Hello everyone!
If you’re here, you’ve probably heard that Nintendo is planning to shut down online functionality for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U games by “early April 2024”. This date is not set in stone, however, as the company has stated that the end of the service may come sooner, should there be “an event [that] occurs that would make it difficult to continue online services for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U software”. While said events were not specified, it is implied that it is a reference to a security breach by third parties.
The discontinuation of online services affects the vast majority of Nintendo-published titles, including, but not limited to, Animal Crossing: New Leaf, Animal Crossing: Happy Home Paradise, and Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival.
I get that all of this is overwhelming, so I’ve decided to write a guide on what features we can expect to say goodbye to, and what features we get to keep. To avoid confusion, I’ll also include the features that already no longer work, to cover all bases. If you would like to get the most out of your games while you still can, I’d suggest dedicating some time to engaging with these features well before April, in the event that they are discontinued early. For those who hate paragraphs and love lists, scroll to the bottom of each section for an overview of what’s gone, what goes, and what stays.
For each game mentioned here, there are already some features that have ceased to function. Miiverse, Nintendo’s attempt at hosting its own social media platform, was shut down on November 7, 2017. Players can no longer upload text posts, drawing posts, or screenshots to the platform. Trying to do so on the Nintendo 3DS brings up the error code 015-5004.
Following the closure of the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U eShop, it is also no longer possible to purchase new games on this storefront, regardless of whether their virtual wallets are connected to their Nintendo Switch eShop credit. For anyone who previously purchased games on the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, it is still possible to re-download that software, and updates are also available for download. However, the longevity of this feature is not certain, and there is a very real possibility that it may be discontinued in the future.
Finally, Nintendo no longer sends out new in-game content via Spotpass, the online version of Streetpass, where content would be sent directly to the player’s console once it is connected to the internet. For Animal Crossing games, this includes letters, special villagers, and items. This content is no longer available through normal gameplay for anyone who did not already receive it.
Animal Crossing: New Leaf / Animal Crossing: New Leaf – Welcome amiibo
Ah, our beloved New Leaf. We didn’t appreciate you enough while you were still here.
Touted by some as the best game in the Animal Crossing series, this game was extremely popular on the Nintendo 3DS and will be significantly affected by the upcoming online shutdown.
Before continuing, you should know that Nintendo released a free content update called “Welcome amiibo” in 2016, which changed some gameplay, added new areas, and tons of new items. This update brings the software to Version 1.5, and can still be downloaded from the 3DS eShop. If you have an original digital or physical copy of Animal Crossing: New Leaf, I recommend you update your game to the latest version as soon as possible.
Thankfully, very few features are explicitly locked behind online play. The Dream Suite is a Public Works Project (PWP) that can be unlocked and built by the player taking on the new role of Mayor in the town. To unlock the Dream Suite, the player must connect their game to the internet after becoming Mayor. After this, the player will walk in on Isabelle sleeping on the job upon entering the Town Hall. The Dream Suite can be built after speaking to Isabelle about it and contributing up to 234,000 Bells to the Lloid placed in the train station.
After being built, the Dream Suite allows players to pay 500 Bells and visit a “dream” copy of another player’s town. Players can also upload a copy of their own town by lying on the chaise lounge in the back of the Dream Suite, obtaining a unique Dream Address that can be shared with friends. Dream Towns allow for players to visit another player’s town and use tools to alter its state, without having a lasting effect on the non-dream variant of the town. Many players worked tirelessly to show off their creative skills, even using their town to tell a story.
Once online functionality ends, it will no longer be possible to unlock, build, or utilise the Dream Suite. For save files on which the PWP is already unlocked, the building will still be there, but you will no longer be able to upload your town or visit Dream Towns uploaded by other players. If you have not yet received the Dream Suite badges from Phineas — a sort of “achievement” system introduced in New Leaf — it will not be possible to obtain them after online functionality ceases to function. To receive the Bronze, Silver, and Gold badges respectively, you will have to visit a total of 50, 200, and 500 Dream Towns respectively.
For the most part, all other connectivity functions will remain intact, but will be limited to local connectivity. Club Tortimer, the membership plan on Tortimer’s Island that allows players to meet other players on the island via the internet, can be purchased, but not used. However, players can still visit the island on their own or with friends via local connectivity. Additionally, the Bronze, Silver, and Gold badges for earning medals from tours can still be acquired by earning 300, 1500, and 5000 medals respectively.
The Best Friends feature allows players to keep a list of their, well, best friends handy, receiving a notification when a friend from the list goes online. Players can see which of their Best Friends is online, and even send online Best Friends an instant message without having to send a letter or be in the same town as them. While Best Friends can still be added offline, you will no longer be able to use the aforementioned online features after the discontinuation of online services.
Finally, connectivity features with an online component will be losing their online features. You will still be able to send letters, host friends, or visit friends via the internet. This also means that both the NPC Katie and her rewards can only be obtained if she is taken to a nearby town via local connectivity.
