There’s nothing quite like Labo, the latest merging of toys and video games from Nintendo. Labo is a set of cardboard cutouts that you assemble into wondrous creations for the Nintendo Switch. Using the Switch’s touch screen and Joy-Con controllers, Labo projects range from a simple remote-controlled car with an infrared camera in it to a robot suit you wear to control a video game.
Just looking at the stacks of cardboard in these kits, it’s almost impossible to imagine how they can be transformed into toys. Fortunately, you don’t have to figure it out yourself. The Nintendo Switch gives very detailed, meticulous, step-by-step instructions for every project. At each step you can pause, rewind or fast-forward. The screen displays a fully rendered 3-D model of the project, which you can view from any angle and zoom in to the smallest detail.
As these projects are quite intricate, it is vital that the instructions are this clear.
They’re also delightful, with fun little jokes, sound effects and even periodic suggestions that you take a break. At every stage Labo emphasizes that this is all for fun.
The process
The piano project is my favorite, and it exemplifies the Labo experience. My build partner was an adult with a love of arts and crafts, and it still took us four hours.
While we marveled at the clever construction and ingeniously simple technology, kids under 10 without an interest in building projects will likely grow bored. Those who love Lego or Minecraft will probably love this.
Nintendo says on its website “The challenge level should be just right for grade-school kids, but younger kids can join in on the fun with help from parents or older siblings.”
When we finished the piano and discovered that it not only worked, but could play in musical notes or cat meows (among other options) we couldn’t stop laughing. Later that evening, I had almost as much fun showing it off to friends.
And I haven’t touched it since. It sits on a shelf, I smile when I see it, but the truth is, it’s not a good way to play the piano, and even though the Switch gives you all kinds of options to record your own music, the user experience is pretty clunky. I still feel pride in what we made, but I wonder how long I’m going to let these cardboard creations take up space in my living room.
Worth it?
The joys of Labo defy simple classification. There’s the Lego-like pleasure of building something from scratch. There’s some Minecraft-style joy in creating complex systems that do fun things. And then there’s week-later puzzlement of “Where am I going to keep all these big, fragile new toys?”
The deepest pleasure comes from the process, not the finished product. If you or your loved ones enjoy making things and showing them off, Labo is worth every penny. Those without patience or who are only in it for the cardboard creations themselves might feel they’ve wasted their money. For the latter, I suggest finding a friend who has completed their Labo projects; they’ll be dying to show them off to you.
The Nintendo Labo Variety Kit retails for around $70 and contains five different projects including the piano. The Robot Kit retails for around $80 and includes just the robot backpack and visor along with the video game that goes with them. Both require a Nintendo Switch console, which retails for around $300.
Rick Dakan is a game designer and author with over 20 years of experience. He teaches at The Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota, Florida. You can find him at rickdakan.com.