Parental control

What does parental control mean?

It is called Parental Controls in English (which is what is in the menus) and is a built-in function in Wii, Nintendo 3DS, New Nintendo 3DS, Wii U and Nintendo DSi that lets parents decide which functions can be used and lets them adults set an age limit for which games the machine should accept. The lock consists of a four-digit PIN code that you should keep in the safest of all places - in your head! *

* There are small differences in parental control between different systems.

Read more in the manuals for each console on how to set up Parental Controls.

So I can decide which games my child should have access to without having to sit and monitor?

When it comes to Wii, Nintendo 3DS and Wii U games, it is quite possible to set a limit, for example 12 years. This means that consoles will not accept games that have a PEGI symbol higher than 12. Unfortunately, this is not possible for Nintendo GameCube games or Nintendo DS games.

For Nintendo DSi you can deny access to the following features:

• PictoChat - picture chat software that can be used with other Nintendo DS consoles available nearby, but not online
• DS Download Play - function that makes it possible to download material and store it temporarily in the console
• Nintendo DSi Browser - allows the user to surf the Internet
• Nintendo DSi Points - used to purchase games and applications in the Nintendo DSi Shop
• Wireless Photo Transfer - Feature that allows you to exchange photos with other Nintendo DSi owners
• Some user-generated material - some games allow users to create material and distribute it to other Nintendo DS owners

For Wii you can deny access to the following functions::

• Wii Points - used to purchase games and applications in the Wii Shop Channel
• Online features for Wii Message Board and user-generated content - some games allow users to create content and distribute it to other Wii owners
• Internet Channel - allows the user to surf the Internet
• News Channel - news channel that reports from all corners of the world

For Nintendo 3DS you can deny access to the following features::

• 3D - shows real 3D (Nintendo recommends that you deny access to real 3D graphics if your child is six years old or younger)
• Internet Browser - allows the user to surf the Internet
• Nintendo eShop - a kind of store where you can buy new games and programs directly online
• Share audio, video and video - Spread your data to other Nintendo 3DS consoles
• Online - share data with other users worldwide
• StreetPass - sends data to other Nintendo 3DS consoles without the user having to do anything
• Friend Codes - used to register new friends
• DS Download Play - downloads software from other Nintendo 3DS consoles

For Wii U you can deny access to the following features:

• Game Rating - limit which games your child should have access to based on the PEGI system
• Online Interaction in Games - communicates with other Wii U owners online (type of communication varies between games)
• Internet Browser - allows the user to surf the Internet
• Wii U Shopping Services - online store where you can spend real money with VISA or MasterCard cards, or enter scratch codes (from prepaid cards you buy in store) to redeem them for cash
• Miiverse - decide if the restriction should only apply to posting new posts, or both look at and post new posts
• Friend Registration - used to register new friends
• Viewing Distributed Videos - is about accessing videos that are distributed online
• Data Management - erases and copies data on the Wii U console and any hard drive
• Internet Settings - Internet settings

For nintendo switch the following applies

• The parental control on the Nintendo Switch is completely redesigned and can be controlled via a free app. Read more here.

What do I do if I forget my PIN?

Then contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for fast and efficient help!

As for the Wii U, you can register an email address and you will get your PIN sent there in case you forget it (this registration takes place in the Parental Controls section of the Wii U console). Make sure your child does not have access to this email address!