Nintendo Unveils Wild New Game That Transforms Your Photos into Fun Minigames

Nintendo has just unveiled an exciting new mobile game called Pictonico!, which promises to transform your photos into a series of quirky minigames. This zany title seems to blend elements from WarioWare and Project Rub, inviting players to snap pictures of themselves and their friends, only to throw their faces into absurd challenges that look delightfully chaotic.

Set to launch on May 28, the official site for Pictonico! boldly proclaims, “Your photos now a game!” With a whopping 80 minigames, the gameplay revolves around using portrait photos, either by cutting them out and placing them in silly scenarios or manipulating the images directly—like stretching someone’s mouth wide open to devour cartoonish food.

The game shares a lot of DNA with WarioWare, featuring micro-games with outrageous concepts, such as making a character’s lips flap up and down to shake off crabs or placing a face on a cartoon baby that swings its tongue like a helicopter to grab lollipops.

While it’s not clear if you can play solo (though you could always take candid shots of unsuspecting strangers), there are multiple modes to explore: a series of stages to complete, a score attack mode, and a bizarre fortune-telling feature. The example shown on the website is a bit concerning, featuring a stubbly male character getting makeup applied alongside a female character in a wig, with the tagline, “Change sometimes begins on the outside.”

The game seems designed to tap into the Instagram culture of photo filters, but with a surreal twist through its minigames, which is quite promising. It operates on a free-to-play model, allowing you to install it for free and try out a few demo games, but to access the full experience, you’ll need to purchase a “game volume.” Pricing details for these volumes are still under wraps, as is the number of games included in each.

Links for both iOS and Android versions of the app are already available, providing a bit more insight into Pictonico! The description reads like a playful jumble:

“Turn your photos into minigames! Sure, it’s kind of silly… But there’s no telling what will happen next!

・ Here come your school’s sports stars… strutting down the red carpet!
・ Your boss is hungry and needs your help!
・ Try to wash away those embarrassing high-school memories.”

Nintendo’s recent ventures into mobile gaming have seen many short-lived projects come and go, so it’s wise not to get too attached to this one. Still, let’s hope we can enjoy some WarioWare-style fun while it’s around!