Foreword: AI helped with the research behind this blog. Text was written and edited by myself.

## Origins: DSiPaint and HullBreach’s Vision (2009–2010)

3DSPaint’s story begins with **DSiPaint**, a website founded by developer **Daniel “HullBreach” Gump** around mid-2009. HullBreach (as he’s known online) created DSiPaint as an HTML5 canvas-based painting application tailored to the Nintendo DSi’s modest web browser. This allowed DSi users to draw and share pixel art despite the console’s lack of Flash support, a novel feat acknowledged by the DSi homebrew community (DSiBrew). From the start, HullBreach integrated DSiPaint with his other projects – notably **HullBreach Online**, a browser-based space MMORPG for Wii – using a unified account system. This meant members could log into the game, DSiPaint, and later 3DSPaint with one account, fostering a **single connected community** across Nintendo devices.

HullBreach’s role was central in these early days. As **web developer and founder**, he actively built features and guided the community’s growth. Early DSiPaint users recall the site launching in 2009 and gaining traction through 2010 as one of the first **DSi-friendly social hubs**. It offered drawing tools, but also much more – user profiles, forums (bulletin boards), private messaging (“mail&rdquo, and chatrooms. In essence, DSiPaint evolved into a full social network for Nintendo handheld owners, with HullBreach at the helm coding new features and squashing bugs. By late 2010, a solid member base had formed, and inside jokes and friendships were already developing in chats and forums. Notably, **real-time chatrooms** (sometimes affectionately dubbed “PaintChat&rdquo became the online equivalent of Nintendo’s local PictoChat – a place where kids and teens from around the world could text and doodle together beyond the 30-foot wireless range of a DS. This tight-knit and slightly chaotic environment set the stage for the community culture that followed.

## The Launch of 3DSPaint and a Golden Era (2011–2014)

With the release of the Nintendo 3DS in 2011, HullBreach expanded the community’s scope. He launched **3DSPaint.com** that year as a sister site to DSiPaint. Initially, 3DSPaint was a mirror of DSiPaint’s content and accounts, but the new 3DS browser’s capabilities (and stereoscopic 3D) soon enabled unique features. HullBreach added **3D artwork support** (allowing members to create and share stereoscopic drawings) and an uploaded 3D photo gallery, taking advantage of the 3DS camera. The painting app itself got upgrades – for example, users could paint in 3D by layering two images. These innovations distinguished 3DSPaint from its DSi predecessor.

The period from roughly 2011 to 2014 was a **heyday of activity**. The community’s population ballooned – by the end of 2011, the integrated sites celebrated over 75,000 member signups. During these years, 3DSPaint/DSiPaint were *hugely popular* among their niche: a generation of Nintendo handheld owners. One recollection notes that the sites were “*super popular from around 2011–2014*,” drawing many users who utilized the browsers for games, forums, blogs, and chatrooms. Activity was high in all areas: the **public forums** buzzed with discussions and silly polls; the **blog section** overflowed with user-written posts (ranging from personal stories to fan fiction and reviews); and the **chatrooms** were often full each evening, effectively functioning as a global clubhouse for DSi/3DS kids. Members could also design avatars called **Saviis** (custom pixel characters akin to Nintendo’s Miis) and earn “Savii Points” through site activities, adding a game-like layer to participation. All these elements combined to give the community a unique identity – part art-sharing platform, part social network, and part online playground.

**HullBreach** remained deeply involved in this growth phase. Beyond coding new features, he communicated with users through blog updates and forum posts. He set annual goals and reviewed progress in “Year in Review” blogs, keeping the community informed. (For example, his 2011 review proudly announced the successful launch of 3DSPaint and new apps, even if some game projects slipped behind schedule.) HullBreach’s wife, known by username **SavantInamorata**, was also present in the community and served as a co-administrator, reflecting how the site was a family effort in more ways than one.

Crucially, the **community’s culture** gelled during this era. A number of **notable members** emerged as content creators and leaders. One infamous figure was **“Waffle King,”** a user-turned-moderator known for his sharp sarcasm and wit. Waffle King developed a reputation for snarky humor and brutal honesty that somehow endeared him to many. As one 2011 blog tongue-in-cheek described: *“Waffle King, the unadulterated tornado of sarcasm and narcissism… the one everyone seems to like no matter how much he puts them down”*. His blogs and comments could make members laugh or rage-quit – and often both – giving the community a bit of an edge and setting a precedent that admins could have big personalities. Other early pillars included **@Commander** (an administrator who often featured user content), and **Old Man Skunk**, a comical NPC persona HullBreach created as part of a planned RPG project (“The Mystical Journey&rdquo which became an inside joke among members. There were also creative contributors like **TacoRocco**, who organized site-wide events. For instance, TacoRocco led a **“DSiPaint Quilt”** project in 2011 where dozens of members each drew a small square and he stitched them into a big digital quilt, showcasing the community’s collective creativity. These kinds of activities and personalities fostered a sense of camaraderie. Longtime users often say the site felt like a **big family**, despite the frequent silliness and occasional drama.

