Let’s get to the point: Is Nintendo Labo worth it? Yes! Nintendo continues their streak of innovative gameplay with the release of Nintendo Labo and you need to get excited. Nintendo aims to create the future of gaming by expanding on the very definition of a game. The spirit of gaming is to upend expectations and Nintendo follows these guidelines at expert levels with Nintendo Labo being the epitome of this practice. Nintendo has provided its users with an opportunity at a fulfilling experience in creative and free-range learning.
The price for this game may seem steep but its justifiable considering what is put into it and what you could get out of it. New console titles usually go for $60 when released so the extra $10 to $20 covers all the material you get along with the game. (28 cardboard sheets, 3 reflective sticker sheets, 3 sponge sheets, 1 orange string, 1 blue string, 2 grommet sets, 2 large rubber bands, 6 small rubber bands, 1 game cartridge) Also you won’t have to pay insane prices to fix any parts that may get broken since everything is made of cardboard. Simply cut out a replica part on a blank piece of cardboard and you’re good to go.
The charm of Nintendo Labo is the awareness and presence of the world outside of videogames. It’s a unique relationship resulting in a playful merge between physical reality and virtual reality. The theme of this game is to relate knowledge that is utilized in the physical world in an entertaining way. There are three modes you can play in: Make-Play-Discover.
Through the Make mode you work hands on with the blueprint plans to create what is called a toy-con. The instructions are highly articulate with advanced utilization of visuals and grants the user full control of pacing. The materials are neatly organized and throughout this mode it helps you keep track of everything you’ll need at any time. Each project alone takes around 2 hours to put together. The time spent building provides an insight on game mechanics and what game developers are thinking when making games.
Play mode is entertaining and encourages curiosity and experimentation. At first glance the games seem simple but the truly out-of-the-box thinkers will find a vast playground within. These games are made to inspire young minds and cultivate the next generation for creativity. Nintendo Labo yearns for the player to be performative rather than submissive, a much-needed refresher from the usual cinematic games of this decade.
Discover mode is a learning tool that covers anything you might have missed with each individual toy-con. It covers secrets within the mini-games, how the Switch technology works, how to fix and/or improve your toy-con, and how to decorate the toy-cons. This mode was enlightening and the information is communicated with varying examples to help teach different learning styles. (visual, verbal, kinesthetic) The lessons are succinct, taking up only a few minutes at a time to complete. This mode is a must to get as much out of the game as possible. The cardboard is what you make of it!
