Official Nintendo Magazine

Login to access exclusive Nintendo content, win prizes and post on our forums. Not a member yet? Register for free

Free 3DS messaging service coming to 3DS in December

Message people on your Friends list with Nintendo Letter Box

Nintendo is providing a free 3DS messaging app on the eShop this December. It's called Nintendo Letter Box and it will let you send messages to your friends using StreetPass and SpotPass.

Click to view larger image
As well as being able to write and draw your own messages and choose the design of your writing paper, you can also attach 3D photos and even voice clips you've recorded using the 3DS Sound App.

It seems that those who were hoping for the basic ability to send messages to people on their friends list are about to get that and a whole lot more. Awesome.

Comments

29 comments so far...
Add a comment

  1. Fidu Friday 21st Oct 2011 at 13:21

    Finally! And it sounds much better than I expected!

  2. TenTen Friday 21st Oct 2011 at 13:21

    sounds great!.... But i have no one on my friend list :(

  3. Hienzy Friday 21st Oct 2011 at 13:23

    Great news. Finally, my Sony obsessed friend who for some reason bought a 3DS before the price drop and refuses to streetpass anyone will shut up about this feature not being included. Also, I'll be able to play him at mario kart.

  4. BreezySkells Friday 21st Oct 2011 at 13:24

    you just need to asked someone for a friend code and this is going to be tested to the max in my case!

  5. eternalmidnight Friday 21st Oct 2011 at 13:26

    This is awesome! As long as it can be done running in the background. If you have to quite a game to send messages then that'll just make me slightly sad faced :(

  6. L_A Friday 21st Oct 2011 at 13:30

    When watching the 'conference', I was quite surprised when they revealed that application. Nintendo has always been rather reluctant to provided such a thing online (Picto Chat was great, but it's interested was very limited, since it was only local). Guess they did listen to people after all. It's not an IM program, but that still a very nice.

  7. Captain Kuchiki Friday 21st Oct 2011 at 13:42

    Freakin' badass.

  8. SteveSalmon999 Friday 21st Oct 2011 at 13:51

    dont think i couldve asked for better!
    3DS's are really starting to look a lot more appealing?
    The sales will probably pick up nicely in time for it to hold its own market alongside the vita
    I was being told yesterday how my friend thought nintendo would have to follow sega and be 3rd party developers!
    I told him thatif nintendo were struggling, they wouldn't go down without a fight,
    (feeling smug right now) 8)

  9. Argenthor Friday 21st Oct 2011 at 14:06

    sounds great!.... But i have no one on my friend list :(


    Same :)
    Still waiting for anyone else i know to get one

  10. Komodo_Wolfgang Friday 21st Oct 2011 at 14:24

    Shame its not Wifi... Useless for those with no friends with no 3DS' =\

  11. ProfJimbobLayton Friday 21st Oct 2011 at 14:31

    Shame its not Wifi... Useless for those with no friends with no 3DS' =\

    This feature will use spot-pass, so maybe it is Wi-fi, thats how you would receive messages from your 'friends'. Otherwise, i can't see the point in this. Receiving a message in street pass... when I could just talk to that person. Reminds me of my folks who facebook each other when they're sat next to each other...

  12. ChrisONM Friday 21st Oct 2011 at 14:46

    Shame its not Wifi... Useless for those with no friends with no 3DS' =\


    It is Wi-Fi. You send a message to a person in your friend list and they get it over SpotPass.

  13. Wiimote Friday 21st Oct 2011 at 15:07

    OMG YAY!!! I cant wait for this either. Feels like we are being spoilt by Nintendo :)

  14. CyberGW Friday 21st Oct 2011 at 15:20

    Thank you Nintendo!
    Ever so slightly disappointed that you can't just chat normally but still this is a great improvement!
    Good job!

  15. Shimama_king Friday 21st Oct 2011 at 17:00

    Actually really looking forward to this especially since it isn't just messages you can add sound clips and images too. I want a little animal crossing postman to hand deliver them through the internet, i doubt that'll happen though but I can dream. Although come to think of animal crossing could use this to its advantage and let you send letters in game to eachother through this. Would give me a reason to send letters which i did always like doing on animal crossing :)

  16. TenTen Friday 21st Oct 2011 at 17:05

    Big thanks to 3MEGAMAN. 1 Friend and counting! :D

  17. NickallowBros Friday 21st Oct 2011 at 17:55

    After 2 Marios are released & the firmware update happens, the 3DS will totally smash Vita.

  18. Nathsem Friday 21st Oct 2011 at 18:25

    Does it do PictoChat too?

  19. IfritXVII Friday 21st Oct 2011 at 18:33

    Can you use this whilst playing a game? If not then Nintendo have once again messed up. Sigh, it's the Wii all over again. With no voice chat yet confirmed for any future online game (MK7 included), guess we'll have to stick with outside methods of communication when playing with friends.

  20. Lil Gracie Friday 21st Oct 2011 at 19:08

    Yes! This sounds great and I've been wanting something like this for ages! The fact that you can add pictures and voice recordings is even better too.

  21. imbusydoctorwho Friday 21st Oct 2011 at 22:08

    Yay,more great uses for my 3DS.

  22. Ai64 Saturday 22nd Oct 2011 at 11:36

    Ah! Much better and ideal for more communicating! =)

  23. mariokid6 Saturday 22nd Oct 2011 at 15:50

    When the 3ds came with no pictochat I was shocked but now I can send stuff to guys all over the world. :) :D

  24. shadowlugia101 Sunday 23rd Oct 2011 at 12:46

    this looks really cool :D although i would of prefered if if you could talk to the people like on xbox live or wii speak but i'm still happy to have this :)

  25. smilyface5 Sunday 23rd Oct 2011 at 20:10

    Hooray!!! I can now chat to my friends. I wonder if it's compatible with pictochat.

  26. Lil Gracie Monday 24th Oct 2011 at 19:29

    Hooray!!! I can now chat to my friends. I wonder if it's compatible with pictochat.


    Yes. Hmm, I don't think it will be as pictochat was only on the DS and you might only be able to talk to people with a 3DS. I wonder...
    It was a good point anyway!

  27. woodflute Saturday 29th Oct 2011 at 16:01

    Great step forward, but when will we get to use the inside camera for VIDEO CONFERENCING ??. i'm guessing that the 3DS has the capability, and it would be perv safe if you could only chat if you have the other persons ID code (like sending messages on the Wii). 8)

  28. herbie262 Friday 25th Nov 2011 at 16:22

    I was annoyed when I found out that there wasn't a messaging tool on the 3DS at first - this is great news!
    I do hope its compatible with Pictochat becuase I love chatting.
    All of my friends have DSs/DSis so to connect with them would be good.
    Oh, and sometimes I meet up with people with 6 year olds and stuff and whenever someone used rainbow with a DSi they were really impressed - hopefully Letter Box will pack something similar to rainbow!

  29. Hylian_Grouch Tuesday 6th Dec 2011 at 20:41

    its december, and we havnt heard anything about this since. everyone has been all about the system update that was due last month

Register or log in to commment
Add a comment

Login

Register

Not a member yet? Register now to access exclusive gaming content, win prizes and post on our forums.