A new initiative launched by Nintendo lets fans see their most-played games on the 3DS and Wii U, ahead of their eShops losing support in 2023. The DS and the Wii had eShops of their own, but Nintendo only used them for smaller digital titles and the Virtual Console, as the company had yet to fully embrace digital gaming.
The 3DS and Wii U eShops allow players to purchase and download full games onto their systems. The 3DS finally forced Nintendo to release post-launch updates to games, as Mario Kart 7 required a patch to fix the course skips in Wuhu Loop, Maka Wahu, and Bowser's Castle 1. The 3DS might not have sold as many units as the DS, but it represented a step forward for Nintendo as a whole. It's a shame that the Wii U eShop didn't receive more attention, as it was notoriously slow to load and lacked many basic features that fans would expect from a digital storefront. There was some confusion when Nintendo revealed that the Switch would use microSD cards as its main storage option, but there are few who can argue that the eShop and the system as a whole are better tailored for digital games than the Wii U.
The 3DS and Wii U eShops are closing in March 2023, which means that fans have a little over a year to snap up any remaining digital games before they're gone. Honoring fans' love of the consoles, the official Nintendo of Europe Twitter has announced the Nintendo 3DS & Wii U Memories page on the official Nintendo website, which will show the player their combined playtime on their systems, as well as their top three most-played games and hours played. Players can also select their most unforgettable game and include it as part of an image that can be shared to social media. The player needs to have a Nintendo Account that's linked to their Nintendo Network ID in order to be able to use the Nintendo 3DS & Wii U Memories website.
People are sharing their results online and many of the best Nintendo 3DS games and Wii U titles are among the top games. There are some people who are already casting doubts on the accuracy of the Memories, as some games appear to be missing from their top three, or have drastically reduced playtimes. Games like Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate and Monster Hunter Generations have playtimes listed on their save files, yet these aren't accurately represented in the Memories page. It's also unclear if time spent in standby mode is counted towards playtime, as many people left their system on to collect Streetpass notifications.
It's sad that the 3DS and Wii U eShops are losing support, but it's part of the life cycle of all consoles. The majority of the audience has moved to the Nintendo Switch by now, especially as many Wii U games have been ported to the Switch. The Switch has outsold the Wii and PS1 and continues to ship units, so Nintendo will want to focus on its new system, and leave the old fans with their memories.
Source: Nintendo of Europe/Twitter, Nintendo