TV personality and “Science Guy” Bill Nye recently took Nintendo Labo for a spin and spent time tinkering with Toy-Con Garage. (Photo: Business Wire)
Nintendo Labo seems to be tipping the hat to LEGO Mindstorms and other products that combine digital with physical materials to make mechanical creations for gaming and toys. Add the Nintendo Switch (and some visual thinking) which you incorporate into each toy or TOY-CON device you make, and you’ll have highly-powered play in your hands and on screen, made by you.
The Labo Kits are pre-printed, pre-cut cardboard sheets and a packet for the Switch that includes the instructions for pre-designed objects. You’re invited to decorate and color the plain cardboard (which has basic lines and open areas to fill), then punch out the die-cut shapes, fold and snap the parts together, and put in your Switch, which adds video or music or sound effects–most of the power to run your new game or toy or device comes from you.
Now available at retailers nationwide, Nintendo Labo kits offer interactive build-and-play experiences that combine the Nintendo Switch system (purchased seperately) with the fun of DIY creations. In celebration of the launch, Nintendo unveiled a new online destination for you to share your Nintendo Labo creations and enter for a chance to win special Nintendo Labo prizes.
With each Nintendo Labo kit, the experience is categorized into three key pillars: Make, Play and Discover.
Make: Transform modular sheets of cardboard into interactive creations called Toy-Con – from a 13-key piano to a motorbike, a robot suit and more.
Play: After they are built, combine the Toy-Con creations with the Nintendo Switch console and Joy-Con controllers in creative ways to enjoy a variety of game-play experiences.
Discover: Learn how Nintendo Switch technology works together with each Toy-Con project. With Toy-Con Garage mode, a feature included with the software in each Nintendo Labo kit, you can invent new ways to play with your Toy-Con projects.
For some initial inspiration, Nintendo Labo owners can visit the user-generated content (UGC) hub to see an RC Car created by TV personality and “Science Guy” Bill Nye, who recently took Nintendo Labo for a spin and spent time tinkering with Toy-Con Garage. Check out Bill Nye’s full Nintendo Labo experience here.
