https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3Bd3HUMkyU

The Nintendo Switch is turning one this March. For its birthday, it’s getting DIY cardboard extensions.

“I think that it’s freaking cool that you could do so much,” Egan Smith ‘21 said. “There are so many possibilities with cardboard templates.”

The Nintendo Switch platform extension, Nintendo Labo, is made of cardboard cutouts and Switch compatible tech. The Nintendo Labo Variety Kit and Robot Kit will come out on April 20th this year. This will add to the versatility of the Nintendo Switch, giving it Virtual Reality (VR), customization and programming abilities. The Variety Kit will come with five Toy-Con extensions, including a car, fishing rod, house, motorbike, and piano, and will cost $69.99. The Robot Kit will cost $79.99, with the addition of a full body robot suit.

There have already been many mixed reviews from parents and gamers alike.

“I saw it on Reddit yesterday and I think it’s cool but I’m not really into that kind of thing. I feel like I would have trouble building stuff like that,” said Miles Pei ‘18.

The customization of the Switch will be taken to a new level with the Labo. The cardboard templates can be colored and decorated to the owner’s preference. In the trailer, the templates are shown being taped up in multiple colors and patterns.

“It’s new, innovative, and has so many different opportunities that it could be taken in almost any direction,” Hanna Turnquist ‘21 said. “It seems like it will bring a lot of creativity to the console.”

Along with the new Nintendo Labo, the Switch has an over 500 purchasable games. These games can be taken anywhere, from road trips to long plane flights. Some users debate whether this portability may limit the hardware capacity and game playability of the Nintendo Switch, or if it just makes the Switch better.

“Switch users are able to pick up their console and go wherever they want with it, but at the same time Xbox or Playstation users are able to experience much more complex games,” said Pei. “The portability factor limits the hardware Nintendo is able to install in the Switch.”

“The switch is the best of both worlds in my opinion,” said Turnquist.