When asked whether or not Nintendo plans to allow third-party partners to create Labo kits, Fils-Aime had a similar viewpoint. We think that’s going to be a great way to start and then progress down the path.” “But right now we think if we effectively communicate the power of the idea with Nintendo Labo really enable players to make their creations, personalize them, and enjoy the gameplay experiences. “Can be incorporated into other forms of gameplay? Certainly,” Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime told TIME. For now, however, the company remains focused on introducing the core concept. It’s unclear exactly what Nintendo has in store for Labo beyond this initial launch, but it’s easy to imagine ways in which Toy-Cons could fit into other Switch games and experiences. Efforts like these could be particularly important for the company to sustain interest in the Switch as excitement around highly-anticipated games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey begin to subside. Nintendo is hoping its new Labo kits will broaden the Switch’s appeal to new audiences, particularly do-it-yourself hobbyists and those interested in arts and crafts more so than traditional video games. The kit also includes cardboard pegs that change the piano’s sound - one peg turns all the notes into different cat meows, for example. The right Joy-Con’s motion IR camera reads the back of each key in order to tell the piano which note to play. The cardboard instrument includes 13 playable keys when fully assembled.
Of the three Toy-Cons I played with, the piano was the most impressive. A small vibration indicates that a fish is biting. To win, players must deploy their line and then quickly yank it up and crank the handle to reel in fish. The Toy-Con then syncs up with a fishing game on the Switch. After constructing the rod, which even includes a rotating wheel, players insert the Joy-Con into the fishing pole’s reel.
The fishing rod Toy-Con takes advantage of the Joy-Cons’ motion and HD rumble sensors in a similar way. When the Joy-Cons are inserted into the RC Car, their HD rumble sensors get the cardboard vehicle to move around. A player can, for example, actually drive the Labo’s RC car around a table or desk by pressing buttons on the Switch tablet’s touchscreen. Most interestingly, the Labo kits work with the Joy-Cons’ built-in sensors to function. Read more: The 15 Best Nintendo Switch Games to Play Right Now The videos are filled with flourishes that make them amusing to watch, such as a zipper-like noise that sounds while the tutorial reminds players to fold the cardboard along the defined creases. The walkthroughs are detailed enough to accommodate players of any age or skill level users have the option to fast forward through certain steps to speed up the process. The Make category’s video tutorials are as delightful as they are helpful, which I learned while assembling the RC car and fishing rod Toy-Cons. As such, the accompanying app is divided into three appropriately named sections: Make, Play, and Discover. The app also includes games specifically designed for the Toy-Cons, as well as interactive graphics explaining how these cardboard-crafted accessories function. Nintendo Labo works in conjunction with an app that walks players through assembling a Toy-Con.