Nintendo's closure of 3DS and Wii U eShops will wipe off 75% of Pokemon titles

75% of the Pokemon back catalogue will be unavailable commercially once Nintendo closes the 3DS an Wii U eShops

Nintendo has announced the closure of the 3DS and Wii U eShops, leading to a massive blow for Pokemon fans. According to Phil Salvador of Video Game History Foundation, who tweeted a graph depicting the percentage of Pokemon games that will remain available for purchase from Nintendo, only 25% of Pokemon titles will still be available after March 27.

75% of all Pokemon titles will disappear commercially when Nintendo closes the 3DS and Wii U eShops

The remaining 26% of Pokemon games are all playable on the Nintendo Switch, including Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, Pokemon Legends: Arceus, Pokemon Sword and Shield, and more. However, Phil Salvador's graph also revealed that classic titles like Pokemon Red and Blue, Pokemon Yellow, Pokemon Gold and Silver, Pokemon X and Y, Pokemon Sun and Moon, Detective Pikachu, and many other titles will become unavailable for commercial purchase.

This news is a huge disappointment for long-time Pokemon fans, who will no longer be able to play some of their favorite games in the series. While there is hope that Nintendo will bring more Pokemon games to the Nintendo Switch via Nintendo Switch Online, there is currently no DS, 3DS, or Wii virtual console available, so it may take some time before we can revisit the classic Pokemon games.