All games are exact replicas of the originals with no updated features or graphics, with the exception of Pokémon Snap, which was updated to allow in-game pictures to be posted to the Wii Message Board. There were over 300 games available in North America and, as of December 31, 2007, over 10 million games have been downloaded worldwide. Virtual Console was a brand that included games from past video game consoles, which ran under emulation. Main article: Virtual Console Mario Bros. Already purchased software can still be downloaded, and any Wii Points remaining in an account's balance were redeemable until January 30, 2019. On March 26, 2018, the functionality to purchase and add Wii Points was permanently removed following a temporary maintenance notice preventing users from purchasing WiiWare or Virtual Console games unless they had enough Wii Points in their account balance. Wii Points were purchased by either redeeming Wii Points Cards purchased from retail outlets or directly through the Wii Shop Channel using a Mastercard or Visa credit card In 2008, Club Nintendo in Europe began offering Wii Points in exchange for "stars" received from registering games and consoles on the website. Wii Points were the currency used in transactions on the Wii Shop Channel. The Channel's theme music has become popular and well-received on the internet, and is often used in internet memes. Succeeded by the Nintendo eShop, the Wii Shop Channel was accessible on the original Wii and on the Wii U console via Wii Mode, supporting the download of WiiWare titles, as well as legacy Virtual Console titles that are not available via the Nintendo eShop. The Wii Shop Channel launched on November 19, 2006, and ceased operations on January 30, 2019. The service allowed users to purchase and play additional software for the Wii (called Channels), including exclusive games (branded WiiWare), and games from prior generations of video games (marketed with the Virtual Console brand). The Wii Shop Channel is a discontinued digital distribution service for the Wii video game console.
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