Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection was an online multiplayer gaming service run by Nintendo that formerly provided free online play in compatible Nintendo DS and Wii games. The service included the company's Wii Shop Channel and DSi Shop game download services. It also ran features for the Wii and Nintendo DS systems.
Club Nintendo was a customer loyalty program formerly provided by Nintendo. The loyalty program was free to join and provided rewards in exchange for consumer feedback and loyalty to purchasing official Nintendo products. Members of Club Nintendo earned credits or "coins" by submitting codes found on Nintendo products and systems, which could be traded in for special edition items only available on Club Nintendo. Rewards included objects such as playing cards, tote bags, controllers, downloadable content, and warranty extensions on select Nintendo products.
The Wii Shop Channel is a discontinued digital distribution service for the Wii video game console. The service allowed users to purchase and play additional software for the Wii, including exclusive games, and games from prior generations of video games. The Wii Shop Channel launched on November 19, 2006, and ceased operations on January 30, 2019.
A Mii is a customizable avatar used on several Nintendo video game consoles and mobile apps. The name Mii is a portmanteau of "Wii" and "me", referring to them typically being avatars of the players. Miis were first introduced on the Wii console in 2006 and later appeared on the DS, 3DS, the Wii U, the Switch, and various apps for smart devices such as Miitomo. Miis can be created using different body, facial and clothing features, and can then be used as characters within games on the consoles, either as an avatar of a specific player or in some games portrayed as characters with their own personalities. Miis can be shared and transferred between consoles, either manually or automatically with other users over the internet and local wireless communications.
The Wii system software is a discontinued set of updatable firmware versions and a software frontend on the Wii home video game console. Updates, which could be downloaded over the Internet or read from a game disc, allowed Nintendo to add additional features and software, as well as to patch security vulnerabilities used by users to load homebrew software. When a new update became available, Nintendo sent a message to the Wii Message Board of Internet-connected systems notifying them of the available update.
The Nintendo DSi system software is a discontinued set of updatable firmware versions, and a software frontend on the Nintendo DSi video game console. Updates, which are downloaded via the system's Internet connection, allow Nintendo to add and remove features and software. All updates also include all changes from previous updates.
The Nintendo 3DS is a foldable handheld game console produced by Nintendo. Announced in March 2010 as the successor to the Nintendo DS, the console was released originally on February 26, 2011 and went through various revisions in its lifetime, produced until 2020. The system features backward compatibility with the Nintendo DS's library of video games. As an eighth-generation console, its primary competitor was Sony's PlayStation Vita.
The Nintendo 3DS system software is an updatable operating system used for the Nintendo 3DS handheld system. The Nintendo Switch system software is believed to have evolved from the Nintendo 3DS operating system.
The Nintendo eShop is a digital distribution service for the Nintendo Switch, and formerly available via the Nintendo Network for the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS. Launched in June 2011 on the Nintendo 3DS, the Nintendo eShop served as the successor to both the Wii Shop Channel and DSi Shop. It is also a multitasking application, which means it is easily accessible even when a game is already running in the background through the system software. The Nintendo eShop features downloadable games, demos, applications, streaming videos, consumer rating feedback, and other information on upcoming game releases. The service was discontinued globally for the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS in March 2023, continuing only on the Switch.
Swapnote, known as Nintendo Letter Box in PAL regions and Suddenly Exchange Diary in Japan, is a messaging application for the Nintendo 3DS. It was released in December 2011 on the Nintendo eShop. Swapnote was the successor to PictoChat for the Nintendo DS.
The Nintendo Network was an online service formerly ran by Nintendo that provided free online functionalities for the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U systems and their compatible games. Launched in 2012, it was Nintendo's second online service after Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection; the Nintendo Network was not a component of the Nintendo Switch, which only uses the subscription-based Nintendo Switch Online, although Nintendo Network IDs were able to be linked to the Switch via Nintendo Accounts.
The Wii U operating system, also known internally as Cafe OS, is the official firmware version and system software for the Nintendo's Wii U home video game console. Nintendo maintains the Wii U's systemwide features and applications by offering system software updates via the Internet. Updates are optional to each console owner, but may be required in order to retain interoperability with Nintendo's online services. Each update is cumulative, including all changes from previous updates.
Flipnote Studio 3D, known in Japan as Moving Notepad 3D and originally announced as the working title/codename, Flipnote Memo, is a 2D animation application developed by Nintendo EAD Tokyo and released in 2013 for the Nintendo 3DS as a successor to Flipnote Studio and Flipnote Hatena.
Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars is a 2015 puzzle-platform game developed by Nintendo Software Technology and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U. It is the sixth game in the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series and the 200th video game featuring Mario. The game was released worldwide in March 2015 on the Nintendo eShop for all regions, and received a physical release in Japan. This is the first Nintendo-published title to support a cross-purchase concept; if players buy one version, they receive a free download code for the other version. The 3DS version is also the first Nintendo 3DS title to support Miiverse stamps.
SpotPass and StreetPass were communication systems first introduced in the Nintendo 3DS; SpotPass was later incorporated into the Wii U game console. SpotPass delivered content from the Internet to the consoles, while StreetPass uses local Wi-Fi functionality to exchange data between 3DS systems.
Nintendo Account is a single sign-on user account system used for Nintendo services on various platforms. Introduced in February 2016, it is used as the account system for Nintendo-published mobile apps, as well as the Nintendo Switch console and other services such as My Nintendo.
Miitomo was a freemium social networking mobile app developed by Nintendo for iOS and Android devices. The app, Nintendo's first, allowed users to converse with friends by answering various questions, and featured Twitter and Facebook integration. The app was released in March 2016 for iOS and two months later for Android, launching alongside their My Nintendo service. Despite initially being a critical and commercial success, with over ten million downloads worldwide a month after release, its popularity dwindled soon after and it was ultimately discontinued on May 9, 2018.
Nintendo, a Japanese home and handheld video game console manufacturer and game developer, has traditionally focused on games that utilize unique elements of its consoles. However, in the early 2010s, the company saw several successive fiscal quarters where they were running at an operating loss. This financial turmoil prompted a shift in strategy to enter the mobile gaming market with the aid of mobile platform development partner DeNA, using mobile titles as a marketing tool to entice that audience into purchasing Nintendo's dedicated video game hardware.
Pokémon Bank is an application for the Nintendo 3DS which was downloadable from the Nintendo eShop before the discontinuation of the storefront's capabilities for the 3DS. Pokémon Bank allows players to store up to 3,000 Pokémon in an online cloud storage service. Players can deposit and withdraw Pokémon from both physical and downloaded versions of compatible games, allowing players to exchange Pokémon between them. An additional application called the Poké Transporter has connectivity with the software, allowing the transfer of Pokémon from Pokémon Black and White and its sequels to Pokémon X and Y and Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. After the release of Pokémon Sun and Moon, the software was updated to be compatible with it. Once a Pokémon had been deposited into these newer titles, it could not be transferred back to its original game.
