Wii Shop Channel Will Close in 2019, Long Live the Wii Shop Channel

If you need a reminder that you’re starting to get old, remember that Nintendo’s Wii released almost 11 years ago, in 2006. Probably one of the first things we did after starting that little white box up was open the Wii Shop Channel to see their selection of digital offerings. The chirpy, muzak-like elevator music that played in the background has likely stuck to your mind—but the song will end soon, as Nintendo announced plans to close the Wii Shop Channel in January of 2019.

Nintendo of Japan announced on their website that beginning March 27, 2018, users will no longer be able to add the now-outdated Wii Points used for purchase to their accounts. Finally, the service will officially end on Jan. 31, 2019. It’s a bit surprising that the service has lasted this long in the first place, with the Wii U and now the Nintendo Switch coming after it. The website also mentions that if you, for some reason, still have Wii Points cards, the company will refund them. WiiWare and Virtual Console titles will still be redownloadable, and transferrable to the Wii U, but only for an unspecified limited time.

Nintendo has always had a spotty record with their online functionality (even still), but it’s hard for early Wii owners to not feel nostalgia for even the most mundane things. Menu music has always been a weird strength of Nintendo, which is why the complete silence of the Nintendo Switch menus and eShop is a massive disappointment for a select few.

Through a subpar Google translation, we see that Nintendo adds the message: “We are very sorry for everyone who has used ‘Wii Shopping Channel,’ but please be appreciated.”

We do feel appreciated, Nintendo. And we sure as hell appreciate this music. If you ever feel like going down this particular rabbit hole, “wii shop channel music remix” is a fun YouTube search.