How to Link Your Nintendo Account to Your 3DS & Wii U Before the eShops Close

Like all Nintendo fans, we’ve been saddened to hear the news of the discontinuation of the 3DS and Wii U eShops. This means preserving titles exclusive to the eShop will prove difficult, and those games may be lost to history.

However, you still have a chance to buy those games before they officially close in March 2023. Here’s how…

How to Link Your Nintendo Network ID to Your Nintendo Account

The most important step is to link your Nintendo Network ID (NNID), used with the 3DS and Wii U consoles, to your official Nintendo account to merge funds. As of the time of writing, you can no longer purchase games on either eShop using a credit or debit card. Instead, you must now purchase a Nintendo eShop Card and add it to your Nintendo account.

Here’s how to link your NNID to your Nintendo Account step-by-step.

1. Sign in to Your Nintendo Account. If you don’t have an online Nintendo account, you can sign up for one for free on My Nintendo.
2. Click User Info, scroll down to the Linked accounts section, and click Edit.
3. Click Nintendo Network ID and Follow the Steps. Note that the NNID date of birth and country settings (in your 3DS and Wii U profile) must match the date of birth in your Nintendo Account.
4. If you cannot remember your NNID or password, use the “Forgot your ID?” or “Forgot your password?” links.

How to Add Funds to Your Nintendo Account

You’re halfway there! Now, you can add funds to your Nintendo Account using a Nintendo eShop Card which can then be used to purchase games on your 3DS, Wii U, and Nintendo Switch.

1. Buy a Physical or Digital Nintendo eShop Card
2. In your Nintendo profile, click Shop Menu.
3. Now, click Add Funds. At the time of writing, you can add funds using a Nintendo eShop Card, credit or debit card, or PayPal.

Are you running out of room on your Wii U but still want to download as many eShop exclusive titles as possible? Check out how you can expand your Wii U memory.

What You Need to Know Before Buying eShop Games

Now that you’ve added funds to your Nintendo account, you can purchase games on the Wii U, 3DS, and Nintendo Switch eShops. Here are a few things to remember until the closing of the eShops. You can purchase games on the 3DS and Wii U eShops until March 27, 2023.

Nintendo states in its announcement that “even after March 27, 2023, and for the foreseeable future, it will still be possible to redownload games and DLC, receive software updates and enjoy online play on Wii U and the Nintendo 3DS family of systems.”

Nintendo also mentions that the discontinuation of the eShop will “simultaneously take effect in software on these platforms where it is possible to make purchases, such as StreetPass Mii Plaza, Theme Shop and Nintendo Badge Arcade.”

Looking to get the most out of your Wii U? Check out our article on how to play GameCube games on your Wii U.

Let’s Try to Stop eShop Exclusive Titles Being Lost to History

The closing of the eShops makes the community think a lot about game preservation and why it matters. There are plenty of games exclusive to the Wii U and 3DS eShops that aren’t available anywhere else from Nintendo. This only leaves 3DS and Wii U console owners to frantically buy all their favorites from being lost to history or to somehow find a way to use them on an emulator.

But the hardware is what makes these games feel so special, so even emulators won’t really help preserve these games. Nintendo needs to find a way to gather the community’s favorite eShop exclusives and make them available for the Nintendo Switch for players, both new and old, to enjoy.