Starting today, March 26, users will no longer be able to purchase or add points to the Wii Shop Channel. Players will still be able to redeem their points until January 30, 2019. Those that have not used their points still have time to redeem them until the previously mentioned day in January. Thus marking this future date as the official end to the Wii Shop Channel.
The Wii Shop Channel hosted many exclusive WiiWare titles that have yet to see ports on other systems. Konami released a three “Rebirth” games which were new iterations of popular franchises Castlevania, Gradius, and Contra. Hudson released Bomberman Blast and Adventure Island: The Beginning. Square Enix even released Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King exclusively on the system.
Nintendo’s Virtual Console also made its debut on the system. Many games ranging from obscure to smash-hits were able to find a new home on the Nintendo Wii. The Virtual Console appeared to be revolutionary because other gaming companies like Sega, Neo Geo and TurboGrafx released games here, as well as Nintendo.
This has also brought into question the preservation of these games. There is currently no other way for the channel’s exclusive games to be played. It remains to be seen whether these releases will be ported over later to the Nintendo Switch or to other systems.