Earlier in the week, several DSiware titles were removed from Nintendo’s online store, including games such as Shantae: Risky’s revenge i Mighty Flip Champs. It seems, however, that most of the missing games are now back in the digital storefront. According to Delisted Games, more than 250 games were removed in total, and now only five of these have not yet returned: 5 in 1 Solitary, Digger Dan & Kaboom, Face Pilot: Fly with your Nintendo DSi camera., Pair!, i Word finder 3. Returning games were re-added in batches, so it is possible that these last missing titles could also be returned.
The news should be a relief for lovers of DSi software, as well as for those interested in preserving video games. While digital markets like the eShop have provided developers and publishers with a cheaper alternative to physical versions, it can also mean that the game is lost over time once removed from the platform; for this reason, several players prefer physical versions of video games. Before Shantae: Risky’s revengeThe return to the eShop, Limited Run Games, shared news about the game’s removal on Twitter, highlighting the fact that the publisher has made the game available on Switch and PS4, in the past.
For longer Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World: The Game was posed as a cautionary tale about the preservation of video games. The game withdrew from the digital showcases in 2014 and many fans worried it would end up getting lost over time. Fortunately, the game will return to current generation consoles on January 14, and a physical version of Limited Run Games is available.
It seems unlikely that publishers like Limited Run Games will offer similar physical versions of any of the DSiware games that have returned, so fans who want to purchase these titles will have to do so digitally. Since the 3DS line is no longer in production, Nintendo’s focus remains solely on the Switch platform and these games are likely to end up being removed from the list in the future. Fortunately, fans now have a second chance to check out these games before that happens.
Are you still playing 3DS or DSi? Are you happy that these games will be added back to the eShop? Let us know in the comments or share them directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk about all the games!