all along. When Nintendo ported those games to the Switch, I had some severely mixed emotions. I was excited to have another way to play these games portably. However, I felt betrayed. I spent my money on these games for the Wii U, I supported that system, and here they were giving me the same games to play that I already own instead of adding to the franchise. It was a slap in the face. I wouldn’t mind replaying these games, but it wasn’t cool. But the reason why it wasn’t a big deal for those who bought a Switch was that they didn’t own a Wii U. Or those games. I guess the small group that supported Nintendo during those times didn’t mean that much to them.
But I think that’s why the Wii U means so much to me. It felt as if you were part of an exclusive audience that people didn’t pay attention to. No matter how many people you’ve tried to tell, nobody took it to heart. All I heard was how great the PS4 was, and how the original XBox One looked like a VCR. I can attest that the PS4 is a good console, and the original XBox One does look like a VCR. But these two consoles had fun games. However, the Wii U was something else. The Wii U was where I played Wind Waker for the first time. The remastered games for the Wii U are amazing. Especially in HD. I’m glad Nintendo gave these ports a second chance on the Wii U. If it wasn’t for these ports, I wouldn’t have played these titles. Not only was the Wii U have a standard button layout, but it also kept the Wii’s legacy going. You could use the Wii Remote to navigate through certain menus, and play WiiWare titles on the system. The Wii is what got me into gaming, and the Wii U is what got me into Information Technology.
