“Whenever there is a meeting, a parting shall follow.” These familiar words from the Happy Mask Man couldn’t be more fitting as we head closer to the Dawn of the Final Day for the Nintendo eShop on the 3DS and Wii U gaming systems, which are destined to close forever this week on March 27, 2023.
The looming end date for the digital eShop store comes after more than a decade of success on the Wii U console and the 3DS family of handheld systems, the last of which to have been conceived by the Big N since the revolutionary Nintendo Switch came to the public. It’s undoubtedly a downtrodden moment for the gaming community as we soberly wave goodbye to one closing era and we warp drive into the next.
If there are still some game titles you desire to snag last-minute, now is the time to do so before they’re gone for good. It is important to note that many of the 3Ds and Wii U game titles are already removed on Nintendo’s online store, so the only way to purchase them is through the eShop on the very hardware they are designed for. The ability to add funds with a credit card or Nintendo eShop card on the old Nintendo Network ID wallet is no longer available either, but you can still make purchases by linking your Nintendo Network ID wallet with your Nintendo Account wallet on the Switch. This handy Q&A by Nintendo Customer Support explains how that works in further detail.
Here is a list of every virtual console and/or digital downloadable Zelda and Zelda spinoff game that will be affected by the 3DS and Wii U eShop closure:
- Legend of Zelda NES – 3DS and Wii U
- Adventure of Link – 3DS and Wii U
- A Link to the Past – New 3DS Only
- Link’s Awakening DX – 3DS
- Ocarina of Time – 3D, 3DS; Original version, Wii U
- Majora’s Mask – 3D, 3DS; Original version, Wii U
- Oracle of Ages – 3DS
- Oracle of Seasons – 3DS
- The Wind Waker HD – Wii U
- The Minish Cap – Wii U
- Twilight Princess HD – Wii U
- Phantom Hourglass – Wii U
- Spirit Tracks – Wii U
- Skyward Sword – Original version, Wii U
- A Link Between Worlds – 3DS
- Hyrule Warriors – Original version, Wii U
- Hyrule Warriors Legends – 3DS
- Tri Force Heroes – 3DS
- Breath of the Wild – Wii U version, Wii U
Feeling overwhelmed with the thought of beating the midnight clock? While you may not have the Ocarina of Time in hand, you can at least rest easy knowing the fact that at the time of this writing, at least twelve Zelda main story and spinoff titles are now accessible on the Switch, thanks in part to the Nintendo Switch Online (NSO) subscription. This does not include the hit indie crossover Cadence of Hyrule, and the upcoming title Tears of the Kingdom, both of which are and will soon be playable on the Switch.
Amazingly, the YouTuber known as “The Completionist” just now finished purchasing every single game on the 3DS and Wii U eShop since 2022, which cost him a jaw-dropping grand total of $22,791 USD. It’s nice to know that someone in the gaming community was able to preserve a crucial piece of Nintendo’s history. That being said, the astronomical price tag makes a good case for Nintendo’s transition into the Nintendo Switch Online service, which costs roughly $50 USD per year for an individual. With more titles being added to NSO every year, we may soon be able to play every single Zelda title in existence on the Switch after all. As the curious Happy Mask Man stated, “Whether a parting be forever or merely for a short while… that is up to you.”
