Swapnote 3DS update potentially hints at Nintendo Switch version

Swapdoodle menu — (Image credit: Nintendo)

Nintendo has released an update patch for the now discontinued 3DS application Swapnote (also known as Nintendo Letter Box in Europe). The patch is for “Swapnote Remastered” which suggests that the app could be receiving a remaster for Nintendo Switch.

Similar to PictoChat on the Nintendo DS, Swapnote allowed players to create doodles and send them to other 3DS systems via Spotpass or Streetpass. The app has been dormant since the Spotpass element was removed on Nintendo's handheld back in 2013.

This resulted in the creation of Swapdoodle, a revision of Swapnote which had much tighter restrictions. Swapdoodle however never took off as well as its predecessor due to it releasing towards the end of the 3DS’ life cycle.

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A remaster of the apps that utilise the Nintendo Switch’s capabilities, could have a lot of purpose on the system. A useful element of Swapdoodle was the ability to attach in-game screenshots to your doodles and send them to your friends. This would be a very functional tool in games like Animal Crossing New Horizons which has an elaborate photo mode.

Nintendo has clearly kept a soft spot for Swapnote’s mascot Nikki as she has gone on to appear as an assist trophy in Super Smash Bros Ultimate, as well as in Super Mario Maker as an unlockable costume. This makes the likelihood of her ever returning in her own game slightly more plausible. For now though, we'll just have to wait and see if Nintendo's update is a sign of a Switch version launching in the future.

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After studying Film Studies and Creative Writing at university, I was lucky enough to land a job as an intern at Player Two PR where I helped to release a number of indie titles. I then got even luckier when I became a Trainee News Writer at GamesRadar+ before being promoted to a fully-fledged News Writer after a year and a half of training. My expertise lies in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, cozy indies, and The Last of Us, but especially in the Kingdom Hearts series. I'm also known to write about the odd Korean drama for the Entertainment team every now and then.