In an unexpected twist, it finally happened! As of November 3, a solid 209 days had passed before the last remaining participant, Fishguy6564, was finally disconnected from Nintendo’s once-vibrant Nintendo Network servers for the Wii U and 3DS. His trusty Nintendo 3DS succumbed to a crash after nearly seven months of connecting to Mario Kart 7 servers [credit to GamesRadar]. The long-held dream has ended—at least in its original form.
Yet, there’s a silver lining for fans of these older systems with varied game collections. By using custom system firmware, players can now access Homebrew software and even tap into Pretendo, an ingenious fan-driven service that revives access to Nintendo Network servers for games on the 3DS and Wii U, even after the official shutdown. Although the list of games supported by Pretendo is somewhat limited, it still offers a lifeline for enjoying these relatively modern systems and preserving their legacy.
Social media reacted to this development as one fan tweeted a heartfelt goodbye to the original Nintendo Network, encapsulating many players’ nostalgia. Earlier in this remarkable stint, Fishguy6564 had managed to keep his 3DS online despite the official server shutdown by maintaining a bot-populated lobby. He had remarked to GamesRadar, “Surpassing the official shutdown was a feat we didn’t expect. From then, it was purely about seeing how long we could ride it out.”
It seems, however, that even the most determined endeavors meet their limits. Fortunately for gamers with modded systems, Pretendo continues to offer a way to play some of their cherished titles. On the Nintendo 3DS, supported games include Mario Kart 7, Kid Icarus: Uprising, and Mario Maker 3DS. For the Wii U, Pretendo revives access to titles like Mario Kart 8, Mario Maker, Splatoon, and Pokkén Tournament, restoring online functionalities that vary by game.
Despite these efforts, a lingering disappointment remains with the loss of many eShop exclusives for the 3DS and Wii U—titles that are no longer accessible through legal channels unless previously installed. Though none of these games were massive system drivers, it’s a genuine loss to see them fade from reach. This encapsulates the darker side of offline gaming’s evolution, where the disappearance of official game servers leaves preservation to the ingenuity of historians, modders, and, at times, pirates.
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