Nintendo is certainly on a roll lately. First year, there are a ton of fantastic games released for the Switch and it ends up being the fastest selling game console since the Wii; Second year, I don't think Nintendo are gonna slow down with these golden ideas any time soon. Nintendo just announced something big, charming, and is set to appeal to children and those who are kids at heart. Announcing Nintendo's brand new Labo series: their educational, cardboard, DIY answer to Joy-Con peripherals.
As someone who used to play with Legos, K'Nex and Erector Sets when I was a kid, I got extremely giddy when I saw this trailer. It gives the player the ability to build something they can actually use with their gaming system, AND makes genius use of the Joy-Con's HD Rumble and the right Joy-Con's IR camera. The first of the two sets that were shown is the Toy-Con Variety Kit which comes with a handful of sets that allow you to make...
An RC car- A fishing rod
- An interactive house
- A motorbike's handlebars
- And a 13-key piano
Now while the other kit, the Toy-Con Robot Kit, only provides one thing to build, it is one doozy of a project allowing you to basically make a visor for the left Joy-Con and this backpack-looking device that houses the right; all for the purpose of playing as a giant robot that is used to destroy buildings and invading UFO's. Now while these are the only two kits that were confirmed so far, the trailer teased other sets to be released sometime in the future that showed off devices like a steering wheel, a fighter jet's flight stick, a photography camera, and what appeared to be a handgun.
Now if the thought of it being cardboard is a bit off putting to you, think about it this way...
- Cardboard may be cheap, but it is also surprisingly sturdy for its light weight.
- It can be easily fixed with glue or tape should it tear or crack.
- It can be customized with markers, stencils, or decorative tape like a school art project or by using the optional Customization Kit.
- It can be cheaply replaced if it is ever destroyed.
- And there is this level of charm that cardboard offers that you can't get from thick, heavy plastics.
The first two sets will both be released on April 20 of this year with an MSRP of $69.99USD for the Variety Kit and $79.99USD for the Robot Kit and both will come with the needed building sets and the software necessary to use them. Now Nintendo has confirmed that should any of the kits become irreparably damaged from overuse or poor treatment, they will be offering replacement kits that only contain the cardboard sets at a much cheaper price. I personally think this is an amazing idea and I hope to see it expanded upon in some way with other games. But until then, I'll be seeing you.
