Between the 3DS and Wii U eShop, one can access almost every single Zelda game, and many more Nintendo classics. It’s extremely unfortunate, then, that starting from January 2022, players in Japan will no longer be able to add funds to the Wii U and 3DS eShop via credit card according to Nintendo.
Back in 2019, credit card support was pulled from Europe, New Zealand, and Australia. Then in 2020, the eShop for 3DS and Wii U were closed in Latin America, the Middle East, and parts of Asia. Now in 2022, Japan will lose access to credit card functionality in their eShop. Currently, we do not know of any plans to cancel credit card support in North America, but it may only be a matter of time as the 3DS and Wii U eShops slowly fade away.
However, the two stores remain open in Japan, Europe, North America, and more for hopefully the foreseeable future. In the announcement, Nintendo stated that Nintendo eShop cards or funds added to a Nintendo Switch linked to the same Nintendo Network account will work and allow players to purchase any games they please, so there is no need for those still with eShop access to worry.
While it is sad to see another curtain close on the Wii U and 3DS, this is not the end of digital content on the two classic consoles. I personally am glad they are still up as there are countless classic Nintendo games that are not yet available on Switch, but are on Wii U and 3DS. Besides, I still need to see The Minish Cap on the big screen, because who doesn’t need that in their life?
