While the store will stick around to let people download games they’ve already bought, anyone with a 3DS and Wii U still kicking won’t be able to purchase games for their system after Monday. That was pretty devastating for me, and it’s going to be just as hard on March 27 when Nintendo shuts down the 3DS and Wii U branches of the eShop. We did this a few years ago with the closure of WiiWare and the original Virtual Console. It’s a cycle as dependable as the golden sun. Nintendo giveth and Nintendo taketh away. But with the advent of digital marketplaces, the company has found new and exciting ways to keep people from buying and playing games from old consoles. It hasn’t always tripped up with this as anyone who kept playing their OG copy of Tetris on the Game Boy Advance SP can attest to. Since the NES was dropped in favor of the SNES, Nintendo fans have had to hold onto old hardware if they wanted to keep playing their favorite games from the previous generation. One crucial area where the company has failed for as long as it’s been a household name is continuing access to legacy games. For all the good that Nintendo brings into the world with its wonderful creations, it’s clear there are still some areas where the company could be doing better.
