Flipnote Studio

Making Memos

With Flipnote Studio you can do a lot of things, but that doesn't mean you have to! You can use this free application simply as a handy electronic notepad. From shopping lists to spurs of the moment, write or draw your note on the Touch Screen by using the stylus - you can even record a quick spoken message into the microphone - and save the thought! You can also send such notes to other Flipnote Studio users via wireless communications, so you could draw a simple map with directions and save it for when you or one of your friends need it.

By saving your Flipnote to the Nintendo DSi System Memory, it will be added to the Flipnote Studio Calendar for later reference. So if you want to keep track of what you’ve been up to, jot down a basic daily diary or remind yourself what’s on the agenda for today, Flipnote Studio provides you with all the necessary tools!

Flipnote Animation

Putting together your own unique animations with Flipnote Studio couldn’t be more straightforward. Just like creating and leafing through a flick book on a notepad, you’ll bring your ideas to life by drawing a sequence of pictures on single Flipnote pages then setting them in motion at the touch of a button.

The Basics for Beginners

Use the basic Draw, Paint and Erase tools to create images on an individual page. You can choose from a selection of colours for your lines and patterns and you can use them on white or black paper. Satisfied with the results? Then move on to the next one at the touch of a button to start setting your animation in motion!

The Trace option allows you to see what you drew on the previous page(s), while the Copy option lets you duplicate your drawing directly onto the next page. Both are useful tools for ensuring smooth animation - you'll decide which option works best under the circumstances.

You can also import images from your Nintendo DSi Camera Album for inclusion in your moving masterpieces. Imported images will appear in black and white and can be altered with a range of effects to give them a visual overhaul. Adjust the contrast and saturation of the picture or apply an outline effect that makes your photo look like a hand-drawn addition to your animation. 

The Page Management feature allows you to set the speed of your animation, fine-tuning it as you see fit. You can also cut, copy and paste pages here, so feel free to experiment. Then apply the finishing touch by using the Nintendo DSi microphone to add background music and sounds to your Flipnotes.

Advanced Animation

With a couple of basic Flipnotes under your belt, switch on the Advanced Tools option for a new set of tools that will make it much easier to get some advanced results.

Switching between two layers opens the way up for you to create backgrounds that can remain constant as you alter the animated action taking place on the layer above, while the Flip and Shrink/Enlarge tools make it easy to quickly alter the entire contents of a page as you send your drawings off into the distance, enlarge them for a zooming effect or flip them horizontally or vertically.

Two more Advanced Tools that can make your life easier are the Select and Draft tools. Copying selected parts of an image and pasting them on later pages can help to ensure your handiwork on one page is put to good use elsewhere. Similarly, the draft tool can make the creative process smoother by enabling you to draw sketchy outlines that act as a reference point from which to work.

Finally, Advanced Tools also include additional sound recording options that make it possible to import sounds saved in Nintendo DSi Sound. These music and sound clips can be mixed and subsequently expanded with further layers to create a single track that really brings your animation to life!

Whether you're new to animation or a seasoned pro, Flipnote Studio offers you the tools to bring your imagination to life. We sat down for a chat with world-renowned animation studio Aardman Animations. Watch the video for a sneak peek of the interview then tune into the Nintendo Channel on your Wii console to watch the rest!

Share Your Creativity

You’ll get plenty of personal pleasure from seeing your Flipnotes come to life, but the fun certainly doesn’t end there. As well as exchanging finished Flipnotes with friends using the wireless functionality of Nintendo DSi, you can also share your work with a much wider audience courtesy of the Flipnote Hatena website.

Please note: Flipnote Hatena services for Flipnote Studio on Nintendo DSi and Nintendo DSi XL will end on May 31st, 2013, before the launch of the new Flipnote Studio 3D application for Nintendo 3DS.

The site - which is accessible from your Nintendo DSi or another Internet-enabled device such as a PC or a Wii console - acts as a central hub for Flipnote Studio users and their diverse creations. If your Nintendo DSi is connected to the Internet, you’ll be able to upload your Flipnotes for others to take a look at or download their work to enjoy whenever you like, while accessing the site from another device will let you view all the Flipnotes posted to the site.

