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Latest 3DS update tightens the clamps on eShop regional switching

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Nintendo’s latest update to the Nintendo 3DS is a big old double edged sword. Granted it brings combined eShop balances and the excellent Miiverse community is now available.

However for Aussie and even European gamers who usually region jump their console on the eShop things are about to get a lot harder. Firstly, region switching up until today was possible on the Nintendo 3DS to an extent. Australian and European Nintendo 3DS, 3DS XL and 2DS consoles are essentially the same and we’re blessed that we can import games from Europe, use their store and vice versa. All that was needed was a simple option to be switched in the Settings on your console and away you went. Purchasing games earlier and cheaper from Europe, downloading games and demos we never got and more.

Today things get a little bit harder.

With the latest update to the 3DS this is no longer as easy. The latest 3DS update is mandatory to get back onto the eShop, so there’s no way around it.

Once you update your 3DS you’ll be given the option to link or create a Nintendo Network ID (NNID). If you have a Wii U already you can link your NNID from that (assuming its of the same region)  and share your balance with your 3DS. If you don’t have a Wii U you can create a NNID and start from there.

miiverse

The system will create a NNID based currently on what your system is set to. So if yours is set on Australia, you get an Australian NNID, Europeans get their local country etc.

Once that NNID is setup on that console there is no way currently to unlink it. You can perform a factory reset of course and we’d recommend it if you ever sell the console. But doing that just to switch NNID and stores is a bit extreme, you’ll lose all your Activity Log, Friends List and everything on your SD card effectively becomes useless.

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There are also now concerns for imported consoles. If you bought a Limited Edition Zelda 3DS XL from Europe recently and put in your AU NNID first, can you redeem the code for the game? What about if you already have code redeemed, lock it to a AU NNID can you redownload the game if your SD card is lost or corrupt?

miiverse2

What about if I own Shantae or the number of indie games that are available in Europe but not Australia, can I still redownload that if my eShop is now locked to Australia?

We in the media get sent download codes often from (mostly) independent developers, we won’t be able to download their review games anymore as their codes often only work on the European store.

Say you’re a Spaniard, your eShop offers your game in your local language. But perhaps the local dubs are rubbish and you prefer English? Well if you’re NNID gets created and you’ve selected the UK you’ll only be able to buy games in English from now on, same goes the other way around.

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So what can you do?

Well you’ll be forced into the update at some point if you ever want to able to access the eShop. Linking an NNID is completely optional, but you can’t download any demos or free applications (like Youtube, Netflix) without one now.

You can still buy and switch your regions as long as you never link a NNID to your system. You’ll miss out of Miiverse too without it.

The choice is yours.

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About The Author
Daniel Vuckovic
The Owner and Creator of this fair website. I also do news, reviews, programming, art and social media here. It is named after me after all. Please understand.
19 Comments
  • Ben
    December 10, 2013 at 2:47 pm

    Ok so to clarify, if I try and add an Australian Nintendo ID to my American 3DS it will just say “account not valid?” or something?

  • Waffles
    December 10, 2013 at 2:54 pm

    Some answers to those questions would be good – especially the shantae DSiware one. Someone take the hit.

  • Morpha
    December 10, 2013 at 3:01 pm

    Extremely disappointed. I will be calling Nintendo Aus and giving my feedback on this.

  • Daniel
    December 10, 2013 at 3:36 pm

    I’m asking the same questions, What will happen if I update, will i loose half the games I own? Can somebody confirm what happens with this?
    Also another thing of note the article dosen’t point out, DLC is region locked. So if you buy a game from Ozgameshop, you can’t buy any DLC for that game on the Australian Store.

  • luminalace
    December 10, 2013 at 4:28 pm

    I have Shantae plus a few other Europ eshop only games so I’m unsure if I lose these games if I link my Australian NNID. Anyone know what the deal is?

  • Matthew945
    December 10, 2013 at 4:29 pm

    I don’t recall actually buying something off the UK eShop, I tried once and my credit card didn’t work, so I updated and linked my accounts. Only problem is there’s so much traffic that I can’t load either eShop at the moment!

    My take on it is that if you bought something off another eShop, you still have the game, but I wouldn’t go deleting it, because you probably won’t ever be able to redownload it. Though perhaps Nintendo support might help you in that situation, as the game still appears in your account history.

  • denpol85
    December 10, 2013 at 5:14 pm

    I have an imported Zelda 3DS XL. Thinking twice about linking my NNID.

  • Ben
    December 10, 2013 at 7:27 pm

    Oh, I updated, nothing bad happened at all. Everything is still accessible, all my games and the eshop. The only thing that’s changed is I now can’t download free demos, but you can’t even log onto the shop unless you update so no big deal.

    I just won’t bother trying to add my Wii U ID because its from another region.

    Ben

  • Max
    December 11, 2013 at 7:20 am

    What happens if you try and tie an Australian 3DS to a UK NNID you created on the Wii U?

  • Narull
    December 11, 2013 at 7:41 am

    I called Nintendo Aus this morning and they told me any previous purchased from EU will be added to the NNID. So you won’t lose your games at least.

  • Nosgoroth
    December 11, 2013 at 6:04 pm

    Say you’re a Spaniard, your eShop offers your game in your local language. But perhaps the local dubs are rubbish and you prefer English? (…)

    This is me. A note: most downloaded games are Multi5, but some (like Layton 5) are not, and are SKU-locked, so not redownloadable in another language from another eShop unless you pay again for the different SKU.

  • Mindjive
    December 18, 2013 at 1:53 am

    I live in Sweden but have bought all my e-shop games in the Irish eshop because of no Nintendo Club/not all games available in swedish eshop. I would really like to know what happens if I make an Irish Nintendo Network ID(for future eshop purchaces etc) on my 3DS and after switch 3ds settings to Sweden(for Nintendo Video/Streetpass etc), like in the first screenshot. I understand I won’t be able to use the eshop and miiverse but I should be able to use for example Nintendo Video while country is set to Swedish right? And when I switch back to Ireland in settings, eshop and miiverse will work again without any problems? Just so it doesn’t delete your Nintendo Network ID or anything when you switch 3ds setting country?

  • Zoe
    July 2, 2014 at 2:00 pm

    I’m confused. So say if I want to buy an American 3ds on Amazon, and then have shipped to me in Australia, I won’t be able to use the e-shop? Because there’s no settings to tell it that I’m actually Australian? So basically if I do get an American 3ds shipped to me, the e-shop won’t work?

    • July 2, 2014 at 2:34 pm

      If you buy an American 3DS you cannot use your Australian NNID on it. You’ll have to create a American NNID (or have no demos) and once that’s created you’re locked into the American eShop. No switching to the Canadian one or similiar.

  • Zoe
    July 2, 2014 at 6:11 pm

    Ok, thankyou! 🙂 so basically if I get an American 3DS I just won’t be able to use anything that needs NNID

  • Jemo
    November 27, 2014 at 8:09 pm

    So a European 3ds game code WILL NOT work in an Australian 3ds, or will it?

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