You won’t believe it, but the day has finally come! After a whopping 209 days, as of November 3rd, the very last active user clinging to Nintendo’s decommissioned Network servers for the Wii U and 3DS, known as Fishguy6564, has finally met his match. His Nintendo 3DS crashed following an impressive almost-year-long stint connected to the Mario Kart 7 servers [source: GamesRadar]. While this marks the end of an era, it’s not quite game over in every sense.
For those who still hold onto this now-obsolete hardware, there’s a bit of a silver lining. Custom system firmware can unlock the path to Homebrew software and even Pretendo, paving the way for fan-made Nintendo Network servers. These allow some life to be breathed back into otherwise-defunct 3DS and Wii U games. Though the selection of Pretendo-supported titles isn’t vast, it does offer a nostalgic nod to the playability and history of these systems that feel surprisingly modern.
Interestingly, before Fishguy6564’s 3DS bowed out, it had been updated to sustain a lobby filled with bots, and occasionally, another user. This creative workaround enabled continued gameplay despite official shutdowns, until the inevitable crash happened. In a previous chat with GamesRadar, Fishguy said, “I honestly didn’t expect us to ride out the official shutdown. From there, it was all about seeing just how long we could stretch this out.”
As it turns out, there’s a point when even the most resilient servers meet their end. Despite the setback, Pretendo servers continue to offer a lifeline for fans using modified original hardware, preserving some favorite games like Mario Kart 7, Kid Icarus: Uprising, and Mario Maker 3DS on the Nintendo 3DS, as well as Mario Kart 8, Mario Maker, Splatoon, and Pokkén Tournament on the Wii U. With Pretendo, users can experience anything from the simple joys of basic online gameplay to more intricate server features, all dependent on the game in question.
There’s a bittersweet side to all of this, though. Many classic titles exclusive to the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U eShop are no longer accessible through legitimate channels unless pre-installed. While they might not have been blockbuster hits that moved consoles, their loss still leaves a void. This is the stark reality in our post-offline gaming era, where the demise of official game servers can mean permanent loss. Today, game preservation falls to the historians, the modders, and, at times, pirates trying to keep this rich digital history from fading away completely.
