PictoChat

PictoChat screenshot

PictoChat is a communication utility that comes pre-installed on the Nintendo DS, Nintendo DS Lite and Nintendo DSi consoles. Up to sixteen people can paint chat with each other using it, connected wirelessly through a 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.

A successor to PictoChat for the Nintendo 3DS has been announced by Nintendo via a streaming conference on October 21, 2011. The successor is called Swapnote (in North America) or Nintendo Letter Box (in Europe), and it will be available as a free download starting December 2011. This application will allow users to send 3D pictures, sound, and scribbled messages to registered friends via either StreetPass or SpotPass.^[1]

Functions

The touch screen is used to type in letters with an on-screen keyboard or draw and send pictures in black only (but rainbow is included on the DSI form). On the DSi system, a rainbow pen is available (see the last paragraph of functions). The keyboard provides enough Latin and kana glyphs to write in all languages supported by the system: English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, and Japanese, plus Hungarian, Finnish, Portuguese and Dutch.

Four chat rooms [A,B,C&D] are available at one time, each with a capacity of sixteen people, for a maximum of sixty-four people in total of all the chat rooms.

PictoChat is preloaded onto all Nintendo DS, Nintendo DS Lite, Nintendo DSi, and Nintendo DSi XL units worldwide.

On DSi versions of PictoChat, a rainbow pen can be used by tapping on the pen icon again once it has been selected. Content created using the rainbow pen can be read by PictoChat users on Nintendo DS Lite and original Nintendo DS systems. Additionally, the DS and DS Lite play a special sound when receiving a message written by a DSi user.

Using PictoChat

PictoChat has a very simple interface. One of the main techniques is to write or draw on the DS touchscreen with the stylus. Users can also type a message by touching an on-screen keyboard or by using the DS's control pad to select a letter and A to type it. In addition, users can drag letters from the keyboard to move them anywhere in the chat window. Pressing select or the retrieve button (the button under the Send button) will recall the image at the bottom of the top screen and copy it into the user's workspace. To make a different picture recall itself, the user can use the arrows on the touch-screen or the R and L buttons to select a different picture from the chat history. Pressing the far lower-right hand button erases the current chat window.

Clicking on one's name or another user's name will reveal his or her color and profile (which can be changed in the DS settings).

PictoChat animation

PictoChat can be used to create short animations by drawing individual pictures on the DS's touch screen and sending them frame by frame to the message board on the top screen. By pressing and holding down the left shoulder button and right shoulder button respectively to scroll through the pictures, it shows them at a frame rate of 7.5 frames/second, creating the illusion of animation. Several online galleries are dedicated to sharing PictoChat animations. ^[2]

Swapnote

Swapnote (also known as Nintendo Letter Box in PAL regions) will take the place of PictoChat on the Nintendo 3DS. It allows users to send messages to people on their friends list. The receiver will be able to receive the messages through SpotPass or StreetPass. Unlike PictoChat, Swapnote will allow users to freely embed pictures and sounds into their messages, and it also lets users change the position and the orientation of the picture and sound icons.^[3]

Similar Software

A game called Ping Pals is based on PictoChat, featuring an advanced range of options and capabilities. However, both users must own the game, making it less useful and widespread than PictoChat. Due to PictoChat being built into the system, Ping Pals received very negative reviews.

Clubhouse Games (42-All Time Classics in Europe) has a chat function similar to PictoChat, with added colors and extra features.

The game LOL has a similar interface to PictoChat but the gameplay itself is different.

Kanji Sonomama Rakubiki Jiten

The DS kanji-English-Japanese dictionary 'Kanji Sonomama Rakubiki Jiten' (漢字そのまま楽引辞典^?) contains an extension to PictoChat that allows users to input kanji characters in addition to the standard character set. This version of PictoChat also vocalized roman characters and kana when they are input.

In Other Games

PictoChat is an arena in Super Smash Bros. Brawl

References

1. ^ Wahlgren, Jon (2011-10-21). "Kid Icarus, Kirby Getting 3D Classics Makeovers". Nintendo Life. http://3dsware.nintendolife.com/news/2011/10/kid_icarus_kirby_getting_3d_classics_makeovers. Retrieved 2011-10-22. 
2. ^ Crecente, Brian (2005-03-30). "Oddities: Animated DS Pictochat Drawings". Kotaku. http://kotaku.com/gaming/oddities/art/animated-ds-pictochat-drawings-037597.php. Retrieved 2008-02-27. 
3. ^ http://www.thetanooki.com/2011/10/23/swapnote-bringing-messaging-to-the-3ds/