PictoChat


 * Not to be confused with PictoChat 2.

PictoChat (, PictoChat) is a Super Smash Bros. Brawl stage based on the software for the Nintendo DS of the same name. In the beginning, the stage consists of a flat, blank stage. As the match continues, pictures are drawn in. Some have different effects, like a face that blows wind at the players, rails with a moving minecart, a giant Piranha Plant and much more.

The only static platform is a "now entering" notification. Although the lower end of the main platform can sometimes be seen, it is impossible to go under and around it.

Oddly enough, for a stage that appears technical and futuristic, the crates and barrels appear in the present form instead of the stainless steel form, and although this takes place inside a game system, the characters are still 3-D, unlike Flat Zone 2, where characters are 2-D.

Variations
There are a total of 27 drawings that can be sketched on PictoChat stage. They appear in a cycle, meaning that the same drawing cannot reappear until every other sketch has featured. However, the cycle itself is randomly decided at the start of each match. The stage balances the time in which a drawing is on and off; it spends approximately 13.33 seconds with a sketch and the same amount of time without one. As a general rule, bold lines can be stepped on while faint lines stay in the background. The sketches are as follows:

Origin
This stage is based on PictoChat, which is a communication system that is built into the Nintendo DS. Players can either type or draw a message to their friends with the stylus. PictoChat contains four chat rooms, labeled "A", "B", "C", and "D". It was originally only accessible from the handheld's main menu and only supported local connections; however, some games, such as Clubhouse Games/42 All-Time Classics, integrated PictoChat into the interface with online connectivity.

The stage itself is an amalgamation of the top and bottom screen of PictoChat: the top screen is where the notification bar and sent messages are displayed, while the bottom screen is where the user would draw or type messages. The notification bar appears as the main platform of the stage, and the bottom screen serves as the basis of the stage's background. The PictoChat stage is always set in room "A". When starting a match, the jingle heard when somebody joins a room is played, and the notification bar displays the name of a character in the same manner that PictoChat did.

Tournament Legality
This stage is currently banned in tournaments. Most of the transformations are unpredictable and overly powerful (such as Minecart, Fire, Missiles, and Gusty Gus) and can significantly affect gameplay.

Glitches
As well as being the home of the earthquake glitch (not including custom stages), PictoChat also has some glitches involving a few Assist Trophy summons.
 * If a drawing with two walls appears while Gray Fox is in between them (e.g. Blocks or Spears), he will be stuck in his run animation backwards & forwards and is unable to escape until he disappears.
 * If Helirin is summoned and rotates near the floor of the stage, characters can be pushed through & below the stage if they walk towards Helirin as it pushes down on them.
 * On rare occasions, Saki Amamiya or Knuckle Joe can become frozen if he jumps on the edge of the stage; he will not disappear and no more Assist Trophies will spawn for the rest of the match.
 * It is possible for to get into the springs by performing his down aerial twice very quickly.

Trivia

 * PictoChat, PictoChat 2, and its signature music are the sole things in the entire series that are categorised as part of the Nintendo DS universe. Its logo is the symbol of the DS Lite.
 * This stage is the only one in Brawl in which every track in the My Music selection is from a different game.
 * This stage is also the only default stage in Brawl to not have any event matches take place on it.
 * A Hothead will fall off the edge, despite the shape of the stage. This is because the stage cannot really be jumped under, and the space "under" the stage isn't really space.
 * Events that trigger the "Now Entering" message (like starting a match or respawning) will be accompanied by the sound of a bell, which also appeared in the original PictoChat when entering a room.
 * PictoChat is one of two stages that does not appear outside of Brawl, the other being Rumble Falls. It was passed over in favor of its successor, PictoChat 2, although there are no drawings that are shared between the two stages.