The Nintendo DS is long gone, but there’s always nostalgia for Nintendo’s amazing dual-screen handheld. That means there was some space for developer Idress Hassan to create an iMessage app that helps us relive one of the most interesting periods of online chatting.
PicoChat is kind of like PicoChat on the Nintendo DS — but let’s not call it that, as we don’t want any copyright claims to take it offline. As first spotted by Engadget, this iMessage app has a simple premise: It lets you draw or handwrite messages to other people using Apple’s messaging platform.
“Remember sitting on the bus and messaging your friends via your favorite two-screened handheld? Relive those memories with PicoChat, a tiny retro drawing app for iMessage! Featuring all the nostalgic features you remember and a few extras,” says the developer. These new perks include the ability to undo and save favorites, for example.
These are the main features of this app:
- Create tiny drawings in iMessage
- Use pixelated emoji
- Undo mistakes with a tap of a button
- Save favorite draws and come back later
- Customize name and color scheme
What’s nice about the app’s design is how similar it is to this retro PictoChat vibe. You can erase your drawings, add emojis, and write on an absurdly small keyboard. When you start drawing, you’ll see a stylus on your screen, which adds a nice touch to the experience.
Of course, this isn’t a feature you’ll use all the time, but it’s nice to have such an interesting experience on your iPhone. Users can also use iMessage’s drawing experience by setting the phone in landscape mode and tapping the drawing tool on the keyboard.
PicoChat is available for free on the App Store, and you can start using it today.
