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Nintendo 3DS and Wii U online services are not temporarily down. Nintendo permanently discontinued online play and most other internet features at 5 p.m. PDT on April 8, 2024. Offline games, local wireless features and some downloads remain available, while Pretendo Network is the main unofficial option for supported games that need online servers.
What Nintendo shut down
The shutdown covers Nintendo-hosted services for 3DS and Wii U software, including Nintendo and third-party titles. Nintendo lists these affected functions:
- Online multiplayer and matchmaking
- Online co-op
- Internet rankings and leaderboards
- SpotPass and other internet-delivered game data
- Most game-specific online events and communication features
This is a permanent service retirement, not maintenance that Nintendo is expected to reverse. Individual publishers could theoretically operate separate infrastructure, so unusual exceptions should be checked with the publisher. Nintendo’s main notice is at Nintendo Support.
What still works officially
- Offline single-player modes
- Local multiplayer and local wireless modes where a game supports them
- StreetPass, which uses nearby 3DS-to-3DS communication
- Redownloading games and DLC that you previously purchased or downloaded
- Downloading software updates
- Pokémon Bank and Poké Transporter, which Nintendo currently says remain available “for the foreseeable future”
“For the foreseeable future” is not a promised end date. Nintendo can change the availability of redownloads, updates or Pokémon services later.
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StreetPass and SpotPass are different: StreetPass is local and continues to function, while SpotPass depends on Nintendo’s internet services and no longer does.
What you can no longer buy or download
The 3DS and Wii U eShops no longer accept new purchases. You also cannot newly obtain free content, such as a demo or free add-on, if it was never acquired before the shutdown. Nintendo’s current redownload guidance is at Nintendo Support.
Previously purchased software and DLC are generally still redownloadable, but publisher-specific exceptions exist. Capcom, for example, says unclaimed free DLC may no longer be obtainable, while DLC already downloaded remains usable offline: Capcom’s notice.
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Protect your existing library
- Open each important game and install any offered update.
- Use the eShop’s redownload function for purchased games and DLC that are missing.
- Open a title’s additional-content or DLC menu and download anything you legitimately acquired but have not installed.
- Do not delete an installed game simply because its online mode ended.
- Back up your 3DS SD card or Wii U storage before making hardware or software changes.
Pretendo Network: the main unofficial alternative
Pretendo Network is a free, open-source community project that recreates parts of Nintendo Network for 3DS-family systems and Wii U. It is not operated, endorsed or supported by Nintendo. Coverage is implemented title by title and changes as development continues.
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Check the live Pretendo progress page before modifying a console. A game’s listing can represent full support, a public beta, testing access or only partial features. Support can also differ by region, mode, physical versus digital copy and emulator.
Current project pages show varying status for games including Mario Kart 7, Mario Kart 8, Splatoon, Super Mario Maker, Pokkén Tournament, Pikmin 3, Pokémon Rumble World, Kid Icarus: Uprising, Yo-kai Watch 2, Steel Diver: Sub Wars, Tri-Force Heroes and Team Kirby Clash Deluxe. These indicators are not a guarantee that every listed feature works for every player.
Using Pretendo on a 3DS
The current official guide assumes a homebrewed 3DS-family system running Luma3DS 13 or later, with the Nimbus application installed: Pretendo’s 3DS guide.
- Confirm that the console has a compatible homebrew setup and current Luma3DS.
- Install Nimbus from the official download or through Universal-Updater, then place its files on the SD card or install the CIA version as documented.
- Hold SELECT while powering on the 3DS.
- Enable Enable loading external FIRMS and modules and Enable game patching.
- Launch Nimbus and choose Pretendo.
- Create or link a separate Pretendo Network ID (PNID) when a supported game requires one.
Do not remove your Nintendo Network ID (NNID). Pretendo warns that deleting it can cost access to Nintendo-purchased games, themes, badges and Pokémon Bank data. System transfers are not currently supported by Pretendo and could affect future online access. Keep a complete SD-card backup before changing anything.
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Pretendo and Nintendo Network use separate account systems. Your NNID credentials do not become a PNID, and a PNID cannot reuse the username already linked to the 3DS.
Using Pretendo on Wii U
Inkay with Aroma homebrew
Pretendo recommends the Inkay plugin for the fullest Wii U experience. It requires an Aroma-based homebrew setup, supports additional patches and features, works regardless of ISP and can be toggled off. Follow the official Wii U guide:
- Set up Aroma homebrew on the Wii U.
