So Paper Mario, amiibo, and Lego walk into a bar...
And I still didn’t expect Nintendo Labo.
Essentially, Nintendo Labo is a new spin on the toys-to-life concept. You buy one of two Labo kits, and then follow the instructions on your Switch tablet to create cardboard peripherals ranging from pianos, to fishing poles, to full robot suits. The Switch and the Joy-Con then interact with the newly built “Toy-Con” , allowing for a host of mini-games. Whether that is an angling mini-game with the fishing rod, or music composition with the 13 key piano, each buildable Toy-Con offers its own gameplay experience. I was wowed by the engineering aspect, and I'm quite excited to put these Toy-Con together myself. However, as of now, it is unclear exactly how much depth we'll find in the mini-games.
This is such a uniquely "Nintendo" idea that truly demonstrates a new way to play. That slogan gets tossed around so often that it hardly means anything at all. But, there is truly nothing like Nintendo Labo. It expertly combines real-world engineering and creativity with digital technology, and wraps it up in a package that is digestible for people of all demographics. Futhermore, it totally justifies every piece of technology within the Joy-Con.
At this point, everyone has heard about how the IR Camera in right Joy-Con is able to interpret the different keys in the Toy-Con piano, but the technology in the RC Car is most interesting to me. Utilizing the Switch tablet as a remote control and the Joy-Con as motors, HD Rumble allows the RC Car to be driven across the floor. Furthermore, according to Nintendolife.com, who luckily got to go hands-on with Labo already, noted that the IR Camera allows the driver to see what the RC Car sees, which opens up a ton of fun possibilities. The RC Car is not nearly as complex as some of the other Toy-Con on display, but I think this will be a lot of fun to use around the house to chase down my cats, and other dumb stunts such as that.
If you’ve read my piece, Joy-Cons and The Importance of Proving a Gimmick, you’d know that I felt like the Joy-Con were going to waste. I was certain that we’d never see Nintendo use these controllers to their fullest potential. But, along comes Nintendo Labo to put me right in my place. The gyroscope. The accelerometer. The IR Camera. The HD Rumble. It’s all being used so creatively, and so effectively, that even I’m impressed. However, not only does Nintendo Labo perfectly illustrate why these controllers deserve to be packed full of so much tech, but Nintendo Labo also demonstrates how the Joy-Con can create a new pillar for Nintendo Switch.
The Joy-Con and Nintendo Labo introduce a totally new way to interact with Nintendo Switch. The Wii Remote was the central concept to the Wii, and it was the sole way to interact with that console. Likewise, the Gamepad also functioned as the main input method on the Wii U. Neither gimmick could be used to interact with their respective consoles in a totally different way. The combination of Joy-Con and Nintendo Labo allows the Switch to be used in two completely manners: As both a traditional games console, and as an augmented reality toy. This could surely be a "third pillar" for Nintendo, and could operate as its own subsection of the Nintendo Switch brand. (Considering that a Labo tab has replaced the Wii U page on Nintendo UK's official site, I think it is an inevitability that Nintendo Labo grows independently of Switch.) It’s a genius design philosophy, and one that will surely draw in a new demographic. I’m totally sold on the concept, and I hope it is one that Nintendo expands upon in the future. However, just because I’m on board with Nintendo Labo, doesn’t mean that I don’t have any concerns with it.
Frankly, I don’t think that the actual software looks compelling just yet. It appears that the racing and angling games look to be the only Toy-Con with actual gameplay depth, while the RC Car and piano look fun to fiddle around with, but don’t seem to offer any lasting in-game replay value. The final Toy-Con included in the Variety Kit is the House, and I simply cannot get a good read on its gameplay. As with the other four, it is ingeniously engineered, and looks to be fun to experiment with, but what you actually do is unclear. If these games do prove to be shallow, it’s very possible that after a few play sessions with my nicely built Toy-Con, they’ll sit on the shelf gathering dust. This could be a significant pitfall for Nintendo Labo, and one that will have to be overcome in order for this brand to have staying power. Playing the games is half the battle, and it feels like that half is being neglected in favor of the fantastic building element. However, I’m hesitant to pass final judgement on the actual gameplay just yet, as the Nintendo Labo reveal trailer needed to sell us on the whole concept, not just the gameplay. Until we see dedicated footage of the games themselves, I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.
I’m very excited by the prospects of Nintendo Labo, and I think this will be a big success for the company. I really believe that younger kids will flock to Labo in droves. It’s the perfect blend of creativity, engineering, and classic Nintendo charm. But, it also seems to me as though Nintendo underestimated just what demographics will be interested in this game as well. Targeted initially at kids and kids at heart, it doesn't seem as though Nintendo expected to appeal to people outside of that bracket. In my experience, people of all ages are genuinely curious in the product due to the mechanics of the Toy-Con. It has kids in my high school interested, if a bit skeptical of the gameplay and price, which by the way, I view as a non-issue. I’m on board, even though I’m out of the targeted age range, and my parents were quite impressed by how Labo intertwines toys from their time with the technology of mine.
On the whole, I think that Nintendo Labo just speaks to Nintendo’s ingenuity as a company, and their interest to constantly innovate. Nintendo didn’t need to release Labo; they already had plenty of momentum after last year. But, they decided to forge ahead with this zany, unexpected venture and diversify their offerings even more. As long as Nintendo Labo is well stocked, I can see this being a big success. We’ve seen Nintendo double down on production and do their best to continuously restock Switches, amiibo, and SNES Classics, so I’m not that worried. Of course, I’m a fan of Nintendo for their core experiences, and in a year where we will hopefully be seeing a good amount of blockbuster releases, for me personally, Nintendo Labo will probably be little more than a diversion in the grand scheme of things. But, in the moment, I’m excited to go hands on and mess around with the Toy-Con, and I’m even more excited for the younger kids who will undoubtedly latch onto Nintendo Labo in a big way come this April.
nice post!
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