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Flipnote Studio 3D scribbles on Japan July 3
Flipnote Studio 3D has marked out July 3 for its arrival in Japan. There's no word yet on exact release timing for western eShops, though the free portable doodler was earmarked for the summer in a mini Nintendo Direct (above) released earlier this year. The 3DS successor to Flipnote lets handheld artists create animations with 3D effects, and users can export their works as GIFs and AVIs. Those GIFs and AVIs won't just be in black, red, and blue, as the new Flipnote features a welcome six colors. You'll also be able to show off your kaleidoscopic animations via Friend Flipnote Gallery and World Flipnote Gallery services, although the latter carries a monthly fee. The news comes on the day Flipnote community support is set to end on DSi.
Flipnote Studio flips to 3DS eShop in the summer
The DSi's beloved animation software Flipnote Studio is finally getting a 3DS version, which is both good news and bad. Flipnote Studio 3D allows users to draw animations with three different layers for a 3D effect, and export them to GIF or AVI. It'll be released in Japan this summer for free, with the ability to upload either to a "Friend Flipnote Gallery" service or a wider "World Flipnote Gallery" that connects you to a global community of artists.That worldwide gallery carries a monthly fee to cover server costs, and comes with a 30 day free trial. That fee may be waived if your animations prove to be popular! Check out more sample animations on the Nintendo Direct site.The bad news: Flipnote community support on the DSi will end May 31.
Zelda Flipnote animations, made by the Nintendo of America staff
What better way for the Nintendo of America staff to show its love for Zelda's 25th anniversary than to make art on the DS itself? Here's a quick roundup of some cute NoA creations for Flipnote Studio, posted to YouTube by a fan from the Nintendo Channel.
Another music video whipped up with DSi's Flipnote Studio
Last year, Billy Polard created a kind-of-a-bummer music video using Flipnote Studio for his song, "Losing Light." Polard recently returned to the DSi drawing board, and created yet another melancholy video for another of his tunes, "when our bedrooms were once haunted." Check it out below!
Sad, sweet music video made in Flipnote Studio
The free DSi app Flipnote Studio is generally associated with short, often silly animations. Nintendo's own promotion of the program showed off John "Napoleon Dynamite" Heder making some particularly kitschy animations -- including a UFO abduction and a nunchaku-wielding minotaur. Now, a tipster points us to a particularly poignant music video created entirely in Flipnote Studio. The video is for the song "Losing Light" by one Billy Polard. While it seems innocuous enough at first, it takes a sad turn pretty quickly and it doesn't stop there. Apart from that, the animation and artwork is impressive in its own right and a tribute to what Flipnote is capable of. Suffice it to say that the program isn't reserved just for the short and silly. Watch the video after the break. [Thanks, Ghoti]
Flipnotes from the PAX 2009 show floor
During PAX last year, Nintendo asked any professional artists who happened to be there to create an animation in the DSiWare program Flipnote Studio. Now, the flipnotes from comic artists like Eric Jones and Christina Strain, webcomics artist Scott Kurtz, and 5TH Cell art director Edison Yan, have finally been posted in a gallery on the Flipnote Hatena site. Showing what can be done in a few minutes by a talented artist, and building on the excitement of a popular convention, makes this initiative a great promotional tool for the free app (and for the DSi in general), which is why Nintendo waited until six months after the event to release these!
Wallace & Gromit creators use Flipnote Studio to create Spirit Tracks animations
You likely know Aardman Animations as the creators of the hilarious cheese-loving man and surprisingly capable K-9 duo, Wallace & Gromit. To celebrate last month's release of The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks in Europe, Nintendo tapped the studio to create a trio of custom animations paying homage to the game in Nintendo's free animation app for the DSi, Flipnote Studio. Now we get to see their labor bear fruit and, oh my, these came out looking sharp, as the video above this text can attest. However, the real feather in this (Minish?) cap is the odd video past the break showing Link's game-long companion, Zelda. For us, the uneasy feeling we get witnessing Link's lack of concern seeing Zelda in poltergeist form is only exceeded by Zelda's apparent glee, despite being a creepy specter. That just weirds us out!