## Spin-Offs and Sister Communities

At the peak of its popularity, 3DSPaint’s influence extended beyond its own domain. It inspired **spin-off projects and rival sites** that were either created by community members or closely linked to the same niche. One major offshoot was **SocialCu.be**, announced in late 2012 by a team of veteran 3DSPaint/DSiPaint users. Frustrated with limitations they saw in Paint (or simply eager to innovate on their own), a group including users known as A-MAN, AnthonyDK, Skittles, and Lunchmeats101 banded together to build a new handheld-centric social site. They touted SocialCu.be as *“a brand new way to socialize”* with features “*never seen by this community before*” and a polished design. SocialCu.be launched in early 2013 with features like custom themes, an improved drawing app (QuickNotes/QuickFlips), user email addresses, clans, trophies, and more – essentially a modernized evolution of the Paint concept. Its founders were all notable figures from the DSi/3DS web community who had *“achieved some level of notability in the…community”* and wanted to carry the torch forward. The emergence of SocialCu.be drew some users away from 3DSPaint, introducing a friendly rivalry between the sites.

Another contemporary site was **3DSPlaza**, launched around 2011. It similarly offered forums, chats, and user profiles tailored to the 3DS browser, and coexisted for many years before eventually shutting down in 2022 (by which time its activity had waned). There were also smaller projects like **DSiHub/3DSHub**, **DSiCade** (for browser games), and even a site called **Social Neko** – all part of the constellation of communities serving the Nintendo handheld crowd. The **DSiBrew wiki** in fact listed DSiPaint alongside some of these (SocialCu.be, DSiCade, etc.) as prime examples of what could be achieved on the DSi’s browser. Collectively, these sites influenced each other, shared many of the same users, and even had overlapping staff. For example, **Skittles**, a respected 3DSPaint admin, was also a co-founder of SocialCu.be and provided updates on its progress back on the Paint forums. While 3DSPaint remained the original hub, it’s fair to say it *seeded an entire ecosystem* of fan-made Nintendo web communities.

Within 3DSPaint itself, HullBreach continued to expand features inspired by community feedback and broader tech trends. He introduced a **“Library”** of e-books (since reading on the DSi/3DS browsers became popular) and supported user-made apps and games via the site’s SDK. The site also held contests – e.g. art contests (one Holiday Art Contest was organized by user Limxzero in late 2011) – and even attempted to develop an ambitious MMORPG **“The Mystical Journey (TMJ)”** to integrate with user profiles. TMJ’s development progressed slowly, but elements of it (like an inventory system and NPC shops run by characters such as Old Man Skunk) were demoed on the site, generating excitement among the RPG-loving segment of the community. Another HullBreach creation was **SDK Paint**, a painting application released on the Wii U eShop in 2014, which was conceptually a successor to DSi/3DSPaint’s canvas but as a console app. Content from SDK Paint could be shared online, and HullBreach hinted at unifying these platforms into a cross-device “**SDK Community**”. Indeed, by the late 2010s, he was referring to the whole network of sites and apps as the **“SDK Community”** – an umbrella for DSiPaint, 3DSPaint, and newer projects under HullBreach Studios. All these spin-offs and integrations underscore how 3DSPaint wasn’t just a single website, but the center of a **small web empire of Nintendo-focused social apps**.

## Community Life and Notable Members

Throughout its life, 3DSPaint cultivated a distinct community dynamic. The user base skewed young – many in their early teens – which gave the forums and chats a lively, sometimes chaotic energy. Humor and creativity were abundant. Users shared fan art and memes, wrote multi-chapter fanfiction blogs, and held **role-playing sessions in the chatrooms** (there were dedicated role-play chats and even language-specific chats). The **culture valued wit and originality**; those who produced interesting blogs or artwork often became e-famous within the site. At the same time, the community could be **tightly knit and supportive**. Regulars came to know each other well, forming friendships that extended beyond the site. As one member from 2024 reminisced, even when the user count dropped, *“we all feel like a big family and we’re all friends”* on Paint. Newcomers were generally welcomed warmly and mentored on the site’s quirks (and there were many quirks – from custom BBCode emoji to hidden Easter eggs accessible via the 3DS’s AR features).

