Skip to main content

Get busy digging or get busy dying: Terraria coming to Nintendo Wii U, 3DS in 2016

Terraria 4
Image used with permission by copyright holder
After its initial release in 2011 for the PC, Terraria has made its way to quite a few platforms. The Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation Vita have all received ports of the game, as have iOS, Android, and Windows Phone devices.

Terraria isn’t done, either. Next up on its quest to conquer every known platform in existence are not one but two Nintendo platforms. 505 Games, which is in charge of of all of Terraria‘s console ports has announced that the game will be coming to the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U in early 2016, according to a post on the Terraria forums.

Unlike previous console ports, these new versions will make use of the systems’ touch controls for crafting and combat alike. While the 3DS only support four-player local multiplayer, the Wii U version of Terraria will feature both split-screen multiplayer for up to four players and online multiplayer for four-to-eight players.

2D_Terraria_3DS_USA small
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Wii U version of the game will likely be similar to existing console ports, but the 3DS is a different story. 505 Games representative Deanzor writes that “3DS is less powerful than even a basic smartphone, and the lower screen resolution presents a challenge. Of course the two screens are also a massive opportunity, and one we will exploit to the full.”

As for the advantages, “the dual-screen functionality will no doubt allow these versions to play much more like the PC version of the game than the current one for consoles.” Unfortunately for some gamers, the 3DS version of Terraria will not support download play for multiplayer, so each player will need their own copy of the game.

Those who have bought the New Nintendo 3DS XL will find a few more control options that take advantage of the analog nub, but according to Deanzor, the options are “nothing that would prevent cross play between the consoles. We want everyone to be able to play!”

505 Games has a “few more surprises in store for this coming Holiday season,” according to the blog post, but will “save those for another time.” The Wii U version won’t be shown off just yet, but those looking to get a peek at the 3DS version of Terraria will be able to do so by visiting the Nintendo booth at Gamescom.

Kris Wouk
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Kris Wouk is a tech writer, gadget reviewer, blogger, and whatever it's called when someone makes videos for the web. In his…
Nintendo’s eShop closures are a necessary, but messy move
A Nintendo Wii U gamepad flat on a table.

Nintendo last week announced its intentions to shut down the Wii U and 3DS eShops, the systems' digital storefronts, in March 2023. This decision was disappointing for hardcore fans who stuck with Nintendo during that rocky era and extremely worrying as many of the games available on the platforms won't be preserved.
More significant Wii U games and a handful of 3DS titles were ported to Switch, but many titles are still stuck on those systems and can’t be ported. Once the digital storefront shutdowns, digital-only titles will be gone forever, and physical copies of these titles will get more expensive and harder to experience. Fans and game preservationists have not been pleased by this decision, with the Video Game History Foundation giving the most candid response.
https://twitter.com/GameHistoryOrg/status/1494398068346654720
Following this announcement, Digital Trends spoke to an industry analyst and game preservationists to get a better idea of what exactly caused Nintendo to shut down these stores and to learn how it could do a better job at preserving its legacy.
Why is Nintendo shutting down the 3DS and Wii eShops?
Officially, Nintendo’s FAQ on the eShop closures says “this is part of the natural life cycle for any product line as it becomes less used by consumers over time." The answer doesn’t get into specifics and might confuse those still playing games on the system or fans of games only available on Wii U or 3DS. Omdia Principal Analyst Matthew Bailey explains Nintendo’s user base argument in more detail, highlighting the massive gap between the number of people playing the Switch as opposed to the Wii U.
“While Omdia expects the number of Switch consoles in active use to exceed 90 million on a global basis this year, the Wii U’s global active installed base will drop under one million in 2022,” he explains. “Even when you include the more enduring 3DS family of consoles into the equation, the Switch still comfortably accounts for over 90% of Nintendo’s total active console install base.”
If one is going off just the numbers, it’s sensible that Nintendo would want to focus on the majority of its players. Bailey admits that “Switch users are already reaping the benefits of Nintendo’s singular first-party development focus on one platform.” Still, one might argue that Nintendo should just let the eShops remain up even if it isn’t actively updating or maintaining them.

Unfortunately, Nintendo doesn’t see that as possible due to cost and security issues. Game Over Thrity, a Twitter user with over 20 years of experience working on IT projects and infrastructure, shed some light on what might have influenced Nintendo’s decision-making in a thread.
“As these systems age, they require patches, security, special contracts, updates, and personnel that know how they were built (and maintained),” his Twitter thread explains. “As time goes on, there are security holes, servers, code, infrastructure, etc., that can’t be brought up to modern standards. It becomes a constant struggle between maintaining legacy systems, paying people to do so, and trying to keep up with global regulations. It’s not cheap by any means. They can’t just ‘leave the lights on’ and stop supporting them. What if someone hacked the payment processor?”
With every passing year, the Wii U and 3DS eShops likely became more expensive to maintain and an increased security risk for the video game publisher. Instead of investing the time and resources into pleasing a smaller amount of players, the easier option is to turn everything off entirely. While he isn’t affiliated with Nintendo, Game Over Thirty’s assessment aligns with what we’ve heard from Nintendo and Omdia.
"The Wii U’s global active installed base will drop under one million in 2022."

Read more
Nintendo is ending Wii U and 3DS eShop service
Photos of the 3DS eShops

Nintendo has announced the end of its eShop service for the Wii U console and 3DS handheld. The eShop will stay live on those devices until late March 2023, after which players will no longer be able to purchase games or download eShop apps and services for those devices.

After the closure, players will still be able to redownload games and DLC that they already own, use online play, and download software updates.

Read more
Ubisoft confirms Assassin’s Creed remakes are in the works
Basim perched on a ledge overlooking Baghdad

In a company interview with CEO Yves Guillemot posted on the Ubisoft website Thursday, the executive reveals that there are remakes of Assassin's Creed games in the works, although he doesn't specify which ones.

"Players can be excited about some remakes, which will allow us to revisit some of the games we've created in the past and modernize them," he says, implying that it could pertain to games made before Odyssey. "There are worlds in some of our older Assassin's Creed games that are still extremely rich."

Read more