That Nintendo likes to go against the grain shouldn't really come as a surprise at this point. The latest example of this is Nintendo Labo, a set of cardboard sheets that you build Toy-Con with. Now, at first glance, Toy-Con seem to be nothing more than a cardboard casing for your Joy-Con, but looks are very much deceiving in this case. Elastic bands, reflective tape and string bring the creations to life, right on the screen of the Switch. Nintendo wanted to make something that has never been done before in the video game world, and proves that the simpelest objects can bring an infinite amount of fun.
The second you open up either the Variety Kit or the Robot Kit, it becomes immediately clear that you're dealing with high quality cardboard. It's thin but surprisingly sturdy and the actual designs are beautiful feats of engineering without being overly complex. The parts have been pre-cut so you won't have any problem getting them out of the cardboard frames. The pre-folded lines help during construction. These little assists greatly reduce the stress of doing something wrong and you can fully focus on making something cool.
The instructions on screen while building are crystal clear. In the center of the screen you find a 3D representation of the part that you're supposed to be building with, and you can turn and zoom that model so that it's always clear where everything should fit. You can build completely at your own pace and you're even able to fast forward and rewind the instructions. The robot and the house in particular have some very intricate parts that, thanks to the way the instructions are laid out, are very easy to build. All this is brought together by some great writing, which is both funny and very informative. Building the Toy-Con is funny, educational and just an altogether enjoyable process that will deliver hours of fun.
The games that you play with the Toy-Con in the Variety Kit are, as the name might suggest, of varying set-up and quality. You can fish, make music and race, for example. Although every game offers something extra that deepens the gameplay, the luster soon wears off. The games just aren't very deep, and it's not uncommon that you spend an hour building for fifteen minutes of play. Aside from that, the genres of the games differ so much that it's very likely you'll pick one Toy-Con as your favorite and leave the rest to collect dust on the shelf. Playing the games with your Toy-Con is the least interesting activity in the Variety Kit.
The same is true for the Robot kit. At first, the game fulfills that childlike fantasy of becoming a giant transformable robot that stomps through a city, crushing everything. You can complete a seperate list of missions to obtain new skills and there's also a versus mode, but again, playing doesn't measure up to the joy of building the Toy-Con. The game boils down to getting a high score within a set amount of time, without going to a new area or getting new objectives. The game, sadly, comes up short in the Robot Kit as well.
But, as soon as you open up the Toy-Con garage in either the Variety Kit or the Robot kit, a whole new world opens up to you. It's there where you can assign actions to functions. You can make it so that when you swing the Joy-Con, the Switch makes a sound or the other Joy-Con vibrates, for example. The power of the software is such that you can get super creative and create a entirely new game for a completly new Toy-Con of your own design. The Garage has a robust collection of actions and functions that go above and beyond what you can play with the packed-in games. It does require a lot of experimentation and it does have a learning curve, but programming your own Toy-Con significantly increases the value of the Labo kits.
The final chapter of the Labo kits is called 'Discover'. It's there that you get more information on building, decorating and repairing your Toy-Con. Three cheerful characters help explain how the cardboard and the Joy-Con interact, by way of some practical examples. Challenging technical concepts are explained expertly, but with easy verbage. It really brings some nice insights into engineering and mechanics. There are also a couple of examples in the Toy-Con Garage, which are of the same quality. You're constantly encouraged to make something new and exciting and above all, have fun while doing it. Discover offers a playful introduction to complex concepts and builds a foundation that's applicable in real life.
Without a doubt, Nintendo succeeded putting a unique product to market. The cardboard is of high quality, the builds challenge the mind but are simple to build. The games that you play with the Toy-Con might not be incredibly involving, but thanks to the Toy-Con Garage you have all the tools to create near-limitless fun. The software even manages to introduce mechanical and technical design, and teaches you to program in a way that everyone can pick it up and enjoy. Nintendo Labo is brilliantly accessible, and its bottomless depth will keep you engaged for a very long time.