The servers for Miiverse, Wii U, Nintendo 3DS, and the eShops were permanently shut down in 2024. Since then, you can still download games you’ve already purchased, but you can’t make any new purchases. Not even free software you hadn’t downloaded before. At first, this was frustrating for me, but then I discovered the homebrew community. And it’s absolutely fantastic.

What is Homebrew?

Before diving into my experiences, here’s a quick overview for anyone who hasn’t heard of it:

Homebrew refers to self-developed software that runs on gaming consoles it wasn’t originally designed for. This allows you to use additional features or, especially relevant in my case, use fan servers after Nintendo shut down the official ones.

Custom Firmware (CFW) is a modified version of a console’s system software. With CFW on the 3DS or Wii U, you can install homebrew apps and customize certain system functions.

Pretendo Network: The Successor to Nintendo Network

Pretendo Network is a community project that replaces the functions of the discontinued Nintendo Network. It’s open source, free, and maintained by an active community.

What works through Pretendo:

• Online multiplayer in games like Splatoon and Mario Kart 8
• Miiverse (not all game categories, but surprisingly active!)
• Friend lists and online interactions

The amazing thing: Matchmaking in Splatoon is sometimes even faster now than when the official servers were still online. Sure, level matching isn’t always perfect, but that was already the case towards the end of the Splatoon 1 era. There are actually active players and the community is alive!

Technical Requirements

There are two ways to use Pretendo:

1. Just change DNS settings: For some functions, it’s enough to change the DNS servers in your console settings. This already lets you use many online features.

2. Custom Firmware (CFW): For advanced features like NetPass, you need custom firmware. This requires a bit more technical understanding, but it’s quite doable with the available guides.

The Pretendo website has a roadmap showing which games and features are already supported. There’s also a forum where you can make requests.

NetPass: StreetPass Lives On

NetPass is a StreetPass relay over the internet. In case you don’t remember: StreetPass was a genius feature of the 3DS that let you automatically exchange data with other players when you physically encountered them, like on the train or at events.

NetPass brings this to the internet. Through integration with Pretendo, I can now “meet” my Pretendo friends via StreetPass. This means: I can now find StreetPass people even better than before by using custom firmware. Amazing!

Important: NetPass requires custom firmware because it needs to be patched into the system. Just changing DNS settings isn’t enough here.

Swapnote: Letters via StreetPass

Another cool feature is Swapnote (not to be confused with Swapdoodle!). This was a tool on the 3DS that let you send handwritten messages via StreetPass and SpotPass.

Here’s the important distinction:

• Swapnote = older tool, worked via StreetPass and SpotPass
• Swapdoodle = newer version, removed StreetPass functionality and only uses SpotPass

Since the SpotPass servers were shut down and there’s no replacement service, Swapdoodle unfortunately no longer works. But Swapnote can be used again via NetPass and StreetPass!

This means: With custom firmware and NetPass, I can now send letters to friends again. If you want to contact me via Swapnote, email me first, then we can add each other.

Why the Homebrew Community Matters

What fascinates me most: I really only see this phenomenon with Nintendo. And ironically, Nintendo is also the publisher that goes after such projects most aggressively. Yet fan servers, StreetPass integration, and active communities still exist.

The Nintendo homebrew community is fantastic. It’s actually more fun now than it was towards the end of the official server era. Splatoon 1 and the old Mario Kart games feel almost better on the old consoles than what modern Nintendo offers.

My Personal Frustration with Modern Nintendo

I need to digress a bit here because this topic really bothers me.

The Switch Feels Soulless

When the Switch came out, there were no pre-installed games or apps. This stands in stark contrast to the 3DS and Wii U:

3DS and Wii U had:

• AR cards with games like Face Raiders
• Music app
• Internet browser
• Miiverse pre-installed
• Lots of pre-installed software to discover

The entire concept of the older consoles was that they were full of gimmicks. The 3DS had 3D and built everything around it.

The Switch, however:

• No tech demo
• No pre-installed apps
• You had to buy a game to see anything at all
• The Switch 2’s tech demo costs money

These little extras were important to me. They gave the consoles personality. The Switch, by contrast, feels like a pure utility device: efficient, but without soul.

Nintendo Online: Paying a Lot, Getting Little

I find it problematic that Nintendo charges money for online services even though much of it runs on peer-to-peer. This is especially annoying with:

• Shooters like Splatoon, where peer-to-peer leads to noticeable lag
• Super Smash Bros., whose online mode was notoriously awful at the beginning

As a reminder: Peer-to-peer means no dedicated servers are used. Instead, data is transmitted directly between players, which can lead to connection problems, especially when one player has a weak internet connection.

I understand that servers cost money. But with a paid service that mainly uses peer-to-peer and shuts down its shop every few years? That doesn’t feel fair.

The Remake Machine

I also wonder how many times Nintendo wants to keep rereleasing the same game. Some games are already at remakes of remakes. And the timing is often questionable, like all those remakes at the end of the 3DS lifespan, right at the console transition. That doesn’t make sense to me.

The Switch era is particularly notable here: There was no new Mario Kart in the entire generation, only Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, a polished up Wii U game. Zelda: Breath of the Wild was a cross-generation title that also released on Wii U, though we did get Tears of the Kingdom as a true exclusive. Still, many franchises that normally get a new entry every generation completely skipped the Switch.

Games like Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom are objectively fantastic. But overall, this generation didn’t feel as breathtaking as you’d expect given the sales numbers. The Switch sold extremely well, but I feel like many people put it aside faster than the Wii U, even though the Wii U mainly failed due to marketing. The console itself was quite charming.

Risks and Fairness

I don’t want to hide this: Nintendo officially warns that using “unauthorized online services” can pose security risks. Everyone should weigh this for themselves.

There’s also the risk of Nintendo’s huge legal team finding any legal loophole or just suing and hoping for luck and fear. They have the money for it after all.

However: The Pretendo community is large, active, and the project is open source. I doubt it will end anytime soon. But yes, it’s a fan project, not official support.

Conclusion: Rediscovering Old Consoles

If you have a 3DS or Wii U gathering dust in a drawer, now might be a good time to take it out. The homebrew community has kept these consoles alive and in some ways even improved them.

For me, discovering Pretendo and NetPass was a real surprise. It reminded me why I originally loved these consoles so much. And it shows what a dedicated community can achieve when the original provider gives up.

If you have questions about homebrew, Pretendo, or NetPass, feel free to email me. And if you want to exchange messages with me via Swapnote: email me first, then we can add each other!

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Useful Links:

• Pretendo Network: The official project website
• 3DS Homebrew Guide: Guide for custom firmware on the 3DS
• Wii U Homebrew Guide: Guide for custom firmware on the Wii U

Note: Homebrew and custom firmware can carry risks. Do your research thoroughly before modifying your console.