Nintendo’s newest WarioWare is a weirdo smartphone app

Nintendo has unexpectedly launched Pictonico, a bizarre and playful smartphone game that appears to channel the fast, oddball energy of WarioWare. The move stands out because Nintendo has largely pulled back from mobile gaming after earlier efforts like its Super Mario platformer failed to meet expectations.

Pictonico suggests Nintendo may still be willing to experiment on phones, but only with smaller, stranger projects rather than flagship franchise bets. The launch highlights the company’s unresolved mobile strategy as it balances brand control, platform priorities, and low-risk experimentation.

A decade ago, Nintendo made a big splash into the world of mobile gaming with a new Super Mario platformer directed by none other than Shigeru Miyamoto. But even though the game proved popular, it wasn't the success the company had hoped for. Over the ensuing years Nintendo has slowly retreated from smartphone gaming, with the exception of a handful of apps and some legacy games. Which is what made it so surprising this week when Nintendo launched Pictonico. It's a bizarre and playful mobile game that channels the best of WarioWare, but I have zero idea how it fits into Nintendo's current strategy. Much like WarioWare, Pictonico (which, I a … Read the full story at The Verge.