The Completionist’s Mission to Preserve Wii U and 3DS Libraries
Blogger and video game commentator Girard Khalil, widely known as The Completionist, undertook a mission to safeguard an entire era of Nintendo hardware by acquiring every game released for the Wii U and 3DS before digital storefronts disappeared. This effort was born from a commitment to digital preservation, ensuring that future fans and researchers could access the complete libraries even as the console landscape shifts rapidly.
At the start of 2022, Nintendo announced the closure of the digital stores for these platforms, citing changing market demand and a shift in how players interact with legacy titles. In response, Khalil mapped out a meticulous plan to keep the catalogs usable long into the future. The goal was to collect every available title so that enthusiasts could continue to discover and enjoy them after new sales ended and updates stopped, preserving a slice of gaming history for as long as possible.
The undertaking spanned roughly twelve months, during which Khalil worked with assistants to execute the project. In total, 866 Wii U games were secured, totaling about 1.2 terabytes of data, alongside 1,547 3DS titles totaling roughly 267 gigabytes. The overall investment approached $22,700. The scale of the collection underscores a dedicated effort to archive a wide and diverse array of experiences—from expansive adventures to compact digital releases—so that the Wii U and 3DS libraries remain accessible to collectors, scholars, and players who still value both physical and digital preservation.
The Completionist plan emphasizes using compatible hard drives and consoles to maintain ongoing access. When feasible, portions of the collection may be donated to institutions focused on game history and preservation, ensuring that the cultures, narratives, and technical achievements embedded in these games endure beyond their original release windows. This initiative aims to keep the memories of these platforms alive for educators, archivists, and the global gaming community (citation: The Completionist).