Our History & Mission
From the ashes of Flipnote Hatena to a thriving global community—discover the story of Sudomemo and our mission to keep Flipnote animation alive.
The Story of Sudomemo
Flipnote Hatena Closes
Nintendo announced the closure of Flipnote Hatena, leaving millions of creators without a platform to share their animations. The community faced the loss of years of creative work and connections.
Sudomemo is Born
On January 29, 2014, Austin Burk (Sudofox) launched Sudomemo as an independent online platform for Flipnote creators, committed to preserving the art form and community.
Building the Foundation
The community grew organically as word spread through social media and forums. We expanded features, improved stability, and began hosting contests and events.
Major Milestone
On March 4, 2016, Sudomemo reached 1 million Flipnotes uploaded by users - a testament to the vibrant creative community that had formed around the platform.
Reconnecting Flipnote
In early 2018, Sudomemo was forced offline after changes in Nintendo's network made it impossible for creators to log in or share Flipnotes. For months it seemed like the service might not return. By the end of the year, however, a breakthrough by a member of Team Sudomemo restored connectivity without requiring any changes to Flipnote Studio itself. This not only brought Sudomemo back online, but also laid the groundwork for other community-driven projects.
Community Growth
Sudomemo surpassed 50,000 creators and reached over 100 million total views, establishing itself as the definitive home for Flipnote animation.
Flipnote Archive Launch
On May 31, 2022, nine years after the closure of Flipnote Hatena, the Flipnote Archive officially launched. This full collection of Flipnotes preserved from the Nintendo DSi Library was the result of years of work by Sudomemo and the wider Flipnote development community, ensuring that a generation of creative work was not lost to time.
Flipnote Fight Competition
In 2023, Sudomemo partnered with Hyun’s Dojo to launch the first Flipnote Fight Competition, where creators animated stick-figure battles judged by a panel of veteran animators. The event was a hit, sparking a series of FFCs that continue today—with the Spring 2025 competition featuring a $1,500 prize pool.
Sustaining the Future
Today, we focus on sustainability and growth. With community support, we're working to ensure Sudomemo can preserve and celebrate Flipnote animation for generations to come.
Our Mission
Sudomemo's mission is threefold:
Preserve
We maintain the world's largest archive of Flipnote animations, ensuring that years of creative work are never lost. Every upload is carefully preserved for future generations.
Celebrate
We showcase the incredible talent in our community through contests, featured galleries, and social media highlights. Every artist deserves recognition for their creativity.
Foster
We provide tools, tutorials, and a supportive community to help new animators learn and grow. The art form thrives when knowledge is shared freely.
Why Your Support Matters
Sudomemo operates as a labor of love, funded entirely by community donations and run by volunteers who believe in the importance of preserving digital art. Unlike commercial platforms, we:
- Never sell user data or show intrusive advertising
- Focus entirely on the community and the art form
- Invest every dollar back into platform improvements
Your support helps us maintain servers, develop new features, and ensure that Flipnote animation has a permanent home on the internet.
Support Our Mission