GamesJust before Nintendo shut down the 3DS and Wii U servers, fans rallied together and gathered 23,000 data dumps to preserve DLC that was nearly lost foreverWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesJust before Nintendo shut down the 3DS and Wii U servers, fans rallied together and gathered 23,000 data dumps to preserve DLC that was nearly lost foreverWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
In a big win for video game preservation, a project meant to archive Wii U and 3DS data - including DLC - before Nintendo’s server shutdown resulted in a “massive success.”
On Monday,Nintendo shut down the Wii U and 3DS servers for good, which sucks. But what makes it suck less is that the SpotPass Archival Project has saved a ton of data and content from being lost forever. Over the last several days, various members of the the 3DS and Wii U Homebrew modding community rallied the troops across various online forums in a desperate, last-minute attempt to preserve system data sent to 3DS and Wii U consoles straight from Nintendo via the company’s now-defunct Spot Pass program.
Essentially, Spot Pass was just a very Nintendo-esque term for an always-online system that delivered notifications and game updates to 3DS and Wii U consoles without requiring anything from the user. In many cases, the updates took the form of free DLC that could’ve easily been installed without the user ever noticing, which made it imperative for the preservationists at SpotPass Archival Project to convince as many 3DS and Wii U owners to dump their data into the archive. And miraculously, the effort resulted in 15,579 3DS dumps and 7,553 Wii U dumps, undoubtedly saving a ton of game content from being permanently deleted.
The good folks at SpotPass Archival Project say there are plans in the works to publish a completed archive of all of the Nintendo data they managed to collect before the shutdown. The when and where “will be available regarding that when we have more information to share.”
“Thanks to our [sic] help, various network revival services will continue to distribute SpotPass content for many titles, ensuring that features in these titles can be used long after Nintendo has pulled the plug,” reads an update on the project’sofficial website.
Furthermore, the archivists say they’re working on ways “to archive old SpotPass data for a few specific games such as the StreetPass Mii Plaza” and promise more information on that front “soon.”
With an enemy as unbeatable as time, video game preservation - or any type of preservation - will always be an uphill battle, but it’s wins like this one, which not only act as records of history but also produce tangible rewards in the form of playable content, that make it all worth it.
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In other news,the impossible Super Mario Maker level has was cleared just days before Nintendo killed the 3DS and Wii U servers.
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1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1
Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
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Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
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3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
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Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
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1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
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2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
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3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
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4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams’ disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams’ disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
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Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
1
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2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
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Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
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3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
3
Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
4
Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5
Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”