Nintendo has officially ended the Nintendo Network, a network launched in 2012 that allowed Nintendo 3DS and Wii U owners to enjoy online modes in select games. On April 9, 2024, after support ended, games on these platforms lost access to multiplayer. However, a dedicated player under the nickname Fishguy6564 did not accept this and managed to maintain connection with the server more than 200 days after the official shutdown.
Fishguy6564 used an unofficial patch for Mario Kart 7 that prevented the game lobby from closing automatically. To simulate activity in the lobby, he used bots that continuously competed with each other in races, simulating the real presence of players. This unusual trick allowed him to stay online for a long time, despite the service being shut down. In an interview with the foreign portal GamesRadar, the user shared that initially he did not believe in the success of the idea and simply decided to check how long his connection would last. However, in the end, his Nintendo 3DS could not withstand such a long load and froze, thereby ending the experiment.
It’s worth noting that Fishguy6564 wasn’t the only one who continued to be online after Nintendo’s service was shut down. Another player, Lcd101, also remained online in Splatoon on Wii U, running through an emulator on the Steam Deck.
