Free 3DS Wi-Fi at 5000 McDonald's, Burger King, KFC, hotels

By Tom Phillips Published 1 February, 2012

All-you-can-eat data.

Your Nintendo 3DS can now connect to the internet for free at over 5000 fast food restaurants and hotels across Europe.

McDonald's, Burger King, KFC, Subway, Ibis Hotels and Etap Hotels which use the free-hotspot.com Wi-Fi service are taking part in the scheme.

When in range, connection is automatic if you've ever previously hooked up your 3DS to the world wide web.

You can then download SpotPass content, videos, notifications, and play Mario Kart online.

Last month Nintendo announced that UK gamers could now enjoy free 3DS Wi-Fi at major UK airports.

Mario Kart in real life.

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Phillips

Tom joined Eurogamer in 2010 and has quickly made his mark writing news and columns and coming up with puntastic straplines. Questionable beard. @TomPhillips151 on Twitter.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Phillips archive page.

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Comments (18) Latest comment 4 months ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • riz23 #1 4 months ago

    Oh christ another excuse to drag me into a fast food outlet for a bad lunch.

  • cowell #2 4 months ago

    Mmmmm, barbecue sauce all in my 3DS d-pad!

    Seriously though, nice touch. Free stuff is good

  • kdsh7 #3 4 months ago

    however, does this also mean that Streetpass will no longer work at all these locations? Bit of a shame that!

  • skowhegan Verified Staff Writer, Eurogamer Network #4 4 months ago

    @kdsh7 Being connected to the internet does not stop StreetPassing :) StreetPassing takes place whenever you have the wireless switch on and in sleep mode.

  • kdsh7 #5 4 months ago

    @skowhegan ah ok, I've had experiences where I've passed a free wifi hotspot and the indicator (top left) changes from STREETPASS to INTERNET and thought it was responsible for my ridiculously low (at the time) streetpass hit rate. Good to know it's not affected :)

  • kirinnokoshin #6 4 months ago

    @skowhegan

    Surely Streetpass also works when the 3DS is active too. I've had my green light blink on while in the middle of playing a game.

  • Toothball #7 4 months ago

    @Eurocensor

    I was wondering that. It sounds like the connection to your 3DS would be automatic now too, rather than having to mess around with your internet settings and delete one if you don't have a free spot.

  • roz123 #8 4 months ago

    It works so that you can walk into a KFC with your 3DS and it will automatically start downloading updates and any swapnotes without you having to do anything. Pretty usefull if you don't have wifi at home.
    Edited by roz123 at 01/02/12 @ 11:50

  • el_pollo_diablo #9 4 months ago

    This is odd.

    I thought Nintendo were trying really hard to associate themselves (and products like the Wii) with cardiovascular, active, sporty activities for children. I though that was the stated aim of systems like the Wii and software like Streetpass.

    ?

  • lucky_jim #10 4 months ago

    I've just realised from the video (or rather, the still at the end of the article) that Reggie Fils-Aime is actually a previously undiscovered Miliband brother. The resemblance is eerie. Honestly, look at that picture, imagine him holding a banana, and tell me he's not a Miliband. Ok, he's a bit porkier than the other two, but that's probably because he was raised by wolves and only feasts on the bloody flesh of raw calves, rather than Islington-brewed lattes like his brethren.

  • fiery_jackass #11 4 months ago

    pretty poor, that. McDonald's, BK etc looking to new markets as their brand becomes more toxic to kids' movies/sporty things etc. Not the sort of companies I'd be hopping into bed with if I was Nintendo.

    Anyway, surely the kids are there just to eat/fuck about with their food, not spend hours smearing grease-covered fingers over their shiny doo-hickeys.

  • callum9999 #12 4 months ago

    @fiery_jackass You REALLY don't understand children do you...

  • barkertron #13 4 months ago

    Awesome, so when you start having a massive beef-induced heart attack you can quickly check NHS Direct to see what you're supposed to do about it.

  • fiery_jackass #14 4 months ago

    @callum9999
    I pretty much do, which is why I don't like this sort of thing

  • CHAZBIGPOTATO #15 4 months ago

    @el_pollo_diablo They can walk there, our nearest Mcdonalds is about 5 miles across fields so one day we plan to..er..drive there.

  • alcides #16 4 months ago

    first, free wifi at fastfood restaurants, next, free AR markers on packs of cigarettes.

  • Architect_z #17 4 months ago

    I thought it said KFC hotels then. Colonel room service. ^_^

  • skunkfish #18 4 months ago

    Hey, fat kids are still allowed to play Nintendo too!