Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection
Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, orWFC, was a service fromNintendo that allowed NintendoWii andNintendo DS games and applications to connect to the Internet. While Nintendo previously experimented with online capabilities like the Super Famicom Satellaview service and theGameCube broadband adapter, Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection was the first service to be baked into the console firmware at launch. The service allowed compatible software to connect to the internet for various gameplay purposes, as well as allowed users to download software through the internet through theWii Shop Channel.
There were some limitations to the service. Nintendo strived to keep every player anonymous while playing online, which resulted in each user receiving a generic 16-digit Wii Number and a 12-digit Friend Code personalized to each game. Players wanting to play together would need to share these codes with each other for being added to a friend list and to play games together. This was a cumbersome process that may have effectively kept user data private, but eventually deterred some players from playing online entirely. The service also had no way to access local software after it was downloaded, meaning the data could not be patched. This sometimes caused major issues whenever game breaking bugs and glitches were discovered, often requiring physical products to be recalled, or making dedicated updates players had to download, such asThe Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword Save Data Update Channel.
Nintendo had elected not to move forward with the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection for the upcomingWii U and3DS, instead transitioning to theNintendo Network service, which had similar functionality with the added benefits of a streamlined account system and the ability to send update patches. Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection continued to act as a legacy connection for the Wii and DS consoles, and both the Wii U and 3DS retained compatibility with the service through Wii and DS titles. With the shutdown of the network providerGameSpy, the service went permanently offline on May 20th, 2014. However, thanks tohacks, particularly Wiimmfi, players can continue playing compatible games via private servers, and the emulatorDolphin also supports online play forBrawl, along with other benefits.
InSuper Smash Bros. Brawl[edit]
The Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection allowed players to play against each other online for the first time in the series. A primary point of interest was that it allowed players to either play with anyone in the world or with registered friends. The former,With Anyone, allowed players to either take part in standard free-for-all battles viaBasic Brawl, or to play as a part of a team inTeam Battle. The latter contained an almost fully customizable ruleset, which allowed websites such asAll is Brawl to be formed with the aim of adding competition into the mix, spawning an online scene for competitive Smash as a whole.
In addition to allowing for online gaming,Brawl also allowed players to sendreplays,custom stages, andsnapshots to other players with whom they had registered. An applied use of this was theSmash Service, a free service that sent players a replay, a custom stage, and a snapshot each day; these pieces of data came from submissions of players and were deleted at the end of the day.
Fan replacements[edit]
Wiimmfi is a fan server that makes WFC usable after the official servers were shut down.
AltWFC also exists, but is less popular.[citation needed]
External links[edit]
- A Smashboards thread with a guide to playingBrawl after the shutdown of the WFC
- Wiimmfi Main Page
- Save Nintendo Wi-Fi
