The Curse That is March 31st for Nintendo Fans

March 31st. What a wretched day. For some of us, this day was marked on our calendars to remind us that Super Mario Bros 35 will shut down. For others, it marked the last day they could purchase Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light on the Switch eShop. And finally, for most, it is the day Nintendo decided to stop selling Super Mario 3D All-Stars for whatever ridiculous reason.

Super Mario Bros 35 is a really sad one to see leave, because this game is a lot of fun. Nintendo continued from the Tetris 99 idea to provide a genuinely unique and entertaining entry in the Super Mario Bros lineup. Fans absolutely love it, and it still has a strong and loyal audience, despite its inevitable death on March 31st.

Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light was an absolute surprise when it hit the eShop on December 4th, 2020, but then we were all sucker-punched by the decision to pull it off of the eShop on the wretched day of March 31st, 2021. Why? It is the first time in history that the original Fire Emblem game came to the west, and it has been a joy for fans of the series to go back and visit. This may not be lauded as a great game, but that is not the point. The option should be there, and Nintendo should obviously want more money. Why not just keep it on the eShop?

And finally, we have Super Mario 3D All-Stars. This one sadly makes the most sense, but it is still an incredibly stupid decision. Announced during the Super Mario Bros 35th Anniversary Direct, Nintendo simultaneously lifted the hearts of fans by announcing the upcoming release of Super Mario 3D All-Stars but then crushed those very same hearts when they confirmed that the game will only be available for purchase until… ugh… March 31st, 2021.

It is truly baffling that this day was chosen by Nintendo to be a day of closure, because all three of these games are special and add so much more value to the Nintendo Switch system. Putting a limitation on their sales does not do a whole lot for either the customer or Nintendo themselves, so why bother?

Instead of policing these three games, Nintendo should just come out on April 1st, 2021 and claim, “APRIL FOOLS!” as they announce that all three games will continue to be sold with no end date. That would be lovely.

But as it stands now, Super Mario Bros 35, Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light, and Super Mario 3D All-Stars will all cease to exist after March 31st, 2021, so if you want to your last few rounds in on Super Mario Bros 35, get on it! As for the other two, they are still available for purchase, so please make sure you buy them while you can because once April 1st hits, they will all be gone.

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Thank you for stopping by Nintendo Link for all of your Nintendo news and sad updates. What do you think about this wretched decision to take these games away from the public? Let us know in the comments below! Happy gaming (while you can), everyone!