**Key personalities** helped shape this culture. We’ve mentioned HullBreach and Waffle King as two cornerstones – the benevolent creator and the provocateur moderator. Another influential figure in later years is **Draconid_Jo**. Joining the site around 2019, Draconid_Jo became extremely active in blogs and governance discussions, eventually being *“granted Overlord status by HullBreach”* (i.e. promoted to admin) in late 2024. He’s known for organizing community initiatives and even running an unofficial Discord server for Paint members. **“DCTheGamr”** (often just “DC&rdquo is another notable member, emblematic of how a passionate individual can rally a small community. DC was known as a *super-active* user who at times almost single-handedly kept conversations going. According to one admin’s account, DC’s bursts of activity had *“saved Paint from dying due to inactivity”* on multiple occasions. DC eventually became controversial – he was banned from the site at one point in 2025, an event that dramatically impacted morale and activity. Many members flocked to Discord servers when he and a few other vibrant personalities (like a user called **Amjam**) were no longer around on the site. This underscores how dependent the late-stage community was on a handful of enthusiasts.

Other memorable community members include **Limxzero**, an early contributor who not only moderated but wrote helpful guides (for example, a comprehensive “HullBreach Online Lite Planetary Guide” for the Wii/DS game) and assisted HullBreach in technical troubleshooting. **Skittles**, besides co-founding SocialCu.be, was a respected voice on Paint and known for helping younger users. **TacoRocco**, as mentioned, spurred community art projects. **Kashbanooka** (also known as Veilrique on SocialCu.be) and **JinxCade** are examples of users who bridged the old and new eras – they grew up on the site and by the 2020s took on leadership roles in content moderation and proposing modern features (their names appear frequently in helpdesk suggestions and Patreon updates). And we cannot forget the many creative bloggers like **FancyPants**, who entertained peers with fun reviews (e.g. a popular Homestuck webcomic review blog) and **Icarus**, who ran an interview series with famous members (interviewing Waffle King and others). Each left a small legacy in the form of blog archives and inside jokes that persist in the community’s memory.

The community also had its share of **drama and growing pains**, as any social network does. There were periodic debates over site rules – for instance, what kind of speech was acceptable. HullBreach generally allowed liberal creative expression, but he drew lines at obscenity or harassment. Political or controversial topics occasionally flared into arguments, prompting HullBreach to reiterate the site’s free speech policy in a 2025 blog to clarify boundaries. There were also instances of hacking or exploits – one recent example (April 2025) saw users exploit an image-upload bug to post unsanctioned images, leading HullBreach to perform a “purge” and tighten security. Through these episodes, the core community often pulled together, with admins and veteran users guiding resolution. The *DIY* spirit of the site – the fact that it was run by one man (and his small team) rather than a big company – gave users a feeling of **co-ownership**. They weren’t shy about giving feedback or even scolding the admins when they disagreed, but this participatory atmosphere kept the community vibrant.

## Decline and Legacy: The Long Fade (2015–2025)

As the mid-2010s arrived, 3DSPaint entered a slow decline. Several factors contributed to its waning activity. **Member demographics shifted** – the original cohort of users were growing up. Many who joined as kids in 2009–2011 were finishing high school or entering college by 2015, naturally spending less time on a niche console website. Meanwhile, new potential users had modern alternatives: by this time, smartphones and mainstream social media were ubiquitous among teens. Fewer young Nintendo gamers were inclined to use the clunky built-in browser for socializing when they had phones with Twitter, Instagram, or Discord. Nintendo itself introduced Miiverse in 2013 on 3DS, providing an official (albeit heavily moderated) social platform that likely siphoned some of the audience. And importantly, the Nintendo DSi and 3DS hardware were discontinued (the 3DS line effectively ended by 2020), meaning the pipeline of new users dried up. As one community member observed in 2024, *“they’re kind of dead now with about 15 active users”* – a stark contrast to the bustling rooms of a decade prior.

Another major factor was **community fragmentation**. The rise of the spin-off sites discussed earlier meant the once-unified user base scattered to multiple communities. SocialCu.be attracted a chunk of the userbase after 2013 by offering a more modern experience and continued to operate as an alternative home for former “Painters.” 3DSPlaza had its own following. By late 2010s, even those sites faced decline, but the effect of splitting the community during the crucial 2013–2016 period was significant. Some active members maintained accounts on all platforms, cross-posting to keep them alive, but many chose one favorite and let the others lapse.

Additionally, the **technology of 3DSPaint’s platform grew outdated**. The site was designed for the constraints of the DSi/3DS browsers – which meant very limited JavaScript, small screen layout, and no HTTPS (in fact, even in 2024 users noted to use “http://” because “https:// takes forever to load” on 3DS). By modern standards, the interface was antiquated. While HullBreach did update the codebase incrementally (and impressively kept it running through server moves and software updates), he was only one person and had many other commitments. After founding **HullBreach Studios**, he devoted energy to developing indie games and apps. For periods in the late 2010s, the Paint sites received minimal new features, which left the user experience frozen in an earlier era. As browsers evolved, bugs crept in – by 2018 HullBreach was scrambling to fix broken email verification and other maintenance tasks. Longtime users adapted, but new users likely found the site clunky or archaic without nostalgia to smooth the way.

