Before games and services typically become unavailable on Nintendo’s systems, the company sends out information regarding upcoming delistings of all products being affected by future plans. However, in a strange event on Sunday, 3DS users such as @comeoutpunching on Twitter noticed that some DSiWare titles on the 3DS eShop were being delisted across the digital storefront.
PSA to 3DS gamers and DS fans: all DSiWare games released before mid-May 2011 have been deactivated on the eShop, including the classic Shantae Risky’s Revenge! Luckily I got it on my DSi before that shop shut down. Grab from those still for sale while you can! Recs in thread.. pic.twitter.com/lVcawxTq8e
— 😎 Come Out Punching (@comeoutpunching) January 2, 2021
As can be seen in the thread above, the DSiWare downloadable classic Shantae: Risky’s Revenge is no longer available for purchase on the 3DS eShop. Users have also expressed their concerns for other notable titles that have disappeared such as Dr. Mario Express, Plants vs. Zombies, and Mr. Driller. According to Delisted Games, over 250 DSiWare titles have been pulled, also confirming that the majority of the removed titles were released before mid-May 2011. Oddly enough, some older titles managed to escape this awful fate – Art Academy: First Semester, Art Academy: Second Semester, Game & Watch: Donkey Kong Jr, Pinball Pulse: The Ancients Beckon, and Sudoku (Electronic Arts). Yet, despite their removal, the pulled games aren’t completely gone. If you’ve previously bought any of the affected titles, they’re available to be redownloaded.
While the delistings have affected the North American 3DS eShop, many of the titles in question are still available in other regions. As the 3DS turns ten years old next month and products are starting to vanish from store shelves as the system was previously discontinued, could some of the handheld’s oldest titles be coming to a close end? While this likely is only affecting games that are over a decade old ported from its predecessor system, we will keep you all updated on any information released by Nintendo and its third-party publishers whose games have been pulled from the 3DS eShop.
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Written by Marc Kaliroff
Ever since owning a cobalt blue Game Boy Advance, Nintendo is his preferred way of gaming. Marc is a journalist, creative writer, and video producer. While his focus may be on providing news, he spends his days preparing reviews for games of the present and past.
