Nintendo Account IDs now up for grabs

Nintendo refreshed its account system’s landing page this week, adding new functionality to prep for the Switch’s launch on March 3. That includes the introduction of the Nintendo Account ID, yet another username that Nintendo fans need to go set up and link to their systems.

The Nintendo Account ID is different from the Nintendo Network ID, a similar but separate account name used on Wii U and Nintendo 3DS. To choose your Nintendo Account User ID, log into the Nintendo Account website, where User ID is now included under the User Info section.

From there, assigning an ID is easy, although like any username service, there are no duplicate IDs allowed. That means that obvious choices like Mario and Nintendo are long gone, but so are slightly more atypical IDs like Allegra. (I’m coming for you, whoever you are.)

The good news is that it looks as though User IDs aren’t set in stone. All it takes is composing an original string of at least six characters.

The Nintendo Account system also got some other updates that will come in handy for the Switch. Users can now go to the Account Activity section to check out their past eShop purchases. As hinted at by a recent glimpse at the Nintendo Switch’s initialization page, the console will connect to owners’ Nintendo Accounts and allow them to re-download past purchases. That sounds like a much simpler process than previous Nintendo eShop purchase recovery efforts, which required contacting Nintendo’s customer support line.

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