Features that have already ceased to function:
- Purchasing the game via the Nintendo 3DS eShop, following its closure
- Posting screenshots to Miiverse
- Posting to social media with the Nintendo 3DS Image Share feature
- Receiving Spotpass letters via the internet
- Receiving Spotpass Happy Home Showcase houses via the internet
- Receiving special visitors from Harvey via the internet (requires the 1.5 update)
Features that will no longer function after April 2024:
- Visiting Dream Addresses
- By extension, players can no longer receive Dream Address badges from Phineas if not already obtained
- Visiting or host other players online
- By extension, players can no longer receive Katie or her rewards aside from local interactions
- Using Club Tortimer to visit Tortimer’s Island with people (friends or strangers) via the internet
- This applies to both regional and international visits
- However, the island tours are still available offline
- Sending letters via the internet
- Adding new Best Friends via the internet
- Checking online availability of Best Friends
- Sending messages via the Best Friends feature
Features that will still function after April 2024:
- Re-downloading previously purchased titles and their updates (though this is subject to change)
- Streetpass and Streetpass-related badges will still function
- Hosting and Traveling badges remain unaffected
- Letter-writing badges remain unaffected
- Medalist badges remain unaffected
- Players can still visit, host, and write to other players via local communication
- Players can still add other users as friends via local communication
- Creating QR codes at Able Sisters
- Downloading/scanning QR codes at Able Sisters
A list of badges and their requirements can be found here: https://nookipedia.com/wiki/Badge
Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer
With Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer came the Animal Crossing line of amiibo, along with the ability to design homes for villagers or facilities for, well, your own pleasure. While it did not offer a lot in terms of varied content, it was a nice way to pass the time for lots of people, me included.
While players of Happy Home Paradise cannot interact with each other simultaneously, they can view each other’s creations through the Happy Home Network, or HHN. The HHN allowed players to view and visit the home/facility designs of other players, as well as participate in design competitions that encouraged players to design spaces with a theme in mind. Players could vote for creations to increase their visibility.
For a brief time in 2015, Nintendo distributed special characters with unique furniture items via Spotpass. Players could accept these special design requests by interacting with the blue New Nintendo 3DS XL (say that five times fast) on the top floor of Nook’s Homes, and design a home with a special flair. The Super Mario, Monster Hunter, 7/11, and Nintendo game shop furniture sets were released in this manner, with players being able to incorporate these sets in future designs.
Other than that, Happy Home Paradise offered very little in terms of online connectivity. Unless you’re looking to share your creations with others and take inspiration from players who posted to the Happy Home Network, the shutdown won’t affect gameplay much.
Features that have already ceased to function:
- Purchasing the game via the Nintendo 3DS eShop, following its closure
- Posting screenshots to Miiverse
- Posting to social media with the Nintendo 3DS Image Share feature
- Participating in Happy Home Network competitions
- Receiving special design requests from the Nintendo 3DS XL on the top floor of Nook’s Homes
Features that will no longer function after April 2024:
- Searching for and viewing homes posted by others to the Happy Home Network
- Posting your own homes to the Happy Home Network
- Viewing the winners of the Happy Home Network Design Challenges
Features that will still function after April 2024:
- Re-downloading previously purchased titles and their updates (though this is subject to change)
- Designing homes and facilities
- Taking pictures of homes and facilities, even if they are no longer uploaded to the Happy Home Network
- Inviting clients via the amiibo phone
- Visiting (amiibo) clients
- Scanning and creating design QR codes
Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival
Everyone’s least favourite Animal Crossing game continues to stand in the shadow of its 3DS brethren, but for the four fans out there — no need to worry, this game will be unaffected by the online shutdown.
Despite rumours floating around to suggest otherwise before the game’s release, amiibo Festival never actually shipped with online functionality. Any connectivity is purely NFC-related, allowing for players to scan amiibo card and figures. Of course, the usual restrictions like Miiverse no longer work, but everything else will remain frozen in time.
Features that have already ceased to function:
- Purchasing the game from the Nintendo Wii U eShop, following its closure
- Posting to Miiverse
Features that will no longer function after April 2024:
None! Everyone’s favourite (ha!) Animal Crossing game will remain untouched.
Features that will continue to function after April 2024:
- Re-downloading previously purchased titles and their updates (though this is subject to change)
- Scanning amiibo cards and figures
- Reading and writing amiibo data
- Importing villager houses from amiibo cards onto which Happy Home Designer save data was written
So, what should I do?
Well, that depends. If you had a main New Leaf town, I’d suggest having a look at your badges. If completing games and earning achievements is something you care about, why not get together with friends, write some letters, and go on some island tours?
In your downtime, you can always visit the Dream Addresses of other players, or go nuts and view random dreams for a nice surprise. (Hey, if you’d like to visit my town, my Dream Address is 5D00-0071-11D9!) Visiting 500 Dream Towns is quite a task, but some online sources like Reddit feature threads where players shared their proudest achievements.
Happy Home Paradise has significantly less online content, and outside of sharing or viewing others’ designs, I don’t think you’ll be missing much. As for amiibo Festival… it’s just happy to be included in this article.
Nonetheless, it is entirely possible that passionate fans of retro consoles will work together to crete functional third-party online servers for the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, similar to what happened once the Nintendo DS and Wii online services shut down. However, the certainty and security of this cannot be guaranteed by anyone as it is community-driven, so if you choose to engage, do so at your own risk.
Finally, please re-download and update your games. We can’t be sure that eShop servers will be up forever, so if you’re running out of space, I recommend upgrading your SD cards and external hard drives, downloading everything, and making secure external/cloud backups.
Thank you for reading, and I wish you nothing but joy when revisiting your old Animal Crossing games. Be safe, and have fun!
Living Pixel 