However you access the Flipnote Hatena website, you can show your appreciation for your favourite Flipnotes by awarding them a Star rating and posting some words of praise. You can even download Flipnotes to your Nintendo DSi and alter or expand those that haven’t been locked by the original creator before re-posting them for the Flipnote Hatena community to enjoy afresh.

With Flipnotes on the site divided into a series of themed channels, it’s easy to navigate your way around the world’s work and pick up a little inspiration as you see other Flipnote Studio users making the most of the application’s potential. You can also check out the special Flipnote Central page to see Flipnotes created by animation legends, such as Aardman Studios, Yoichi Kotabe and Tatsunoko Productions.

Get connected with other Flipnote Studio users and trade, grade and praise each others work as you take your place among the creative community that calls the Flipnote Hatena website home.

The Mario Drawing Song

Winning Flipnotes from Europe & Oceania!

We invited Nintendo DSi and Nintendo DSi XL owners from Japan, Europe and Oceania to help us celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Super Mario Bros. in style by creating Mario Flipnotes using Flipnote Studio.

The competition has now closed, and the esteemed judges (the original creators of Mario themselves) have chosen their favourite Mario Flipnotes from each region.

Below you can view the eight winning animations, along with comments from Shigeru Miyamoto, Takashi Tezuka or Yoshiaki Koizumi.

Creator: Raving Boy

Miyamoto: This humorous Mario made me laugh. I liked the speed of the jumping animation.

Creator: Joni

Tezuka: The more I watch it the more I feel a peculiar charm that is not present in the Mario world. I also like the fine expressions such as the eye movements of the cloud.

Creator: NolanCross

Koizumi: I guess many people would probably go like "Ah true! It'd be like this if you drew it along with the lyrics!" I also find it interesting that Luigi drew Mario and it turned out to be like this.

Creator: SuperBuddy

Tezuka: The creator must have tried very hard to express the invisible Mario, I assume? I find it amusing as it has a peculiar tempo.

Creator: Kerui ♪

Tezuka: This may look some kind of classic sketch, but it made me realise again that this is the root of Flipnotes.

Creator: Glen-i

Miyamoto: I enjoyed that the movie consists of Paper Mario characters and the typical elements of Mario games.  Thanks a lot for drawing it in detail.

Creator: MdM

Koizumi: This one is highly recommended by all three of us judges, without a doubt. We can tell that the creator has good taste from the simple structure of red and blue, and the smooth movement. This is on the level of a certain style that Flipnote Studio has achieved. I really appreciate the work.

Creator: tomutwit

Miyamoto: The animation made with bold lines and the silhouette has quite an impact. I feel sorry for the honest Goomba.

Flipnote Monsters Competition winners chosen!

We asked you to post a monster to Flipnote Hatena that you thought could best our champion ""Bad Egg"" (created by renowned illustrator Andrew Rae*) in a straight-out brawl!

The four best entries have been personally chosen and animated by Andrew in a series of knockout battles - with the final winning monster facing off against Bad Egg himself!

You can view both the original Flipnotes drawn by the winners and the final animations on Flipnote Hatena for Nintendo DSi or Nintendo DSi XL, on the Nintendo Channel, or simply by following the links below!

Click these links to view the original winning animations of the Flipnote Monsters Competition!

Monster Root by Dee-Kid

Mr Nose Moustache by Bronky

Mr Mud by tytyl

Mr Gurgles by J-dude

Bad Egg is a vicious fighter with a hard protective shell. His weapon is that he sometimes hatches and the vicious lizard inside extends his reach and aggression. His weakness is that in order to hatch he has to sit down and incubate for a while, which makes him an easy target.

And now... to battle!

The knockout rounds have been lovingly animated and the time for combat is nigh! Simply click here to watch each round of this thrilling contest!

We'd like to thank everyone who entered the competition for their efforts - Bad Egg would have been shadow boxing without your imagination and creativity!

*Andrew Rae has worked for many worldwide clients in advertising, print, publishing and animation including the BBC, MTV and V Festival.