 | |
| Developer(s) | Nintendo SDD Denyu-sha [1] |
|---|---|
| Initial release | |
| Platform | Nintendo 3DS |
| Type | Drawing |
Swapnote, known as Nintendo Letter Box in PAL regions and Suddenly Exchange Diary [lower-alpha 1] in Japan, is a messaging application for the Nintendo 3DS. It was released in December 2011 on the Nintendo eShop. Swapnote was the successor to PictoChat for the Nintendo DS.
Swapnote allows users to draw 3D messages and then send them to either registered friends online via SpotPass or other users locally via StreetPass. [2] Users can also drawn flipbook animation with up to four pages, add photos and sound clips and send messages to multiple friends. [3]
The software features it mascot known as Nikki, a Mii character who she is featured in the tutorial messages which she serves as a guide. Users can also download her as a Mii by using a QR code according to Nintendo Life . [4]
Due to the character's popularity, Nintendo had released Nintendo 3DS game featuring Nikki called Nikki's Travel Quiz [lower-alpha 2] , although the app was exclusively available to members of the Japanese Club Nintendo rewards program. [5] Nikki also has influenced a fan made character Ikki designed by Tiny Cartridge for Shantae: Half-Genie Hero . [6]
On July 5, 2012, Nintendo updated the Swapnote application to feature six different colors of ink, with only one color being available per message. [7] On April 11, 2013, Nintendo updated Swapnote yet again, including the ability to take photos or record audio directly through the application, as well as the ability to undo drawings, and use different colors on each page of a message. [8] On December 15, 2020, Nintendo of America released a software update titled "Swapnote Remastered" with instructions on how to perform the update on their support website. [9]
On October 31, 2013, Nintendo abruptly suspended SpotPass functionality of Swapnote, presumably after an incident in Japan where minors were sharing Friend Codes with people who had exploited the messaging service to allegedly exchange pornographic imagery. [10] [11] Additionally, the Special Notes service, which were also sent via SpotPass to promote Nintendo games, has also been suspended. Nintendo issued an apology to those who had been using the application in a responsible manner. [12] [13] In addition, Flipnote Studio 3D: Friends closed the following day.
Swapdoodle (Illustrated Exchange Diary [lower-alpha 3] in Japan), the successor to Swapnote, was released as a free-to-start downloadable title in North America and Europe on November 17, 2016. The series retains several features from the original Swapnote, with the exception of photo and sound attachments and StreetPass sharing, while adding new features including Doodle Lessons, stamps, secret pages. The application could be expanded with purchasable downloadable content, which adds new pen colors, stationery, note capacity and lessons. [14]
The downloadable content is no longer available. [15] On April 8, 2024, SpotPass sharing and other online services along with the Nintendo Network have been discontinued. [16] However, Swapdoodle is now an offline app as users can still use it and the previously purchased content only to themselves.[ citation needed ]
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | 7.3 |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| GameSpot | 3.5/5 |
Despite being a successor to PictoChat, Swapnote's messaging model is not based on the standard instant messaging model as PictoChat had been, as the application lacks instant messaging features such as keyboard functionality, chat rooms, and live-continuous messaging. [17]
PictoChat is a communication utility that is preloaded on the Nintendo DS, Nintendo DS Lite and Nintendo DSi. Up to sixteen people can paint and/or text chat with each other using it, connected wirelessly through a LAN-only, system-to-system wireless connection. It allows for simple input of keyboard text and written text/drawings. PictoChat received an Excellence Prize for Entertainment at the 2004 Japan Media Arts Festival.
Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection is a defunct online multiplayer gaming service run by Nintendo that formerly provided free online play in compatible Nintendo DS and Wii games. The service included the company's Wii Shop Channel and DSi Shop game download services. It also ran features for the Wii and Nintendo DS systems.
WayForward Technologies, Inc. is an American independent video game developer and publisher based in Valencia, California. Founded in March 1990 by technology entrepreneur Voldi Way, WayForward started by developing games for consoles such as the Super NES and Sega Genesis, as well as TV games and PC educational software. In 1997, they relaunched their video games arm, placing the company as a contractor for publishers and working on a variety of licensed assets.
WiiConnect24 is a discontinued feature of Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection for the Wii. It was first announced at Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in mid-2006 by Nintendo. It enabled the user to remain connected to the Internet while the console was on standby. For example, in Animal Crossing: City Folk, a friend could send messages to another player without the recipient being present in the game at the same time as the sender.
The Wii Menu is the graphical shell of the Wii and Wii U game console, as part of the Wii system software. It has four pages, each with a 4:3 grid, and each displaying the current time and date. Available applications, known as "channels", are displayed and can be navigated using the pointer capability of the Wii Remote. The grid is customizable; users can move channels among the menu's 48 customizable slots. By pressing the plus and minus buttons on the Wii Remote users can scroll across accessing empty slots.