This Week on the Nintendo Channel: Jon Heder shows off Flipnote Studio
Apparently, Jon Heder has been spending his downtime with Nintendo's Flipnote Studio. The video above shows the actor knows how to do a thing or two with Nintendo's software, though you'll find his doodlings are severely lacking in Ligers. Still, it's a neat video for some very neat -- and very free -- software for your DSi. Head past the break for the full list of this week's Nintendo Channel content.
Nintendo introduces some color to European DSi options
Hey Europe, Nintendo has stopped neglecting you! After Japan had color options before anyone else even had the DSi, the USA got in on the fun with extra pink and white, and Europe was left wearing the black and white dunce cap. That monochromatic dystopia is about to be vanquished on October 23, however, when Nintendo is set to offer the handsome red, blue and turquoise options you see above all over the good lands of the Old World. Facebook photo uploading will come preloaded, as well as the Flipnote Studio app for creating multimedia missives. You can see a couple more shots after the break.
Aardman using Flipnote Studio to create short holiday films
Nintendo has just announced a very cool promotion for its free DSiWare animation app Flipnote Studio (which you should really have if you have a DSi -- did we mention it's free?). Tim Ruffle, an animator with Wallace and Gromit creator Aardman Studios, has created twelve Christmas-themed animations using the software, one of which will be made available each week starting September 16.The first animation, "Sandwich Twins," and all following will be viewable through the Flipnote Hatena site, the official portal for viewing and sharing Flipnote animations. Because the Aardman animations aren't up yet, we've embedded a completely unrelated one after the break. Enjoy!
European Nintendo downloads: Flipnote Phantasy
If you're into RPGs and in Europe or Australia, today's Wii Shop update is killer -- the original Phantasy Star for Sega Master System is available! For a ridiculous 500 Wii Points, you can get one of the best role playing games ever made. We hope you have a high tolerance for first-person dungeons.WiiWare gets another of Arc System Works' Family titles, about which we've learned to be wary -- but we're intensely curious about the idea of a slot car racing game. Also, Tecmo's 3-2-1 Rattle Battle!, a game whose openness about being entirely about shaking the Wiimote frantically is impressive.On DSiWare, Europe gets a number puzzle game with online multplayer, based on a larger DS game that didn't come out there! And Flipnote Studio finally arrives! Go download it and make Flipnotes! Right now! Phantasy Star (Master System, 1 player, 500 Wii Points) Family Slot Car Racing (WiiWare, 1-4 players, 500 Wii Points) 3-2-1 Rattle Battle! (WiiWare, 1-4 players, 500 Wii Points) Sujin Taisen Number Battle (DSiWare, 1-4 players, 500 DSi Points) Flipnote Studio (DSiWare, 1 player, free)
Flipnote Studio moving to Europe this Friday [Update: it's out in North America right now!]
[Baffling update: Hatena announced that the site and the software are available in the US and Canada today, which is totally not a Monday!]One of the DSi's killer apps will finally be available outside of Japan. Nintendo announced that Flipnote Studio, the DSiWare animation tool, will be released in Europe this Friday, for the price of zero DSi Points. The app, called Ugoku Memo-chou in Japan, allows users to draw "flip-book"-style animations, add sound, and share them via a special site, "Ugomemo Hatena," run by Japanese blog service Hatena.Delightfully, the site has already been relaunched as "Flipnote Hatena" for European users -- we were a bit worried that not all aspects of the service would make it, but you'll be able to upload your animations and watch and rate others' right away!For more on the development of the game and the Hatena connection, check out the "Iwata Asks" interview with staff from both Nintendo and Hatena, and a special Iwata Asks with animator Yoichi Kotabe. And after the break, see a Flipnote animation based on Rhythm Heaven's DJ School.
Preview the Flipnote Studio site
The Japanese version of Flipnote Studio, called Ugoku Memo-Chou, integrates with a special version of Japan's Hatena blog site, allowing users to upload, share, and view videos made using the DSiWare animation app. Soon after the launch of the Japanese site, Hatena put up a partially translated version of the Ugomemo Hatena site as a preview of the eventual North American version.The site has been somewhat of a work-in-progress since then, with some extra pages translated, including the explanation of the premium Ugomemo Hatena Plus service, and some content remaining in Japanese. It's a sign that we'll be able to share our insane sprite sheet flip books and cute Mario animations immediately after the service launches, whenever that happens.[Via GoNintendo]
