Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection

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Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection is Nintendo's free online gaming service for the Nintendo DS and Wii consoles. Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection (typically abbreviated "WFC" or "NWC") allows users to take advantage of titles that support the service via a wireless router or the Nintendo USB Connector. This service also allows one to link his or her Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection records to his or her My Nintendo account, and track your scores on Nintendo's official Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection website (see "External Links").

Friend Codes

On the Nintendo DS, each game cart generates a "friend code" which can be exchanged with other owners of the same game in order to engage in online play with that person. Some titles that utilize Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection support random match-ups, but a few titles only allow online play between users who have swapped and registered their respective "friend codes."

On the Wii, "friend codes" are apparently only used for online play and information exchange when Nintendo DS-Wii Connectivity is involved. Otherwise, each Wii console utilizes its own, built-in Wii Number. Those who have exchanged Wii Numbers are allowed to play against each other in any title that does not utilize the aforementioned "friend code" system.

Currently Available Games That Support Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection

North America

Nintendo DS

• Mario Kart DS
• Tony Hawk's American Sk8land
• Animal Crossing: Wild World
• Metroid Prime: Hunters
• Tetris DS
• Tenchu: Dark Secret
• LostMagic
• StarFox Command
• Mario Vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis
• Clubhouse Games
• Open Season
• Final Fantasy III
• Pokemon Diamond and Pearl
• Theme Park DS
• Diddy Kong Racing DS
• The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
• Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games
• Call of Duty: World at War

Wii

• Pokémon Battle Revolution
• Super Smash Bros. Brawl
• Super Mario Strikers: Charged
• Battalion Wars 2: BWii
• Elebits - Uses WiiConnect24 service.
• Mario Kart Wii
• Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games
• Exctiebots:Trick Raceing
• Animal Crossing: City Folk
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Reflex Edition

Japan

Nintendo DS

• Mario Kart DS
• Tony Hawk's American Sk8land
• Animal Crossing: Wild World
• Metroid Prime: Hunters
• Tetris DS
• Tenchu: Dark Secret
• LostMagic
• StarFox Command
• Mario Vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis
• Clubhouse Games
• Pokémon Diamond and Pearl
• Phantasy Star Zero

Europe

Nintendo DS

• Mario Kart DS
• Tony Hawk's American Sk8land
• Animal Crossing: Wild World
• Metroid Prime: Hunters
• Tetris DS
• Tenchu: Dark Secret
• LostMagic
• StarFox Command
• Mario Vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis
• Clubhouse Games
• Pokémon Diamond and Pearl

Wii

• Elebits - Uses WiiConnect24 service.
• Pokémon Battle Revolution
• Super Mario Strikers: Charged
• Battalion Wars 2: BWii
• Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Trivia

In little over two months after the launching of the service, Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection racked in three million connections through 500,000 unique users.

At the release of Wi-Fi, over one million people logged on to play.

On the first two Wi-Fi games ever (Mario Kart DS & Tony Hawk American Sk8teland) the Wi-fi logo was printed on the left bottom corner on the game box rater than the top left corner which it has been printed on all the other Wi-Fi games since.

Criticism

The "friend code" system has been the source of numerous complaints throughout the gaming community for destroying the potential for an online Nintendo community due to its restrictiveness.

Related Articles

• I-Filter
• Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection Games
• Nintendo Wi-Fi USB Connector
• Nintendo DS Browser
• Virtual Console
• WiiConnect24

External Links

• Official Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection Website