Last year, Nintendo announced that the Wii Shop Channel would be closing Thursday, January 31, 2019. It also announce that, starting on March 26, 2018, users will be unable to add points to their Wii Shop accounts, which effectively makes this weekend your last opportunity to add points to your account and purchase games.
It’s been a long time coming, but the Wii Shop will finally begin the first steps of closing its doors. While Nintendo has assured us that WiiWare and Virtual Console games that users have already purchased will still be available for a limited time, Wii owners should definitely look to transfer their games to a Wii-U as soon as possible to prevent any losses. Additionally, if there’s any games you’ve had your eye on in the closing channel, now is the time to buy. While most purchasable titles are available on both the Wii and Wii-U, there are a number of them that are exclusive to the Wii, making it your last chance to own them if you see any that strike your fancy.
The closing of the Wii Shop marks the end of the first digital store for Nintendo. While it will be replaced and outclassed by the Switch’s direct monetary transactions rather than a point system, it’s important to remember where we started. The Wii Shop may have been a somewhat rough around the edges system for purchasing games, but it paved the way for Nintendo to continue to improve their digital storefront systems in the years that came.
Goodbye, Wii Shop Channel. I’d light a candle for you in remembrance, but it’s illegal for me to do that in my dorm room.