Earlier this week, a number of DSiware titles were removed from the Nintendo eShop, including games such as Shantae: Risky’s Revenge and Mighty Flip Champs. However, it seems that the majority of the missing games have now returned to the digital store window. According to Delisted Games, more than 250 games in total have been removed, and now only five of them should return: 5 in 1 Solitaire, Delwer Dan & Kaboom, Face Pilot: Fly with your Nintendo DSi Camera!, Agree!, en Word Search 3. The returning games have been re-added in groups, so it’s possible that these last missing titles may eventually return as well.
The news should be a relief for fans of DSi software, as well as those interested in retaining video games. While digital markets like the eShop offer developers and publishers a cheaper alternative to physical releases, it can also mean that the game can be lost if removed from the platform; a number of gamers for this reason also prefer physical releases of video games. Before Shantae: Risky’s RevengeReturning to the eShop, Limited Run Games shared the news of the game’s removal on Twitter, suggesting that the publisher has made the game available on Switch and PS4 in the past.
For the longest time, Scott Pilgrim vs The World: The Game stands as a warning story about the preservation of video games. The game was removed from digital store windows in 2014, and many fans were worried that it would be lost as a result. Fortunately, the game returns to its current consoles on January 14, and a physical release is on its way from Limited Run Games.
It seems unlikely that publishers like Limited Run Games will offer similar physical versions of the DSiware games that are back now, so fans who want to buy these titles will have to do so digitally. As the 3DS line is no longer in production, Nintendo’s focus will remain solely on the Switch platform, and it is likely that these games will be able to be delisted again in the future. Fortunately, fans now have a second chance to check out these games before they happen.
Do you still play games on the 3DS or DSi? Are you glad that these games have been added to the eShop again? Let us know in the comments or share it directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to play all games!