Pretendo Is Keeping Wii U And 3DS Online Play Alive Following Shutdown
Earlier this week, we saw what was essentially the death of two beloved consoles, as Nintendo finally shut down the online services for both the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, leaving several games either obsolete or without online multiplayer. Games such as the first Splatoon, Mario Maker, Mario Kart, and plenty more were left practically unplayable, or were severely impacted by the shutdown, but it turns out there may be a glimmer of hope for those wanting to jump into a game.
Ever since the shutdown, a fan project called Pretendo, which aims to recreate the Nintendo Network responsible for Wii U and 3DS online play, has been gaining steam. The folks behind Pretendo have explained via the project's official website that it's been creating custom servers for various Nintendo titles that include online play, all with the aim of preserving online functionality.
It's worth noting that Pretendo is still very much a work-in-progress, but players have been flooding to the service in an attempt to keep playing 3DS and Wii U games online. While the majority of games aren't quite ready, that hasn't stopped people from jumping into Splatoon and Mario Kart to try and find games, successfully in some cases. You'll also find loads of people adding each other as friends on the network as it's the only part that is fully up and running as intended.
Unfortunately, gaining access to the Pretendo Network isn't as simple as downloading an app on your Wii U and firing it up. It is explained on the Pretendo Network that you will need to hack your devices to get it up and running, but Pretendo did recently announce with the official server shutdown that there is a way to connect by just performing a DNS change, letting you connect from a stock Wii U without homebrewing. Connecting with a 3DS is a lot more complex though, so the Wii U is your best bet.
That is absolutely massive for game preservation, and while there's the watchful eye on Nintendo's legal team always on the lookout to
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