How to play 3DS games online with the Pretendo Network in 2024

Nintendo

Nintendo’s online support for Wii U and Nintendo 3DS and 2DS consoles has officially ended. If you connect to the internet with a Nintendo 3DS today, you won’t be able to buy digital games, use Miiverse, or even play Mario Kart 7 online. Scandalous!

But there is a solution. The fan-made Pretendo Network supports a variety of 3DS games and features, and once you connect to it, you can enjoy all of those features as if Nintendo’s servers were still active. In this guide we’re breaking down everything you need to connect to the Pretendo Network in 2024. Read on below to revitalize your Nintendo 3DS or 2DS console.

Every Nintendo 3DS game supported by Pretendo

This list is constantly growing as the Pretendo team update their server infrastructure and technology, but it already supports some of the best games you can play online on the Nintendo 3DS. For an updated list, check the Pretendo progress website.

• Friends
• Miiverse
• Steel Diver: Sub Wars
• Ironfall: Invasion
• Mario Kart 7
• The Legend of Zelda: Tri-Force Heroes
• Kid Icarus: Uprising
• Team Kirby Clash Deluxe
• Pokémon Rumble World
• Super Mario Maker

You need a modded 3DS to connect to Pretendo

This is important: in order to connect a 3DS console to the Pretendo Network, it must be softmodded, and run the latest available version of Luma3DS. This is a fairly involved multi-step process, and you can find a full guide on the 3DS hacks site, and there you can find more information on YouTube and beyond.

How to connect your 3DS to the Pretendo Network

Now that you have a 3DS console running Luma3DS, you’re ready to connect to the Pretendo Network – you can find official steps on the Pretendo website.

To make these next steps easy, it’s recommended you use the Universal-Updater homebrew app. This app can install a variety of software for you, including Nimbus, which you will need in order to connect to Pretendo.

If you’re choosing to install Nimbus directly, without Universal-Updater, download the archive and ensure you have the following files on your SD card and in the correct locations:

• SD:/luma/titles/000400300000BC02/code.ips (Miiverse, JPN)
• SD:/luma/titles/000400300000BD02/code.ips (Miiverse, USA)
• SD:/luma/titles/000400300000BE02/code.ips (Miiverse, EUR)
• SD:/luma/sysmodules/0004013000002F02.ips (SSL)
• SD:/luma/sysmodules/0004013000003202.ips (FRD/Friends)
• SD:/luma/sysmodules/0004013000003802.ips (ACT/NNID)
• SD:/3ds/juxt-prod.pem (Juxtaposition certificate)

You will also need to ensure you have at least one of these files:

• SD:/cias/nimbus.cia
• SD:/3ds/nimbus.3dsx

Next up is enabling Luma patches. Hold Select as you boot up your 3DS, and enable the following:

• Enable loading external FIRMS and modules
• Enable game patching

Use FBI to install the nimbus.cia file, if that is your chosen Nimbus installation method.

Once Nimbus is installed, open the application and you can use it to swap between the Pretendo and Nintendo Network services. Select Pretendo and you will finally be ready to play online – almost, at least.

How to make a PNID (Pretendo Network account)

The final step is making a PNID account, though it’s not a requirement for most games. Luckily this account can also be used for Wii U Pretendo games, so it’ll be very useful to have.

You can either sign up via the Pretendo website, or by making a new online user on the 3DS console while connected to the Pretendo servers. Once you have a working PNID account, you’ll have full use of all Pretendo services.