Classic Pokemon games locked behind a paywall…you can’t even use

We always knew the closure of the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U eShops would be devastating in terms of gaming preservation, and while we have to move with the times, it was always going to be the Pokemon franchise that was losing out. 

With Nintendo holding out on putting classic Pokemon games on the Nintendo Switch as part of its Game Boy catalogue, there's an alarming number of completely unplayable titles unless you can find an old console and cartridge. Even then, internal battery failure has killed most of the Pokeverse.

Why is Pokemon locked behind a paywall?

Indeed, you can still get your Pokefix if you've got a 3DS or Wii U and nabbed a copy before Nintendo pulled the plug on their respective stores, but that's not where the story ends. 

For those who don't know, Pokemon Bank was a 3DS app that let you transfer pokemon from the handheld to your Pokemon Home cloud storage - letting you bring your old 'mon to modern games. 

Pokemon Bank had a complicated relationship with Pokemon Home, meaning you had to pay a $5 subscription to use the Poke Transporter companion app. Still, with support for nearly two decades of Pokemon games, it was worth it. 

Nintendo announced that both Bank and Transporter would be free after the 3DS eShop kicked the bucket, however, it was less clear that you had to download them before the closure. With the eShop closed, you can't download an app unless you have had it at some point in the past.

Although it's good news that Pokemon Bank and Transporter have waved their $5 subscription, newcomers have been locked behind a paywall you can't even use. If you hadn't been paying the $5 fee already, there's no way to transfer your old Pokemon out of these obsolete outings. 

The Pokemon Transporter app has faced problems

Responding to the fact you can't actually get to the Poke Transporter, one critic raged, "This is f*****g evil. So now that Pokémon Bank is free, you can access Poke Transporter through it in the e-shop but it's just taunting you with a download you can't make."

We were (sort of) warned ahead of time, but it's clear not everyone did. Someone else wrote, "This is insanely silly wow," while a third concluded, "They still paywalled poke transporter til the very end with no clarification on the issue."

When the 3DS eShop first went under, the Bank and Transporter apps faced a slew of issues. Those who didn't have an active subscription when the service ended were unable to use the Transporter, and even though it's since been fixed, it shows how blundered the entire situation has been.

There are also questions about how long Pokemon Bank will be around for. Players are told it'll support the games for the "foreseeable future," which is Nintendo code for "we'll probably pull it when you least expect it."  Nice work, Nintendo.