The legacy of PictoChat on Nintendo DS continues with this iMessage app.

I first experienced instant messaging on my friend’s AIM account, but it was the Nintendo DS’s messaging app called PictoChat that stood out as the most enjoyable and least stressful place to chat. Now, there’s a newer app called PicoChat that aims to bring back some of that fun experience to your iPhone. Developed by Idrees Hassan, PicoChat is an iMessage app you can easily download now.

PicoChat resembles a compact version of PictoChat that fits into the lower part of your iPhone screen. It includes both regular keyboards and emoji options, allowing you to type messages easily. What makes it even more appealing for those who loved PictoChat is the drawing feature. You can create doodles using your finger, and an on-screen stylus will show up, making it feel like you’re writing or drawing with a real stylus.

When it first released in 2004 alongside the original Nintendo DS, PictoChat was more of a novel idea than a serious messaging platform. It required both users to connect their handheld devices over the same Wi-Fi network, which restricted how many people could use it at a time. Despite this limitation, Nintendo kept including PictoChat in newer versions of the Nintendo DS, such as the DS Lite and the DSi in 2006 and 2009, respectively. In 2011, an app called Swapnote for the 3DS was created as something like a successor to PictoChat, building on the same concepts.

PicoChat may not fully capture the same intimate vibe that PictoChat had when it was on the Nintendo DS, but for anyone who longs for those nostalgic moments of chatting, this app is a great way to relive them. The combination of messaging and drawing takes you back to those simpler times.

Whether you want to share quick messages or draw silly pictures for your friends, PicoChat brings back that creative and personal touch of earlier handheld messaging experiences. So if you’re feeling nostalgic for the unique joy of PictoChat, PicoChat can provide a delightful reminder of those days.