If you have any Pokémon up for trade on the GTS, you may want to keep track of time, because by May 20, they’ll all be gone, as will all other Nintendo DS or Wii online gaming services.
On May 20, Nintendo will terminate the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, the service for Wii and Nintendo DS that allows users to play games online. This means that games such as Pokémon White Version 2, Metroid Prime: Hunters, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Animal Crossing: Wild World, and Mario Kart DS will no longer be playable over the Internet. While services related to games have been cancelled, Nintendo has confirmed that the following services will remain functional after the shutdown:
- Wii Shop Channel
- Nintendo DSi Shop
- YouTube for Wii
- Internet Browser for Wii
- Nintendo DS Browser
- Nintendo DSi Browser
- Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection Pay & Play
Releases for Wii U and Nintendo 3DS, which utilize Nintendo Network rather than the Wi-Fi Connection, will be unaffected by the termination. It is currently unknown if Wii games utilizing Pay & Play, such as Rock Band 2 and Samba de Amigo, will still allow online play, or if the only functional network features will be relating to purchasing and downloading content. Update: Nintendo has released a full list of titles that will be affected by the shutdown. Games utilizing Pay & Play will not allow for online play; however, paid downloadable content will still be available for purchase.
Sources: Nintendo of America, Nintendo of Australia, Nintendo of Japan
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I believe there were issues with GameSpy’s online service since they were sold, and since they ran Nintendo’s WiFi service, that’s why it’s shutting down. I don’t really think it’s a case of Nintendo being “the new EA” or anything, but it’s still really disappointing to see it shut down – especially since B/W 2 are just a year and a half old. Plus there won’t be another Smash before at least the end of 2014, so competitive players and Project M players will be up the creek without a paddle.
If you have any DS Professor Layton games, make sure you download all the daily puzzle to your cartridge by then!!
Bye bye WFC I had fun playing Mario Kart DS when it first came out.