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Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection
Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection (typically abbreviated "WFC", "NWFC", or "NWC") was a free online gaming service for the Nintendo DS, Wii, DSi, and 3DS consoles made by Nintendo. It allowed users to take advantage of titles that support the service via a wireless router or the Nintendo USB Connector. This service also allowed players to link their Wi-Fi Connection records to their My Nintendo accounts, and track their scores on Nintendo's official Wi-Fi Connection website.
The service was sadly terminated on May 20, 2014 at 10:30 P.M. EST.[1] The termination did not affect WiiConnect24, the Wii Shop Channel, or the Nintendo DSi Shop; those services were also terminated at different times.
Friend codes
On the Nintendo DS, each game card generated a 'friend code' which could be exchanged with other owners of the same game in order to engage in online play with them. Some titles using the Wi-Fi Connection supported random match-ups, while a few titles only allowed online play between users who have swapped and registered their respective friend codes.
On the Wii, friend codes were only used for online play and information exchange when Nintendo DS-Wii Connectivity was involved. Otherwise, each Wii console utilized its own, built-in Wii Number. Those who exchanged Wii Numbers were allowed to play against each other in any title that did not utilize the aforementioned "friend code" system.
The Nintendo 3DS had one universal friend code for the system as opposed to unique codes for each video game.
An internal presentation leaked in May 2020 revealed that Nintendo used 12 digit Friend Codes instead of screen names because of potential issues with multiple people having the same screen name and the possibility of guessing someone's screen name by using variations of their actual name.[2]
Trivia
- In little over two months after the launching of the service, the Wi-Fi Connection racked in three million connections through 500,000 unique users. Over a million gamers logged in to play at its release.
- On the first two Wi-Fi games ever (Mario Kart DS and Tony Hawk's American Sk8land) the Wi-Fi logo was printed on the left bottom corner on the game box rather than the top left corner which it has been printed on all the other Wi-Fi games since.
- Some Nintendo DS games feature a secret button. To access this button, players must load a Wi-Fi configuration and tap the left top corner with the stylus. A secret button will blink for a second and a secret screen shows up.