Nintendo has released new in-depth trailers for their upcoming Nintendo Labo cardboard kits two months in advance of their April release. Not just a package of cardboard and tape, the trailers show how Nintendo Labo interfaces across the Nintendo Switch Joy-Con, an IR camera, and specialized construction materials to create an educational, interactive experience.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cRE95J4Xb4
The Labo Variety Kit comes with five separate projects to make – an RC car, fishing rod, motorbike, piano, and a toy house. Here are some of the highlights from the trailer:
- The RC car can have different parts attached so you can “battle” with another RC Joy-Con car. The RC car also uses the IR Camera in the right Joy-Con to show night vision.
- The toy house inhabits a mysterious creature that appears within various mini-games and can be bounced about by manipulating the house’s knobs and widgets.
- The racing mode allows players to make their own race tracks via the IR Camera. Either scan in a real-world object to shape the terrain, or move the Joy-Con in the air to draw a pathway to race on.
- The piano has acoustic and recording modes to adjust the sounds and playback of your musical accompaniments. A waveform card also allows you to make your own sounds and music. One Joy-Con can even be used as a baton to conduct your compositions.
The other Labo Kit launching in April is Toy-Con 02, the Robot Kit. Much more complex to make than the simple handlebars for a bike or a toy piano, a separate trailer goes in-depth on how your robot kit lets you take on challenges, build, and destroy city scapes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiFI1g46kZk
In addition, Nintendo will be releasing Mario-branded masking tape in Japan. These select sets of masking tape are themed after characters and icons from the Super Mario franchise. The tape is available through the Japanese My Nintendo store for 500 yen each. That same digital store is also the only destination for digital copies of the Labo software for a limited time only.
Nintendo Labo launches on April 20th, with a Variety Kit that retails for $69.99 USD and the premium Robot Kit for $79.99. Nintendo sees the product launch as an opportunity to expand the potential of the Joy-Con controllers with a very “Nintendo-like” product, along with expanding the Switch’s user base.
