Nintendo is Getting Cardboard Peripherals and…uh…

Nintendo dropped a neat little trailer on Wednesday afternoon detailing a new concept the videogame company is bringing to market.

Labo? More like Lamo!

Nintendo dropped a trailer for its latest creation, Nintedno Labo, on Wednesday afternoon. The product brings together model making and the Switch to bring crazy functionality to the portable console.

The actual concept looks neat: You buy one of two kits starting at $69.99 and then put together the models like a lego set. The Switch and joy-cons fit in to make different games and apps. One example is a piano that plays. I don’t know how this works, but the idea is cool.

The problem comes where I have a hard time convincing myself to keep a lot of cardboard in my living space for a few mini games. I certainly wouldn’t disparage anyone for enjoying these, though.

Official breakdown from the Big N’:

“Each Nintendo Labo kit packs plenty of value, with a range of ways to make, play and discover in each kit:

Variety Kit ($69.99^MSRP*)

• Toy-Con RC Car: Insert the Left and Right Joy-Con into your newly built RC Car and control its movement using touch screen controls on the Nintendo Switch console. The HD Rumble feature in the Joy-Con controllers will cause vibrations that move the car in the direction you choose. Materials to construct two RC Cars are included.
• Toy-Con Fishing Rod: Construct the Fishing Rod with an active, rotating reel that is attached by string to a cradle holding the Nintendo Switch console. Catch one of many exotic fish shown swimming on the Nintendo Switch screen by casting your Fishing Rod and unwinding the reel to lower the hook. Once you feel a vibration from the Joy-Con inserted in the reel, you must tug the Fishing Rod upward and crank the reel quickly to try and complete the catch!
• Toy-Con House: By inserting various assembled blocks into openings in the sides and bottom of the House, you can interact with, play games with and feed a cute creature on the front-facing Nintendo Switch screen. Each differently shaped block is detected by the IR Motion Camera on the Right Joy-Con inserted on top of the House.
• Toy-Con Motorbike: Insert each Joy-Con into an assembled set of handlebars to drive a motorbike on the Nintendo Switch screen. Pressing the ignition button starts the engine, while twisting the right handle activates the throttle. Leaning your body or turning the handlebars left and right controls the motorbike.
• Toy-Con Piano: After assembling a beautifully crafted 13-key piano and inserting the Nintendo Switch console and Joy-Con, you can experiment with your own musical creations by pressing different keys. You can even insert different assembled knobs to create new sound effects and tones!

Robot Kit ($79.99^MSRP*)

• Toy-Con Robot: Create a wearable Robot suit, and insert the Left and Right Joy-Con into the designated slots on the backpack and visor to assume control of the robot, which is shown on the TV when the Nintendo Switch console is docked. Enjoy a variety of fun game-play experiences, including Robot mode, in which you can destroy in-game buildings and UFOs.”

 

There really isn’t much more to say about this thing. It launches on April 20, 2018, and while I probably won’t be picking it up, I definitely see the appeal. Check out the trailer for Labo below.