Nintendo Labo Vehicle Kit anticipation: Can Crafts and Videogames Coexist?

The Nintendo Labo franchise has been an odd one for the titanic game developer. Even its launch trailer, which was released in January of this year, didn’t really clarify the purpose of the device. Its basic concept is that, by folding pieces of cardboard and putting them together in various ways, you can get fun accessories for your Nintendo Switch. Even despite that, I still didn’t really understand how the thing would actually work – at least, based merely on the Nintendo-released footage. Never getting to see one in real life didn’t help either.

However, I was rightfully excited when I saw the trailer for the new Vehicle Kit. This preview is phenomenally edited and much more coherent than previous efforts to display Labo devices. In the trailer, you can see a player using the Labo to explore an open world game in different vehicles, with engaging driving mechanics that are easier to understand than previous Labo games. You can watch the trailer down below:

https://youtu.be/vI6QzU8NXFI

Then I read some of the early reviews the device has gotten, and they were particularly positive. Some have reported that the open world is actually very engaging. Apparently, Nintendo is becoming much more interested in creating those kinds of games after the success of Breath of the Wild and, much like that game, this one fully embraces its fantasy-leaning aesthetic. However, you will not be restricted to only traveling and exploring the world: battles between vehicles are an important feature of the game and one that will definitely keep you engaged throughout multiple sessions. While the device may be a bit complex to build, the effort definitely seems to pay off.

These previews and early reviews have left me very excited for the Kit and, while I don’t have a Switch myself, my very young cousins do and that seems like the perfect setting for playing this game. I still wonder if young kids will be willing to spend the time of crafting Labo kits but, judging by the success of the first two versions, it seems like they are.

Featured image via Wikipedia