Ping Pals is being offered up by THQ as their answer to PictoChat. That is to say, they're competing with something built right into the DS hardware. With more style and features than PictoChat, however, this endeavor may prove a bit more admirable.

What sets it apart? Well, have you ever seen Gaia Online, the biggest damn forum on the entire internet? By partaking in this "anime roleplaying community," or just shamelessly posting emoticons like ":3", any anime nerd, no matter how socially inept, can earn "gold." This gold, in turn, can be used to buy items for their avatar/character. This is the recipe for internet success, apparently.

This interweb behemoth is the first thing that came to mind when I saw the screens for Ping Pals; players earn coins by chatting, doodling, or playing minigames. These coins can then be spent on special items, and these items can also be traded around. Sounds more fun than a plain, featureless chat program, right? Ping Pals also has a cool anime art style - it's developed by WayForward, the same folks that made Shantae.

Other people can join in on a Ping Pals session, even if they don't have the cartridge. Up to 16 people can use it at once. The game will sell for only $19.99, too.