Here are our top three LABO minigames.
Robot (Robot Kit)
The Robot Kit offers three different modes to play through. One is a versus mode, which allows you to square off against a friend who owns the Robot LABO kit as well – unfortunately, that seems pretty unlikely and will probably go unplayed. Why Nintendo couldn’t add an AI enemy is beyond me. Then there is a sort of training mode that teaches you different abilities in a training environment. It’s not bad, but it is not worthy of being a top-five LABO minigame. That leaves Robot mode, where you’re given five minutes to demolish a city that looks a lot like Corneria from Star Fox. The objective is simple enough, destroy as much as you can and rack up the score. It’s kind of like Rampage without Dwayne Johnson. The abilities you have as a robot are pretty neat, such as turning into a tank or flying in the air. There’s enough content here to make a full-fledged game, but it would be limited to gamers who own the LABO Robot Kit, which might not be enough to justify developing – and that’s a shame. It’s also worth noting that this was the minigame that my 3-year-old and 7-year-old both wanted to play the most. While adjusting the straps for each player was a bit of a hassle, it still worked fine.
Stadium (Variety Kit)
The stadium is one massive arena where you’ll drive your cardboard motorbike around popping balloons with the goal of popping more balloons than your competitors. The handling of the motorbike is that different than using the Wii’s steer wheel accessory for Mario Kart. The arena has a series of ramps and jumps along all four sides and in the middle is a massive grass field. This is the part that’s really cool, the grass field is customizable. By using the Joycons AR sensor, you can actually scan an object and the grass field will alter its shape to mimic the scanned object. It’s not dynamic, so if you want to change the grass field, you have to start over – but it allows each playthrough to be unique. Scanning objects was a breeze and the best objects were things like stuffed animals, hands, faces (my nose is a lot bigger than I realized!) and other objects of similar sizes. Of all the things the LABO kits offer, this ability to scan objects was one of my favorites and I hope more games utilize this in the future.
Fishing (Variety Kit)
The Fishing minigame utilizes (wait for it…) the fishing rod! And it does so in a fantastic way. Not only do you get a fully functioning, telescopic rod with a moveable hand crank, you also get a cool little stand that turns your Switch screen into a vertical ocean. You’ll rotate the hand crank in one direction to drop the lure, you’ll move it in the opposite direction to reel it back in. You’ll also be tasked with tugging the rod just as a fish nibbles your lure to get it hooked on. Larger fish will fight you, and you’ll have to move your line back and forth to ensure it doesn’t snap. This is probably the most authentic fishing game I’ve ever played. As an added bonus, you can design your own fish (using cardboard cutouts and the LABO Toy Piano) to add a bit of customization to the fun. Every fish you catch will end up in another minigame type area, the Aquarium. The one downside to Fishing is the lack of locations where you can fish – in fact, you’re limited to just one place, and it’s completely pre-designed, so you’ll quickly become familiar with the sights such as the shipwreck. It’d be nice if more locations were unlocked, or even if they gave us the option to drive our boat around a massive body of water and drop our lure at the location of our choice. Alas, it is just a minigame, and so there are limitations – but it’s still the best of the bunch.
And that concludes our look at the top five Nintendo LABO minigames that are included within the two Nintendo LABO kits. We would love to know what LABO minigames you’ve been enjoying or which minigame is making you consider the purchase. Be sure to reach out to us via social media or comment below.