Nintendo has unveiled Pictonico, a new mobile game launching on May 28th. Pictonico leverages the player’s phone photos, transforming them into interactive minigames. These “microgames,” in the distinct style of WarioWare, include activities like eating, laying down a carpet for a married couple, and removing a face mask from someone.
Players can utilize existing photos from their library or capture new ones directly within the app. Pictonico will be accessible on both iOS and Android platforms and is available for pre-order on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. The game is free to download and offers a limited selection of minigames in a demo mode.
Players have the option to purchase additional minigames, which are bundled into volumes. Volume 1 is priced at $6 USD, and Volume 2 costs $8 USD. While the exact number of minigames per volume is not yet specified, Nintendo states that “up to 80 minigames in total” will be available across all volumes.
Some examples of the minigames, as described by Nintendo, include:
- Here come your school’s sports stars… parading down the red carpet!
- Your boss is hungry and needs your help!
- Try to erase those embarrassing high school memories.
- Your kid won’t be quiet? Make them quiet!
- Two old friends reunite by skydiving!
- Grandpa dressed as a ballerina? You can’t miss this photo!
- Mom is angry… But you have to pluck that nose hair!
- Dad is making that face again. Wait, is that a face mask?
- Your best friend turned into a final boss? Evasive maneuvers!
- Was that calm and serene teacher all muscle this whole time?
The game naturally draws immediate comparisons to Nintendo’s WarioWare series, which is particularly noteworthy given that the series’ director, Goro Abe, departed Nintendo in February after 27 years to become a professor. Could Pictonico have been conceived as a mobile WarioWare before its final form? Abe left Nintendo on good terms and is eager to see what the future holds for WarioWare, but it’s unknown if he was aware of Pictonico.
Comparisons have also been made to the augmented reality application Face Raiders, pre-installed on the Nintendo 3DS. This app used the handheld console’s camera to take photos of users and incorporate them into the game. Additionally, the simpler WarioWare: Snapped! for DSiWare utilized real-time silhouette captures from its camera for its various microgames.
