April 19, 2018 by Amy Stately
After finally turning things around with the Switch last year, Nintendo is once again attempting to shake things up with another unconventional idea in typical Nintendo fashion.
Rather than trying to top other consoles’ high tech peripherals, Nintendo is going back to the basics with Nintendo Labo, a new way of playing with the Switch using cardboard objects built by the player.
Labo likely won’t catch on with most older gamers, but it’s sure to be a hit with kids, and there’s no doubt that cosplayers will take the DIY building to a whole ‘nother level. And whether the Labo becomes a success or flop, it’s still an ingenious move by Nintendo to make such an innovative product that’s basically just selling cardboard at huge markups without the need to invest in expensive manufacturing costs.
The Nintendo Labo is set to launch tomorrow on April 20, 2018 with two options: The $69.99 “Variety Kit” includes pieces to make an RC car, fishing rod, pet house, motorbike, and piano. While the $79.99 “Robot Kit” will allow users to build their own set of cardboard power armor. Each kit also includes interactive “Toy-Con Garage” software which teaches the basics of If This Then That programming with step-by-step instructions.
