Nintendo will let players back up their purchases online with the Switch

By Will Fulton February 17, 2017

World's First Nintendo Switch Unboxing! (Official 1080p)

Nintendo fans will finally be able to back up their eshop purchases online with their Nintendo Accounts when the Switch arrives. This is a welcome change from how previously digital purchases have been tied to the console itself, forcing fans to re-buy previously owned titles on new consoles, when online infrastructure should have allowed otherwise (as Nintendo’s competitors have done for some time now).

Eagle-eyed viewers caught this fact in a bit of fine print revealed during a Switch unboxing video recently posted by YouTube gaming channel FloKO. The text shows up briefly around 3:00 in, as highlighted below:

Would you take a look at this: Purchases from the eShop are tied to your Nintendo Account. pic.twitter.com/SyC1BIZm0V

— Bjoern the Switchy (@BjoernTheSmexy) February 17, 2017

“Your Nintendo Account contains your Nintendo eShop purchase history and current balance. By re-linking your Nintendo Account after initializing the console, it will be possible to redownload any software or DLC purchased using that account. (Software that has been discontinued may not be available to redownload in some cases.)”

For a company with such a devoted fan base, Nintendo’s lack of a centralized, cross-platform account has long felt like an obvious oversight. The introduction of Nintendo Accounts in 2016 was a step in the right direction, but this has been the first indication that they will follow through to the necessary conclusion of backing up purchases online. While historically one of the gaming space’s great innovators, Nintendo has been distinctly conservative when it comes to embracing the emergence of online gaming and commerce.

The Switch arrives on March 3 as the much-maligned Wii U’s tenure ends not with a bang, but a whimper. Nintendo has been cagey in the lead-up to launch since the Switch was first announced, but signs like this and the more adult-directed advertising campaign suggest the gaming mainstay is really hoping to shake things up with its new console.

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Will Fulton is a New York-based writer and theater-maker. In 2011 he co-founded mythic theater company AntiMatter Collective…

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Play these 3DS and Wii U games before Nintendo shutters their online features

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While the aforementioned eShop closures make it impossible to buy new games digitally, plenty of games that you likely already own physical copies of or already had downloaded have online features that won't work properly come April 2024. As such, we recommend you play the following games online before the discontinuation of those services next year.
Kid Icarus Uprising

Kid Icarus Uprising is mostly remembered for its entertaining story, charismatic characters, and odd controls, but it also features a surprisingly fun multiplayer experience in Together Mode. In multiplayer, up to six players can use powerful weapons and abilities from the main adventure in one of two modes. Free-for-all lets players loose on a map, tasking them with racking up the most kills within a set time limit. Light vs. Dark is more complex, as two teams of three face off until enough players are defeated that one respawns as an angel; when that powered-up angel is killed, the match is over.
While far from balanced, Kid Icarus Uprising's Together Mode is one of the most entertaining competitive multiplayer experiences exclusive to 3DS. It can be played locally, using bots to fill in empty spots, so thankfully it won't stop working entirely. Still, it's not easy in 2023 to come across multiple people near you who have copies of Kid Icarus Uprising and want to play. As such, check out this cult classic 3DS game's hidden gem of a mode before praying that the rumors of a remaster eventually become true.
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Nintendo is shutting down online services for 3DS and Wii U next April

Mega Man and Mario fight in Super Smash Bros. for 3DS and Wii U,

Nintendo confirmed it will widely shut down online services for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U games in April 2024, which will be just over a year after it discontinued the Nintendo eShop on those systems.
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Just like the Wii U and 3DS eShop closure that caused a ruckus earlier this year, this move is a blow to game preservation and will forever harm some games not available anywhere else. While it's understandable that Nintendo might want to move on from these systems' dated online infrastructure, it's still a disappointing move for those of us who spent a lot of time playing games offline and online on these systems.

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