The unfortunate demise of the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U eShops has not been exaggerated. In fact, both digital storefronts will shut down permanently on March 27, meaning owners of those platforms have very little time to pick up any games they might have missed before they disappear forever.
With an entire ecosystem full of hundreds of games released since 2011 about to close, that also means developers will be losing an existing method for fans to discover some older titles. To try and make the most of the situation, a number of companies and studios are launching massive sales heading into the final weeks of eShop access.
Some of these sales or solo deals might not be heavily advertised, mostly because there likely isn’t a huge market for players who would go back and purchase exclusives for consoles that had support pulled years ago. But there are a number of incredible offers for those who are willing to dust them off.
Related: Best Nintendo 3DS exclusives to download before eShop shuts
Two of the biggest promotions for these last-minute deals come from WayForward and Yacht Club Games. Both studios are offering big discounts on their most popular games, including Shovel Knight and Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse.
However, if you really want to see a team giving players the best deal on their older games, Image & Form Games, along with the Thunderful Games team, has discounted all of the SteamWorld games by 80 percent.
This is an incredible deal on fan-favorite titles and their DLC on both systems.
Also, Japanese Rail Sim 3D. If you like trains, you will never find a better time to pick up these games, because they are all on sale for cheap and fill up the 3DS’ sale menu—so you can’t miss them even if you tried.
There will likely be plenty of other companies following suit in the last weeks of operation, so keep your eyes out for good deals before the eShops close down, especially if the physical version of a game is very pricy on the secondhand market.
Obviously, not every game on these eShops is truly going to be lost to time, as many have been ported to PC or other consoles over the years. But it is best to double-check if a game you have an interest in trying out is available elsewhere, at risk of potentially missing out on it if it doesn’t get an eventual port.
Related: Best Wii U-exclusive games to download before the eShop shuts
If you are interested in purchasing 3DS or Wii U games before the eShops close, you can link your active Nintendo Account you use on the Switch to your Nintendo Network ID. This will allow you to put money into your digital wallet on Switch and have it appear on both other consoles–which is the only way to add funds as of now.
It is also important to note, that even when the eShops shut down, online features for both the Wii U and 3DS will be available.
You will still be able to play online titles and redownload purchased software for the foreseeable future, at least until Nintendo decides to pull the plug on that too.
