Nintendo Switch Labo: What Games Can You Play With Cardboard Accessories

Just this Wednesday, Nintendo dropped a bombshell when it introduced the newest accessory for its Switch console. Called Labo, the cardboard peripheral offers a unique build-and-play experience that young Switch owners would surely love.

While Nintendo published a very entertaining “first look” video featuring the Nintendo Labo, the Japanese company did not provide the list of games that users can play with its new cardboard peripheral. Based on the trailer though, the possibilities are not limited to a handful.

Nintendo dropped some hints about Labo-compatible games when it introduced the new product. For example, the company stated that users can make a “functioning 13-key piano” using the Labo kits. Once users have correctly assembled the cardboard piano, they need to insert the Switch’s body and the Right Joy-Con controller to the structure to make it work.

Based on this alone, it’s clear that there is going to be a musical game that would allow players to bring out their inner pianists. “Budding musicians can also experiment with their own musical creations,” Nintendo said. In this piano configuration, the IR Motion Camera in the Right Joy-Con is responsible for detecting the keys that are being pressed and playing the notes that correspond to them.

Nintendo is also teasing a new race/adventure game when it described another configuration that creates a motorbike out of the cardboard kits. “You can take control of your very own motorbike by constructing a functioning set of handlebars, with a Joy-Con inserted in each side and the Nintendo Switch console cradled in the middle,” Nintendo was quoted as saying by IGN.

“Simply hit the ignition button, turn the right handle to engage the accelerator, and watch your adventure unfold on the Nintendo Switch screen, as you race to new destinations,” the company added.

Nintendo is offering two Labo kits at the moment. One is a Variety Kit that includes sheets of modular cardboard cutouts needed to build two RC cars, a fishing rod, a house, a motorbike and a piano. These configurations, called Toy-Cons, likely correspond to games that Nintendo is releasing soon. The promotional clip for the Labo, after all, shows all of these configurations being used while playing games with the Switch.

Another kit that will introduce the Nintendo Labo to many players is the Robot Kit. This is also featured in the “first look” teaser (found below). Starting at the 1:36 mark, you can see how the Robot Kit offers a new way for users to play with the Switch, and it involves VR.

According to Time, the Nintendo Labo works in conjunction with an app that the company is launching alongside the cardboard accessories. The app contains all the games specifically design for the Toy-Cons. The app has three sections — Make, Play and Discover — and each is designed to help players enjoy their Labo creations with the Nintendo Switch console.

Pre-orders for the Nintendo Switch Labo are already live on Amazon. You can check out the $79.99 Robot Kit here. You may also head to Nintendo’s website to learn more about the Variety Kit and Robot Kit prior their release on April 20, 2018.