Nintendo introduced the Nintendo Switch 2 yesterday, but other than the presentation of the console – which I can safely describe as a bigger and probably better Switch – it didn't say much about what the Switch 2 can do. But there's a line in the press release about what the Switch 2 is supposed to be can not This makes me…well, not worried, but maybe a little dejected. “Certain Nintendo Switch games may not be supported or fully compatible with Nintendo Switch 2,” Nintendo says. I don't know about you, but my first thought was They're talking about Labo.
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Nintendo Labo didn't set the world on fire, but it remains one of the funniest, weirdest, most creative, and most playful things Nintendo has ever done, and yes, I'm going to die on that cardboard hill. For those of you who haven't had the pleasure of putting together a Labo kit yourself, here's a quick description of what it was like.
Each Labo kit was a collection of so-called “Toy-Cons” that were assembled from flat-packed cardboard following interactive instructions, similar to IKEA furniture. Once assembled, you pop the Switch Joy-Cons into your cardboard creation and through a combination of motion sensors, the all-important IR sensor on the right Joy-Con, and a hefty pinch of it softwarethis box would alchemically transform into something that felt unusually playful. These tactile Toy-Cons – a piano, a steering wheel, a camera – could be used in simple games and users could even create their own experiences, similar to what Nintendo later did Game Builder Garage.
In summary, it was amazing.
In our 2018 Game of the Year list, I called it “one of the 'Nintendo' projects of all time,” and now, four years after it was quietly picked up and shot in the back of the store, I'm feeling some emotional reflection about what Labo did and how fleeting it was. Nintendo hasn't looked Labo's way in years, and the omission of the IR sensors in the Switch 2's new Joy-Cons is another reminder that this product is truly dead.
But if you will, I want to think back for a moment to what it was like when it was alive, and I want to take a moment to thank the “monster cat” who was my then four-year-old child. The old son called him the resident of the Variety Kit's Toy-Con house. The house accepted the right Joy-Con in its chimney, the Switch display on the front, and then a series of adapters that could be inserted left, right and down the house. Combining the adapters would create different scenarios on the screen. It was easy, fun and really new.
While the journey from paper to toy was a big part of our enjoyment, the monster cat was different. My son went out with him regularly and his house was an integral part of our living room for years. The house itself has been repaired several times and the adapters – which required more physical abuse – are literally held together with tape, glue, popsicle sticks and stickers. It's an incredible physical testament to the kind of play Labo made possible, and one that I unfortunately didn't share with our second son, born in 2018.
I didn't really understand Labo being liquidated in 2021 – Nintendo was typical reserved about his taskby completely removing its website before saying it was still available. Do you know what retailers love? Storing large boxes that don't sell and whose manufacturer doesn't provide even the most basic marketing space.
Once I got the hang of what was happening, I followed some of the stock and headed to the usual stores where, unsurprisingly, the stock had been liquidated. I managed to snag an extra VR kit… even though I actually need an extra Variety kit. Our monster cat needed a new home. Sure, Nintendo released the files so users could find a way to recreate them – admittedly a very welcome preservation measure for this most unusual of games – but some research hasn't turned up anything that appears reproducible. (Other nerds, if you can point me in the right direction, my email is here!)
I know people are amazed that the Nintendo Switch 2 seems like this play it safeand the reveal video didn't do much to dispel anyone's idea. The Switch is a hit! And I think we all hope that the Switch 2 is another hit… but I hope that some of that outside-the-box thinking that led to a product like Labo doesn't end up in the trash. Who knows, maybe this optical mouse sensor could get us into trouble. A next generation monster cat might like a mouse.
(I love you, monster cat).
