<s>
Ping	B-Device
Pals	I-Device
is	O
a	O
chat/accessory	O
program	O
developed	O
by	O
WayForward	O
Technologies	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
THQ	O
for	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Device
DS	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
program	O
allows	O
the	O
user	O
to	O
customise	O
their	O
"	O
Ping	O
Pal	O
"	O
avatar	B-Application
and	O
game	O
interface	O
by	O
selecting	O
from	O
over	O
1000	O
different	O
items	O
such	O
as	O
hairstyles	O
,	O
makeup	O
,	O
clothing	O
,	O
backdrops	O
,	O
music	O
loops	O
and	O
sound	O
effects	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Players	O
receive	O
a	O
regular	O
allowance	O
of	O
coins	O
,	O
using	O
the	O
DS	B-Device
 '	O
date-keeping	O
functionality	O
,	O
and	O
can	O
get	O
more	O
by	O
playing	O
mini-games	O
(	O
such	O
as	O
Guess	O
the	O
Number	O
and	O
Hot	O
Potato	O
)	O
,	O
typing	O
certain	O
secret	O
words	O
in	O
chat	O
(	O
each	O
word	O
works	O
once	O
per	O
file	O
)	O
and	O
even	O
for	O
choosing	O
to	O
display	O
the	O
credits	O
screen	O
more	O
than	O
once	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
Ping	B-Device
Pals	I-Device
was	O
marketed	O
as	O
a	O
nonviolent	O
,	O
girl-friendly	O
game	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
frequently	O
criticized	O
as	O
not	O
being	O
interactive	B-General_Concept
enough	O
to	O
be	O
called	O
a	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
to	O
this	O
,	O
the	O
DS	B-Device
has	O
a	O
built-in	O
chat	O
program	O
called	O
PictoChat	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
PictoChat	O
includes	O
features	O
that	O
Ping	B-Device
Pals	I-Device
lacks	O
,	O
and	O
due	O
to	O
this	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
received	O
"	O
generally	O
unfavorable	O
reviews	O
"	O
according	O
to	O
the	O
review	B-Application
aggregation	I-Application
website	O
Metacritic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
instance	O
,	O
Nintendo	O
Official	O
Magazine	O
,	O
in	O
its	O
Nintendo	B-Device
DS	I-Device
special	O
,	O
opened	O
their	O
review	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
by	O
describing	O
its	O
existence	O
as	O
being	O
"	O
a	O
bit	O
like	O
paying	O
money	O
to	O
breathe	O
air.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Several	O
images	O
in	O
Ping	B-Device
Pals	I-Device
were	O
licensed	O
from	O
QPlay	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
include	O
the	O
Cupimon	O
,	O
a	O
green	O
creature	O
that	O
dances	O
in	O
the	O
startup	O
animation	O
,	O
and	O
several	O
avatar	B-Application
and	O
clothing	O
graphics	O
.	O
</s>
