Ever since the release of the Wii in 2006, Nintendo has taken a side to gaming focusing on fun physical activity. The new edition of the Nintendo Labo proves their dedication to this principle of active gaming. “The market for high-end, programmatic, ‘maker’ products for kids seems to be growing, and for Switch owners, this looks really neat,” says Forbes.
The Nintendo Labo is a new line of do-it-yourself cardboard kits for the switch. Each kit consists of 25 cardboard pieces to create different custom-made accessories for the console. These range from kits as simple as a fishing pole to kits as complicated as a whole robot. Once the construction of the cardboard kits is completed, a software that is included with the kit will need to be installed. After that is installed, just add the console or the joy-cons to the cardboard construction and it is complete.
Some criticism that the Labo has received mainly involves the material that out of which it is made. With the price of the Nintendo Labo being $70 to $80, buying cardboard might be a little worrisome. However, the kits are cardboard because they allow children and parents to spend time together creating different constructions without needing any screw or bolts to assemble them. After the toy becomes obsolete, the cardboard can be recycled. This is great for families that have piles of plastic toys and no way to easily dispose of them.
Overall, the release of the Nintendo Labo will be a great leap for children’s games for the future. With the release of the console in April 2018 it will help put gaming on a more even level with physical activity. “Labo is the best of both worlds for Nintendo, who, for better or for worse, never fails to surprise us,” says IGN. The release of the Labo will bring Nintendo into a new realm of children’s games and help the industry grow as a whole.
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