Nintendo eShop Servers Down as Fans Rush for Disappearing 3DS and Wii U Games

By Tyler Fischer

The Nintendo eShop servers are experiencing issues on 3DS and Wii U as Nintendo fans rush to the digital storefronts of each to buy various games before they disappear. As you may know, today is the last day to buy digital Wii U and 3DS games from Nintendo. This means throughout the day the storefronts have been experiencing more traffic than the servers can handle. In turn, throughout the day they've been crashing, going down and back up on numerous occasions. 

If you're one of many trying to secure 3DS and Wii U games before they disappear, you should start trying to sooner rather than later. The closer we get to the deadline, the more people will rush to browse and purchase games. The more people do this, the higher chance servers will crash. If servers crash, you could end up missing out on potential purchases. If the servers started crashing as early as 2 AM ET, then it's safe to assume crashes are only going to get more frequent and longer as the day goes on. 

For those out of the loop: on March 27, which is today, the Nintendo eShop for 3DS and Wii U will no longer exist. This will begin at 8PM ET, and once it begins you will no longer be able to purchase digital Wii U games nor digital 3DS games. This means the only way you will be able to buy games for either platform is vis retail copies. 

The problem with that is most retailers aren't selling physical Wii U and 3DS games anymore, which means you will need to use reseller markets. With demand for physical 3DS and Wii U games about to increase, the prices of said games are going to skyrocket. This is especially bad news for those who end up trying to buy Wii U games after the Wii U eShop closes, as many Wii U games are already absurdly expensive in the reseller market. 

For more coverage on all things Nintendo -- including not just the latest on legacy Nintendo, but the latest on the Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch Lite, and Nintendo Switch OLED as well -- click here. Meanwhile, and as always, feel free to leave a comment letting us know what you think. What 3DS and Wii U games are you going to pick up today, if any?

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