Swapnote, known as Nintendo Letter Box in PAL regions and Suddenly Exchange Diary[a] 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.
Overview
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 draw flipbook animations with up to four pages, add photos and sound clips and send messages to multiple friends.[3]
Nikki
The software features a mascot known as Nikki, a Mii character who is featured in the tutorial messages where 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 a Nintendo 3DS game featuring Nikki called Nikki's Travel Quiz,[b] 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]
Release
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] Nintendo of America released a software update on December 15, 2020, titled "Swapnote Remastered" with instructions on how to perform the update on their support website.[9]
Discontinuation
Nintendo abruptly suspended SpotPass functionality of Swapnote on October 31, 2013, 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[c] 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] SpotPass sharing and other online services along with the Nintendo Network have been discontinued on April 8, 2024,[16] but Swapdoodle is now an offline app as users can still use it and the previously purchased content only to themselves.[citation needed]
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]
