Swapnote (universe)
| Swapnote (universe) Nintendo Letter Box (universe) | |
|---|---|
| |
| Developer(s) | Nintendo Denyu-Sha |
| Publisher(s) | Nintendo |
| Genre(s) | Drawing |
| Console/platform of origin | Nintendo 3DS (Nintendo eShop) |
| First installment | Swapnote (2011) |
| Latest installment | Swapdoodle (2016) |
| Article on MiiWiki | Swapnote (universe) Nintendo Letter Box (universe) |
The Swapnote universe (いつの間に交換日記, Unnoticed Exchange Diary) is a messaging application for the Nintendo 3DS family.
Franchise description[edit]
Swapnote is the successor to the DS's Pictochat and was first launched on December 21st, 2011 in Japan through the Nintendo eShop. Similar to its predecessor, Swapnote allows players to send hand-drawn pictures to friends via StreetPass or SpotPass. As more pictures are sent, some perks are unlocked, such as the ability to draw messages in 3D; more perks could subsequently be unlocked using Play Coins. Pictures can be taken and edited on Swapnote, and audio can be added into pictures. When the user needs help, a Mii named Nikki would come and help with the problem.
On October 31st, 2013, Nintendo disabled Swapnote's SpotPass functionality; the reason for this is most likely because of Japanese children sharing Friend Codes with strangers who use Swapnote to send obscene photos.
Nikki would go on to have a career outside of her home series as a minor Nintendo mascot. This includes numerous appearances in the Japanese Nintendo News Section where she would star in manga-style web pages discussing Nintendo services and other small topics. She would receive a standalone video game titled Nikki no Tabisuru Quiz, which released on April 21st, 2015 to the Japanese Club Nintendo site as a yearly reward. The game starred Nikki and her friends, a cat and panda, as they quiz the player on Japanese prefectures. The game can no longer be officially downloaded after the shut down of Club Nintendo, with no attempts at a rerelease since.
In November 2016, the successor of Swapnote, called Swapdoodle was released, featuring Nikki in a new design. The main difference from its predecessor is that the option to use any photograph as a background has been removed, removing the main method its predecessor was exploited for. Downloadable content was also released for the game, mostly in packs that included drawing lessons, new backgrounds, and new colored pen options. As of the shutdown of the Nintendo 3DS eShop on March 27th, 2023, it is no longer officially possible to download Swapdoodle or purchase any of its DLC.
On December 15th, 2020, Nintendo suddenly released an update for the original Swapnote which included renaming it Swapnote Remastered. This update and name change caused confusion due to the online component still being shut down. No further developments have occurred since this update.
In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[edit]
The Swapnote series makes its debut in Ultimate solely with Nikki.
Assist trophy[edit]
Nikki: She appears as an Assist Trophy. When summoned, she uses her pencil to draw a picture, which attacks nearby opponents. She can draw a Bullet Bill, a flock of birds, a pinwheel, a dragon, a ghost, and even a destructible Smash Ball. She will draw up to 3 items before vanishing.
Spirit[edit]
Nikki also appears as a spirit in Ultimate.
| No. | Image | Name | Type | Class | Cost | Ability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,260 |  |
Nikki |  |
★★★ | 1 | Shield Durability ↑ |
Media with elements appearing in the Super Smash Bros. series[edit]
Swapnote[edit]
- Assist Trophy:
Nikki appears as an Assist Trophy.
- Spirit:
- Nikki appears as a spirit.
Nintendo News Section[edit]
- Spirit:
- Nikki uses artwork from this website.
Trivia[edit]
- A Swapnote stage for Smash 4 is heavily speculated to have been planned due to data found within the game's files, but was cut. While not concrete, this is likely due to the same controversy that led to the app shutting down its online features in 2013, which is the around same time Smash 4 was in development. It is also possible that PictoChat 2 was a replacement for this stage.
