Nintendo continues to think outside of the box, revealing today Nintendo Labo,
"a new line of interactive build-and-play experiences designed to inspire kids and those who are kids-at-heart."
The concept of Nintendo Labo is rooted in Nintendo's quest for innovative entertainment and gameplay experiences, perfectly summed up with three words: Make, Play, and Discover.
Together with the Nintendo Switch system (sold separately), the Nintendo Labo kits provide the tools and technology to MAKE fun DIY creations, PLAY games with your creations and DISCOVER how the magic of Nintendo Switch technology shapes ideas into reality.
Nintendo Labo is sold in DIY kits, each containing modular sheets of cardboard that can be made into creations called Toy-Con. Using these Toy-Cons, you can interact with the Nintendo Switch console and the Joy-Con controllers and play games specially designed for each creation.
There are currently two Nintendo Labo kits that'll launch on April 20: the Variety Kit and the Robot Kit. Additionally, a special Customization Set that includes fun stencils, stickers and colored tape to decorate your Toy-Con creations will also be available to purchase on on April 20 for $9.99.
The Variety Kit creates many different Toy-Con, including two Toy-Con RC Cars, a Toy-Con Fishing Rod, a Toy-Con House, a Toy-Con Motorbike and a Toy-Con Piano. The 13-key piano, for example, brings your musical creations to life on the Switch using the IR Motion Camera of the Right Joy-Con to detect which keys are being pressed. The Toy-Con Motorbike allows for the construction of functioning handlebars that can be used to steer your bike in-game. The Variety Kit will be priced at $69.99.
The Robot Kit builds an interactive robot suit with a visor, backpack and straps for your hands and feet, which you can wear to assume control of a giant in-game robot. The Robot Kit will be priced at $79.99.
Variety Kit ($69.99)
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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.
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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!
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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.
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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.
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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)
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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.