Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection (commonly abbreviated WFC) is an online service run by Nintendo to facilitate free Internet play in compatible Nintendo DS and Wii games.

Functionality

Games designed to take advantage of Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection offer Internet play integrated into the game. Nintendo emphasizes the simplicity and speed of starting an online game when promoting its service. For example, in Mario Kart DS, an online game is initiated by first choosing the online multiplayer option from the main menu, then choosing whether to play with friends, or to play with gamers in the local Wi-Fi region at about the same skill level. After a selection is made, the game starts searching for available players. The Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service for Nintendo DS can support up to eight players, i.e., Clubhouse Games. The Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service for Wii can support up to thirty-two players, however some games use other online services.

Pay & Play

In 2008 Nintendo announced that while the Wi-Fi Connection will remain a free service, there are plans for additional services that will have to be paid for. Games with such premium features will include the standard WFC mark along with an additional mark indicating that there are additional services that can be paid for. The first games to feature this were released in Japan as part of WiiWare on the 25th March 2008. The games included Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King, Kotoba no Puzzle Mojipittan Wii and Lonpos and enabled additional downloadable content for an extra fee. The first retail Wii title to feature Pay & Play functionality will be Samba De Amigo.

Friend Code

Features enabled by becoming "Friends" can range from simply seeking each other out for online play (Mario Kart DS, Tetris DS), to voice and text chat (Metroid Prime Hunters, Custom Robo Arena, Pokemon Diamond/Pearl). Unusually, most of the online features in Animal Crossing: Wild World are disabled unless users are Friends, with some exceptions, primarily due to the potential for vandalism of another user's personalized "Town" in the game.

Friend codes are twelve digits long. Codes for certain games, such as Mario Kart DS and Tetris DS, are six digits followed by another row of six digits, while other games like Animal Crossing use codes with three groups of four digits separated by hyphens. If a user needs to replace his or her DS system, then the old system's Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection ID can be transferred wirelessly, to maintain the user's original Friend codes on the new machine.

Wii Number

The "Wii Number" is an identifier unique to each Wii system which operates in a similar manner to the Friend code. The "Address book" in the system's "Message board" feature displays the system's "Wii Number", and allows other users' Wii numbers to be registered. Mutual exchange of Wii numbers allows text messages, photos, and Miis to be sent between the Wiis in question over the WiiConnect24 service. In addition, the Wii can communicate with normal email accounts by the use of a "request email". The Wii sends out a "request email", to an address, and once the recipient replies, the Wii and that email address can exchange text messages freely. The Wii can receive photos from email addresses in this way, but not send them. The e-mail address for all Wii consoles is w################@wii.com, where # represents a digit in the Wii number. Some games, like Elebits, use WiiConnect24 by sending custom maps to other users in a console's address book. The first title in Japan and the USA to use the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection was Pokémon Battle Revolution The first Nintendo Wi-Fi games in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand were Mario Strikers Charged and Endless Ocean.

DS and DS Lite