- Open Aroma Updater and install or update the Inkay plugin.
- Restart the console and confirm the “Using Pretendo Network” indicator.
- Create or link a PNID.
To return to Nintendo Network for functions such as eShop redownloads, open the Aroma plugin menu with L + D-pad Down + SELECT, select Inkay and disable the Pretendo connection.
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SSSL is Pretendo’s documented hackless method. It avoids homebrew but supports fewer services, lacks some patches, can fail with certain ISPs and makes switching networks less convenient. The Wii U GamePad is required for the relevant system-settings path.
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The guide currently lists 88.198.140.154 as primary DNS and 9.9.9.9 (or another public DNS) as secondary. Verify values at the official guide before using them because DNS infrastructure can change. A fallback secondary DNS may send the console to Nintendo Network if Pretendo is unavailable; leaving the secondary field blank avoids that fallback.
Accounts, saves and Miiverse
Existing NNIDs do not work on Pretendo because Nintendo controls the original account data. You need a separate PNID, so friends lists, identities and server-side records may need to be recreated. Wii U local saves do not automatically transfer to a PNID; optional save-management migration is an advanced, title-specific procedure described in Pretendo’s Wii U documentation.
Miiverse was discontinued separately before the 2024 shutdown. Pretendo’s Juxtaposition project attempts to replace some functions. Inkay supplies required Wii U patches and Nimbus supplies 3DS applet patches, but in-game Miiverse content on 3DS is not currently supported. Details are in the Juxtaposition guide.
Pokémon and emulator limitations
Pokémon Bank and Poké Transporter are official Nintendo services and should not be confused with Pretendo’s replacement game servers. Nintendo currently lists them as available for the foreseeable future, so treat transfers from 3DS software as time-sensitive.
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Do not assume Pretendo restores trading, battles or other Pokémon features. Check the exact title’s current Pretendo status.
Pretendo states that Cemu 2.1 officially supports its network through Cemu’s network-account options. It does not provide a general recommendation or setup guide for most 3DS emulator forks, and final Citra builds do not support Pretendo: Pretendo documentation.
Safety, account and troubleshooting guidance
- Download Nimbus, Inkay and related files only from Pretendo’s official pages or documented installers, not random video descriptions or file hosts.
- Use a unique PNID password; never reuse your Nintendo Account password.
- Keep backups of the SD card and important saves.
- Do not delete the NNID as part of setup.
- If a game fails, first verify its current status, region and mode on the progress page; network connectivity alone cannot make an unsupported title work.
- If 3DS features fail, recheck Luma’s external-FIRM/module and game-patching settings.
- If Wii U SSSL fails, test ISP/DNS compatibility and confirm the DNS values in the current guide.
- Remember that switching back to Nintendo Network may be necessary for official eShop redownloads.
- Never use cheats or disruptive modifications in public matches. Pretendo says unfair cheating can lead to account or console bans.
Nintendo warns that unofficial services imitating Wii U network functions are unsupported and can create unexpected security risks: Nintendo’s service notice. Homebrew also carries device, data, warranty and support risks. Legal treatment of console modification and circumvention varies by jurisdiction; this article does not endorse unauthorized game copying or downloads.
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| Goal | Most appropriate choice | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Keep playing offline | Use the original console | No Nintendo-hosted online modes |
| Redownload a purchase or update | Use Nintendo’s remaining official functions | Availability is only stated for the foreseeable future |
| Use StreetPass | Continue using a 3DS locally | SpotPass internet content is gone |
| Play supported 3DS games online | Pretendo with Nimbus and homebrew | Separate PNID and uneven compatibility |
| Play supported Wii U games online with the fullest coverage | Pretendo through Inkay and Aroma | Requires homebrew |
| Avoid Wii U homebrew | Pretendo SSSL | Limited services and possible ISP problems |
| Move to a modern platform | Check for a specific Switch or successor version | Not every 3DS/Wii U game has an equivalent |
A Nintendo Switch Online membership cannot reactivate 3DS or Wii U Nintendo Network. It is relevant only after moving to a current platform and a game with its own modern online service.
The Bottom Line
Nintendo’s 3DS and Wii U online shutdown is permanent. Keep the consoles for offline, local and legitimately redownloadable content; preserve Pokémon transfers while Nintendo still lists the services; and check Pretendo’s live compatibility information before deciding whether its unofficial, account-separated and risk-bearing setup is worthwhile for your specific game.
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