A Mii is a customizable avatar used on several Nintendo video game consoles and mobile apps. The name Mii is a portmanteau of "Wii" and "me", referring to them typically being avatars of the players. Miis were first introduced on the Wii console in 2006 and later appeared on the DS, 3DS, the Wii U, the Switch, and various apps for smart devices such as Miitomo. Miis can be created using different body, facial and clothing features, and can then be used as characters within games on the consoles, either as an avatar of a specific player or in some games portrayed as characters with their own personalities. Miis can be shared and transferred between consoles, either manually or automatically with other users over the internet and local wireless communications.
Flipnote Studio, known in Japan as Moving Notepad, is a free downloadable application available through the Nintendo DSi's DSiWare digital distribution service. Developed by Nintendo EAD Tokyo, Flipnote Studio allowed the user to create both word-based and picture-based notes with the stylus, add sound, and combine them to create frame-by-frame flipbook-style animations. In English-language keynote addresses and conferences prior to its release, the application was referred to as Moving Notepad by Nintendo, and was announced at E3 2009 officially as Flipnote Studio. It was released in Japan on December 24, 2008, in North America on August 12, 2009, and in Europe and Australia on August 14. It was later included as a preloaded program on the Nintendo DSi and DSi XL with firmware version 1.4.
The Nintendo DSi system software is a discontinued set of updatable firmware versions, and a software frontend on the Nintendo DSi video game console. Updates, which are downloaded via the system's Internet connection, allow Nintendo to add and remove features and software. All updates also include all changes from previous updates.
Colors! is a series of digital painting applications for handheld game consoles and mobile devices. Originally created as a homebrew application for Nintendo DS, which was since legitimately distributed on PlayStation Vita, iOS, and Android, the project eventually evolved into an officially licensed application for Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo Switch.
The Nintendo 3DS is a foldable handheld game console produced by Nintendo. The console was announced in March 2010 and unveiled at E3 2010 as the successor to the Nintendo DS. The system features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS video games. As an eighth-generation console, its primary competitor was Sony's PlayStation Vita.
The Nintendo 3DS system software is a updatable operating system used for the Nintendo 3DS handheld system. The Nintendo Switch system software is believed to have evolved from the Nintendo 3DS operating system.
The Nintendo eShop is a digital distribution service for the Nintendo Switch, and formerly available via the Nintendo Network for the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS. The Nintendo eShop was first launched in June 2011 on the Nintendo 3DS via a system update that added the functionality to the HOME Menu. It is the successor to both the Wii Shop Channel and DSi Shop. Unlike on the Nintendo 3DS, the eShop was made available on the launch date of the Wii U, although a system update is required in order to access it. It is also a multitasking application, which means it is easily accessible even when a game is already running in the background through the system software, though this feature is exclusive to the Wii U and the Nintendo Switch. The Nintendo eShop features downloadable games, demos, applications, streaming videos, consumer rating feedback, and other information on upcoming game releases.
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, both commonly referred together as Super Smash Bros. 4, are 2014 crossover platform fighter video games developed by Bandai Namco Studios and Sora Ltd. and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U video game consoles. It is the fourth installment in the Super Smash Bros. series, succeeding Super Smash Bros. Brawl. The Nintendo 3DS version was released in Japan on September 13, 2014, and in North America, Europe, and Australia the following month. The Wii U version was released in North America, Europe, and Australia in November 2014 and in Japan the following month.
StreetPass Mii Plaza is an application which comes pre-loaded on all Nintendo 3DS systems. In the game, players can meet other players' Miis over StreetPass and online through Nintendo Network and interact with them.
The Nintendo Network is a defunct online service formerly ran by Nintendo that provided free online functionality for the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U systems and their compatible games. Announced on January 26, 2012, at an investors' conference, it was Nintendo's second online service after Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. Former president of Nintendo Satoru Iwata said, "Unlike Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, which has been focused upon specific functionalities and concepts, we are aiming to establish a platform where various services available through the network for our consumers shall be connected via Nintendo Network service so that the company can make comprehensive proposals to consumers."
Miiverse is a discontinued social network for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U that was created by Nintendo System Development and Hatena, and powered by the Nintendo Network. Integrated into many games, Miiverse allowed players to interact and share their experiences by way of handwritten messages or drawings, text, screenshots, and sometimes game videos in dedicated communities. It was available via any web browser, and a dedicated app version was originally planned for tablets and smartphones. All users who signed up for a Nintendo Network ID were automatically given a Miiverse profile per account, represented by the Mii avatar connected to said Nintendo Network ID.
The Wii U operating system is the official firmware version and system software for the Nintendo's Wii U home video game console. Nintendo maintains the Wii U's systemwide features and applications by offering system software updates via the Internet. Updates are optional to each console owner, but may be required in order to retain interoperability with Nintendo's online services. Each update is cumulative, including all changes from previous updates.
Flipnote Studio 3D, known in Japan as Moving Notepad 3D and originally announced as the working title/codename, Flipnote Memo, was an animation application developed by Nintendo EAD Tokyo and released in 2013 for the Nintendo 3DS as a successor to Flipnote Studio and Flipnote Hatena.
SpotPass and StreetPass are communication systems first introduced in the Nintendo 3DS; SpotPass was later incorporated into the Wii U game console. SpotPass delivers content from the Internet to the consoles, and StreetPass uses local Wi-Fi functionality to exchange data between 3DS systems.
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