We knew it was coming, but that doesn’t make it any easier to say goodbye . Nintendo shut down the online servers for both the Wii U and 3DS today. This means the end of online multiplayer gaming for both consoles, turning Mario Kart 7 for 3DS and the original Splatoon for the Wii U into single player or couch co-op experiences. The first Super Mario Maker is also effectively dead, as there’s no way to browse for and download player-created levels. Both consoles are relatively controversial. The 3DS was originally considered a lukewarm follow-up to the barn-busting DS , though it eventually became a success in its own right . This was thanks to a glut of incredible titles, from Super Mario 3D Land and The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds to more niche fare like Kid Icarus: Uprising and
fire Emblem Awakening . The portable console also had a robust lineup of online exclusive titles, like Pushmo and BoxBoy! . The Wii U, on the other hand, never quite found a significant audience and is largely considered one of Nintendo’s biggest missteps. It was the next home console after the culture-defining Wii, so it had large shoes to fill. However, the company went with a name that was an absolute nightmare for the Wii’s core audience of casual gamers. Was it an accessory to the original Wii? A new console? A crappy iPad? Those of us glued to gaming media knew the answer, but the casuals never stood a chance. There was also the console itself. The company never delivered a compelling use case for the “asymmetric gameplay” offered by the device. Simply put, the Wii U gave you two screens. There was the TV, of course, but also a touchscreen tablet. This was supposed to lead to unique gameplay mechanics that gave the person holding the tablet a different task than those holding traditional controllers, but only a few titles truly explored this concept. Just like the 3DS, however, the Wii U was buoyed by a robust selection of first-party classics. I found the first-party offerings of the Wii era to be mostly underwhelming, with desperate attempts to shoehorn in finicky and gimmicky waggle. I still get panicked when remembering just how horrible it felt to fly Link around in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword . The Wii U, on the other hand, brought Nintendo back to a novel concept called “just make good games.” The console brought us Mario Kart 8 , which is still the gold standard for digital kart racing, and the underrated Super Mario 3D World . There was also Super Mario Maker , a great Super Smash Bros. title, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze , Pikmin 3 and Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker , among many others. Even if you never owned a Wii U, you’ve probably played some of these games. Nintendo knew the console itself was a flop, but the games were good. This led to numerous re-releases on the Switch. It’s worth noting that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was originally developed for the Wii U . Also, it had Miiverse! Nintendo, for the love of Bowser, bring back Miiverse . It was the only pure social network. Of course, there’s a strong case to be made that both the design of the Wii U and its failure led to the Switch. Both devices allow for portable play, but the Wii U required people to be tethered to a bulky console. The Switch, on the other hand, is the (not bulky) console. Nintendo’s smash hybrid has sold 140 million units , as of December. The Wii U sold under 14 million devices throughout its lifespan. Nintendo already shut down the online stores for the 3DS and Wii U last year, so this is the final goodbye. Luckily, speedrunners managed to actually beat a Super Mario Maker level that was long thought to be impossible just a few days ago. Life always finds a way. Sleep well, my two old
Friends.