Nintendo Switch, Wii U, and 3DS systems undergo server maintenance this week

By Danny Cowan Published April 4, 2017

nintendo swith nes emulator secret switch 0015 640x0 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Are you having trouble logging into Nintendo’s online services this week? You’re not alone. Nintendo announced that Switch, Wii U, and 3DS online services will see a series of planned outages this week as the company prepares for an extended server maintenance session.

Nintendo warns that “certain network services” for its consoles and portable platforms will be unavailable as server maintenance begins Tuesday evening and additional outages are expected throughout the coming week.

Nintendo is working to improve its online services following the recent launch of its Switch console, which will host several online multiplayer games in the coming year. This week’s server maintenance period arrives in the wake of a recent server stress test for Splatoon 2, a territory-capturing multiplayer game with a significant online component.

Other online-capable games heading to the Switch in the months ahead include Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, a kart racing game that features a variety of multiplayer modes, and Ultra Street Fighter II, a head-to-head fighting game that requires consistent online performance for lag-free matches.

Nintendo notes that online play and rankings for specific Switch games will be unavailable starting tonight at 9 p.m. (PT) and services will be restored at 10:30 p.m. Nintendo Wii U owners will also see an online services blackout this evening between 5:50 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Online play across all Nintendo platforms, including the Switch, will also be unavailable on Wednesday between 6:45 p.m. and 8 p.m. This week’s final cross-platform server maintenance period for Nintendo platforms will begin on Thursday at 9 p.m. and will conclude on Friday at 2 a.m.

Nintendo has not issued any word regarding any planned server improvements or upgrades, but players can expect to resume regular online gameplay this weekend.

Topics

Contributor

Danny’s passion for video games was ignited upon his first encounter with Nintendo’s Duck Hunt, and years later, he still…

Gaming

Goldeneye 007 comes to Game Pass and Nintendo Switch later this week

goldeneye 007 switch xbox release date january 27

Rare, Nintendo, and Xbox Game Studios confirmed that their remaster of classic Nintendo 64 FPS Goldeneye 007 will launch on January 27 across Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
GoldenEye 007 – Xbox Game Pass Date Reveal Trailer
For most, this long-awaited enhanced re-release will be locked behind a subscription service. On Nintendo Switch, the only way to play Goldeneye 007 is with a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pass subscription, which grants players access to a variety of Nintendo 64, Sega Genesis, NES, and SNES games alongside the DLC to some first-party Nintendo titles. That said, Microsoft has confirmed that the Nintendo Switch version of Goldeneye 007 will be the only one to feature online multiplayer, although it'll still be displayed in split-screen.
Meanwhile, the Xbox versions of Goldeneye 007 don't have online multiplayer but benefit from the addition of achievements and an upgraded 16:9 4K resolution. To play the game on Xbox, you'll need to either have an Xbox Game Pass subscription or own the gaming compilation Rare Replay that was released in 2015. Still, fans are probably happy that they'll just be able to experience this classic on a modern controller.
While it has aged quite a bit, Goldeneye 007 is a highly influential FPS game that also became an iconic Nintendo 64 release thanks to its fun multiplayer. Unfortunately, the license it's attached to likely prevented the game from getting a proper re-release until now. It was one of the best announcements in September's Nintendo Direct, and its launch will also technically mark the first Xbox first-party game released in 2022.
Goldeneye 007 releases for Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X on January 27.

Gaming

The Nintendo 3DS’ best (and weirdest) cult hit is coming to Apple Arcade

Horses race in Pocket Card Jockey.

Apple Arcade is kicking off 2023 by adding three new titles in January. Most notable among them is Pocket Card Jockey: Ride On!, a mobile port of one of the Nintendo 3DS cult hits set to launch on January 20.

The original Pocket Card Jockey, released in 2013 in Japan and 2016 in North America, is one of the 3DS' oddest titles. Developed by Pokémon studio Game Freak, it's a horse-racing RPG that revolves around solitaire. Players raise and breed horses and then race them by playing fast-paced rounds of solitaire. It's an extremely bizarre concept, but an incredibly fun one that made it one of the handheld's most charming hidden gems.

Gaming

Splatoon 3 players: You need to download the Nintendo Switch Online app

The new Nintendo Switch OLED Splatoon 3 model.

Splatoon 3 just wrapped up its launch weekend, with players flooding into Inkopolis to live the life of a kid-squid. If you're one of those players, there's a handy companion you're going to want to bring along to the Turf War: the Nintendo Switch Online app.

Nintendo's historically under-supported mobile app is primarily used as a tool for players who want to use voice chat in games like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. For Splatoon 3, however, it has several other purposes -- some of which allow players to earn exclusive gear not found in the game itself.