Act Fast: Nintendo Fans Race to Save Disappearing Games

Nintendo plans to shut down the eShops for the 3DS and Wii U on March 27, cutting off players from a large library of games. While many of these games can be found in the second-hand market, some don't exist in physical form or are difficult to find. Nintendo stopped supporting credit card purchases on the eShop in May 2022, so players need to buy eShop gift cards to make purchases. The move has sparked a conversation about video game preservation. YouTuber TheCompletionist spent $22,791 to buy every single game across the 3DS and Wii U eShop libraries for preservation purposes.