Pokemon is a lone survivor of 3DS and Wii U closures
We know that sometimes games consoles have to shut down their stores, but to be perfectly honest, that doesn't make it much less sad.
Whether it be nostalgia or a sincere adoration for the game consoles of yesteryear, it's always a shame to have to say goodbye to consoles that, in some cases, are still supporting play - allowing for gamers to play through some classics.
It looks like we're once again having to say farewell to another batch of consoles from Nintendo, with the previously confirmed shuttering of the 3DS and Wii U stores just around the corner.
Nintendo's Wii U and 3DS are shutting down online play
It has once again been confirmed that Nintendo is set to turn its back on its last consoles before the Switch, as the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS lines of hardware will no longer receive support for online play.
The announcement was made on Twitter and the Nintendo blog, making clear that April 2024 will bring the closure of "online play and other online functionality" on the consoles. That's not all, as this date isn't set in stone.
"Please note that if an event occurs that would make it difficult to continue online services for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U software, we may have to discontinue services earlier than planned," the company adds on the latest blog post. Thankfully, there's one exception that's avoided punishment.
Pokemon Bank has ducked closure
Click to enlargeThe one item that has avoided destruction by the closure of online services is Pokemon Bank, the application that allows players to store their Pokemon in an online PC box and exchange their beasties from game-to-game.
The post reiterates that the app could still be shut down in the future, but at least for now, it has escaped the guillotine. We previously covered how classic Pokemon games were being locked behind a paywall, while others will be completely unplayable unless you own a physical copy.
Considering Pokemon Bank is a way to store and manage your 'Mon, it's a sigh of relief that it's surviving the cull. As for the rest of the games, including icons like Super Mario Maker and Smash Bros. 4, it's the end. Rest in peace.
