Nintendo’s Labo accessory kits allow users to build their own cardboard constructs for gaming interaction. (Image credit: Nintendo)
I’m inspired by this Nintendo Experiment. Can it be applied to SBCs and other development boards?
Nintendo was always a company of firsts- the first gaming company to run a taxi service, a love hotel chain, and TV network. Now it’s banking on making cardboard popular with their Labo accessory kits for the Switch. As a kid I was always engineering something out of cardboard, including a replica of the Tardis, battlefields for Transformers and yes, even cardboard protective armor, so I’m naturally interested in Labo.
The idea of combining physical objects and gaming platforms isn’t exactly new (the NES Zapper comes to mind) but utilizing cardboard for game interaction is admittedly something I would have never considered.
The Labo platform is broken down into two kits that feature cardboard cutouts (as well as other materials) that you pair with the Switch and Joy-Con controllers, which when combined with Labo, become ‘Toy-Cons.’ These interactive constructs are combined with games related to each build, such as a fishing pole for catching virtual fish, tiny playable piano, RC vehicles and more.
The more I thought about Labo, the more I started thinking of the kits as a two-sided coin- on the one hand, building with cardboard can spark creativity in kids and adults alike, while at the same time being easily repaired if they become damaged. On the other hand, there’s only so many times you can fix the material before it becomes unusable. I’d like to think some users would merely create better or upgraded versions using superior materials, after all, that’s what Labo is all about- creativity.
Nintendo’s Robot Kit uses the Joy-Con controllers to locate your limbs in a VR world while the Switch serves as the headset. (Image credit: Nintendo)
Nintendo’s Labo comes in two versions with the first being the Variety Kit, which features materials to build five different Toy-Cons- including those mentioned earlier along with handlebars for motorbike racing and a toy house. The second version is a Robot Kit, which features a wearable mech-like suit that tracks the wearer’s movements (via the Joy-Con controllers), allowing them to destroy constructs as a robot in a VR setting. The Switch is worn as a headset, giving you a complete view of what you are destroying in-game and acts much like Samsung’s VR Gear.
Nintendo is expected to release both Labo kits in April with an option for pre-order on the company’s website and retails for $70 each with other kits scheduled in the near future. $70 seems pretty steep considering your mostly paying for cardboard but Nintendo is banking on the creativity aspect of the platforms, and honestly, I would have loved to have these when I was a kid.
Have a story tip? Message me at: cabe(at)element14(dot)com
Top Comments