By around 2017–2018, the **active user count** on 3DSPaint had dwindled to a devoted handful. Those who remained treated the site almost like a private clubhouse. Indeed, some enjoyed the smaller scale: *“I personally like it that way; we all feel like a big family”*, said one user cheerfully in late 2024. The content mix had changed too. Blogs were no longer teenage angst or fanfiction central; instead, one would find reflective posts by veterans (some touching on surprisingly deep topics for a Nintendo fan site, like philosophical musings on community dynamics) and site announcements. A core group of moderators/admins – people like Draconid_Jo, JinxCade, and others – kept watch, often multitasking via a **Discord server** that many had joined. Discord became the de facto extension of the community. By 2025, much of the real-time chatter and socializing had shifted to **“the Discord version of 3DSPaint”**, as one member described it. The official site, meanwhile, saw days with almost no new posts or only a trickle of comments.

Despite the decline, 3DSPaint was never entirely abandoned by its creator. HullBreach remained present (his profile shows daily logins through 2025) and periodically took action to steer the ship. In early 2025, he made a significant decision: rather than quietly let the site die or attempt to sell it off, he announced plans to **modernize and expand** the community once more. In a March 2025 blog titled “Plans for the Community’s Future,” HullBreach outlined a tentative roadmap: bringing on a new webmaster (a trusted long-time member, Austin aka *BlarFlargen*), upgrading the code to support modern browsers and devices, and even possibly launching a brand-new umbrella website for the community without the old handheld limitations. He explicitly stated *“there is no longer a plan to sell the websites”* and instead committed to reviving them with fresh development. The plan included ideas like premium memberships to fund development and maybe re-introducing a mobile app down the line. Essentially, HullBreach acknowledged that the **current Paint sites had reached the end of their life cycle**, but he wasn’t ready to let the community’s legacy end. Longtime users greeted this news with cautious optimism, expressing that they were glad to see efforts to keep their beloved community alive in some form going forward.

## Conclusion: An Enduring Legacy

In 2025, 3DSPaint.com is a shadow of its once-thriving self – the website equivalent of a nearly empty arcade, lights still flickering and a few regulars wandering the halls. Yet its legacy as a **community** remains significant. Over more than a decade, HullBreach’s humble painting app blossomed into a multifaceted social hub that touched the lives of thousands of Nintendo fans. It provided a generation of DSi and 3DS kids with their first taste of online community, complete with all the creativity, camaraderie, and occasional conflict that entails. Members forged friendships (some of which carried on to other platforms), honed their writing and art skills, and learned about internet culture within the relatively safe confines of “Paint.” The site also demonstrated the ingenuity of the homebrew scene – showing that even Nintendo’s underpowered browsers could host games, apps, and social networks if one was clever enough. Competing sites like SocialCu.be and 3DSPlaza that emerged were themselves a testament to 3DSPaint’s influence, as they were built by alumni of Paint taking the concept further.

In the end, 3DSPaint’s decline was driven by the march of technology and time, as is the fate of many fan communities. But rather than vanish abruptly, it gradually transformed – first splintering into spin-offs, then shrinking to a core that shifted to Discord, and now potentially metamorphosing under HullBreach’s new plans. While the *website* 3DSPaint.com may be quiet, the *community* and its legacy persist. In the words of one veteran member encouraging a worried newcomer, “there’s ebbs and flows in activity – it’s happened a lot over the years… things will pick up, give it time”. Whether or not the original site ever returns to its former glory, the impact it had from inception to decline remains a fond chapter in the history of online gaming communities. **3DSPaint** will be remembered as the little community that turned a game console browser into a canvas – not just for art, but for friendships and memories as well.

**Sources*

* HullBreach (Daniel Gump) – Profile and blog posts on DSiPaint/3DSPaint
* “2011 Year in Review” by HullBreach, *3DSPaint Blogs*
* DSiBrew Wiki – *Nintendo DSi Browser* article (example sites and capabilities)
* TacoRocco’s “DSiPaint Quilt” community blog (2011)
* Vinsackzo’s “Waffle King” blog (2011) and comments
* SocialCu.be announcement thread on DSiPaint forums (2012)
* Jax_xd’s “is 3DSPaint dying?” blog and comments (2025)
* Bell Tree Forums discussion “Does anyone remember DSiPaint/3DSPaint?” (2024)
* 3DSPaint Help Desk / Patreon updates by HullBreach (2018, 2025)
* DSiPaint forum threads and user comments (2009–2011) illustrating community activity.