When the kids pooled their birthday money together to buy Nintendo Switch I was a little concerned that we were about to fall down a rabbit hole of solo and mindless gaming. But I was soon converted: Nintendo has somehow made everything about the Switch platform more than just screenplay.
For the serious gamer, Nintendo Switch has everything you want in a platform and more. You can play it in full glory through your TV or you can play it on the go as a handheld device. The controls can be split between two people. There are a plethora of games you can buy. Yes, it’s pretty awesome straight out of the box. But what else makes it different? What converted me to actually encouraging the kids to use a gaming console, even on a school night?
Introducing Nintendo Labo
The game changer for me was Nintendo Labo which quickly had me obsessing over Nintendo Switch. It’s hands on, gets the kids neurons firing and leads the kids to literally construct the activities they want to play next via the completion of Toy-Con creations. Better yet, I know that the kids are actually engaged in authentic learning each time they start completing one of the projects. They’re happy and I’m happy!
When our Nintendo Labo Variety Kit first arrived, Sunshine immediately declared that we would be making the Toy-Con Piano as her first activity. I agreed to skip the entry level activities and start with the Piano, excited to see her enthusiasm for the kit.
On opening the Nintendo Labo box I was surprised to learn that it comes with a game cartridge and a bunch of cardboard sheets ready for construction. I must admit to thinking that the activities would be pieced together from written instructions and then perhaps hooked up to Nintendo Switch for use. I was surprised to learn that Nintendo Switch is actually used the whole way through, directing and clearly revealing how to construct each item each step of the way.
The instructions are clear and each visual step can be moved around so there is no misunderstanding around how it works. This allows kids like Sunshine to do it fairly independently. What I hadn’t anticipated was the length of time the construction takes. I think the Piano took around 3 hours to complete over 3 separate sittings. That’s actually a good thing as it pushed Sunshine to persevere, maintain her focus and work towards completing her goal.
The beauty of each Nintendo Labo Toy-Con Creation is that once completed they can be used with your Nintendo Switch and brought to life. The Piano keys really work, producing real music (Sunshine has been playing it every single day since she finished constructing it). The Toy-Con Fishing Rod can be cast out to grab a virtual fish! The Toy-Con Motorbike can even be used with our Mario Kart game! How cool is that?
Striker was a little late to the party when it came to experimenting with our Nintendo Labo kit. He watched from the sidelines as Sunshine put a few of the creations together. A few days later, when no one was watching, he constructed his first Toy-Con which transformed Nintendo Switch into a remote controlled car. However, he didn’t stop there. He worked out quickly how it worked and started experimenting, adapting the cardboard pieces to make his own design which also worked. I’m keen to see what he builds next.
The Verdict
For perhaps the very first time in my adult life I am confident in recommending a Gaming console for families. Combined with the Nintendo Labo Variety Kit, Nintendo Switch makes the kids think, construct and imagine new designs through hands-on building. Now that’s gold! You can find out more about Nintendo Labo at: https://www.nintendo.com.au/labo/
We are the proud owners of Nintendo Switch which the Striker and Sunshine truly purchased with their Christmas and birthday money at the full retail price. Nintendo provided us with the Nintendo Labo Variety Kit for review. This is a sponsored post, but all opinions are our own.