Flipnote Studio released!

Who doesn't recall making their own flipbook when they were young? Making something seemingly static and flat, only to see it animate before your eyes when you flipped the pages exposed me to my first lessons in animation. Heck, even "sharing" your creation often involved marking the corners of a textbook, in hopes that the next owner will discover your "contribution."

Well, Nintendo's Flipnote Studio (Moving Memo in Japan) is set to bring back that sensation, sans paper or ruined textbooks. Released the end of last year in Japan, this free app is finally released in the US, allowing users to use the touch screen to create, frame by frame, their own short little flipnote animation.

With the DSi's touch screen, making an animation is as easy as drawing. Using the D-pad, you can quickly add the next frame or go into the menu and adjust your tools. You can even adjust the speed at which your creation animates, and insert more frames between existing ones when necessary. The app even uses the DSi camera to help create frames, granulating images for use in the app. You can also use the mic and add annoying sounds to key points in your animation. And you don't have to worry about size constraints, since this app can save your animations to your SD card as well.

And even if you have no creative bone in your body, you can check out Flipnote Hatena, which will connect your DSi to the internet and access other people's creations straight to your DSi. And when you DO create your own flipnote, you can upload it yourself to the site and share with everyone else.

Thankfully, my prayers have been answered - this version of Flipnote Studio IS the updated version of the app that was released in Japan. The updates include the ability to copy and paste (realized faster than iPhone...HI-YO!), layers, new brushes and pens, image scaling, and some resolved connection issues to Flipnote Hatena.

If you've been waiting to get the most out of your DSi purchase, then you need to download the free Flipnote Studio app.