Nintendo’s Labo has been an interesting experience to watch. It’s hard to gauge exactly how successful it has been, due to its unorthodox nature as a product and being marketed and distributed more as a toy for kids as opposed to a traditional video game. At the very least, the recently released VR kit seemed to sell well on its debut in Japan. It seems Nintendo wants to get more eyes on the product, though, with a recently announced crossover event with Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

Ultimate smashed expectations, as Nintendo reported earlier today, and has become one of the best selling games on the Switch despite being out for only a handful of months. Via Nintendo’s Australian/New Zealand Twitter, it was announced that starting on April 26^th, Ultimate will host an event called the “Nintendo Labo: Smash Kit.” For five days you’ll have fights open from Spirits based around Labo, as you can see below, exclusive to this event, which will also give out triple experience points.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is available now for Nintendo Switch, and so are multiple Labo Kits, including the recently released VR edition. You can see the tweet about the event below.

The five-day spirit event "Nintendo Labo: Smash Kit" starts on 26/04!

Beat the target spirits in battle to earn triple the usual EXP! Event-exclusive spirits will also make an appearance, so don't miss out!#SmashBrosUltimate pic.twitter.com/FXlA9c9cMG

— Nintendo AU NZ (@NintendoAUNZ) April 24, 2019

Nintendo is finally dipping its toes in the VR pool with its Labo VR Kit. Using cardboard to deliver virtual reality is an unusual strategy, but by all accounts, it seems to be working so far. That said, this isn’t actually Nintendo’s first attempt at VR—they tried to do this all the way back in 1995 with what is widely regarded as their biggest blunder to date.

I’m talking about the Virtual Boy, Nintendo’s monochromatic 3D headset that was so awful it famously gave people migraines. But over the last few years, Nintendo has embraced the Virtual Boy, including referencing it in games such as Tamodachi Life.

And now, they have referenced their first attempt at VR in their newest attempt at VR. That’s right, Labo VR has a neat little VR Easter Egg, as GameXplain discovered, which features a nod to Mario’s Tennis, the great tennis game for the Virtual Boy that was never re-released thereafter.

If Labo VR takes off, can Nintendo maybe look at re-releasing Virtual Boy games for it?

Nintendo’s first grand entry into VR will be cardboard. Apparently, Nintendo will be using Labo to push out a low cost VR solution with the Labo VR kit. The most interesting part is that Labo VR will support some of the Switch’s biggest games—Super Mario Odyssey and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild—as well.

In spite of the technical limitations that a 720p screen put in a cardboard set that’s you have to hold up to your face presents, Nintendo in VR is undoubtedly an alluring prospect. What the company might do with the exciting possibilities posed by VR is a question many have pondered. It seems like Shuhei Yoshida, head of Sony’s Worldwide Studios, and an avid fan of Nintendo’s offerings, is among them, because, as he revealed to a fan on Twitter recently, he has already pre-ordered the Labo VR kit for himself.

Of course, Nintendo’s VR offering is going to be nowhere close to Sony’s far more accomplished and frankly astounding PlayStation VR (which itself is pared back compared to something like HTC Vive), but I feel like they could help popularize the format more, and so there might be some merit to what they are doing—at least, their competition certainly seems to think so too.

Pre-ordered.

— Shuhei Yoshida (@yosp) April 5, 2019

Last month, Nintendo announced that VR would finally be coming to the Switch- it’s cardboard VR, but hey, at least it exists. And soon, they will also be adding support for Labo VR to two big Switch titles. Possibly the biggest of them all. Certainly the highest rated- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey.

Said VR support will be more extensive for the former than for the latter. Odyssey will see three new mini-missions in the Seaside, Luncheon, and Cap Kingdoms, which have been tailor-made specifically for the VR experience. Breath of the Wild, on the other hand, is going to be playable entirely in VR, which I’m sure is bound to excite no small amount of people.

So far, the kits Nintendo have announced for Labo VR had been cursory at best, and hardly the kind of stuff that would compel people to buy into it, so this is definitely a step in the right direction. The prospect of exploring Hyrule in virtual reality is especially exciting. Here’s hoping Nintendo keeps up this kind of support for Labo- in fact, do Mario Kart next!

Experience 2 beloved games in new ways with the Toy-Con VR Goggles from the #NintendoLabo: VR Kit! https://t.co/be8xudP2PK pic.twitter.com/M0C6w59lIT

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) April 5, 2019

There had been rumblings here and there recently that Nintendo would be looking to add some sort of a VR solution to the Switch in the near future, while Nintendo themselves have, in the past, spoken about doing something along those lines, and now, they’ve officially confirmed it- well, sort of. It’s cardboard VR. But hey, it’s something.

In case you haven’t guessed, Nintendo have announced a VR Kit for Nintendo Labo, alongside six new Toy-Cons in conjunction, including Toy-Con VR Goggles, Toy-Con Blaster, Toy-Con Camera, Toy-Con Bird, Toy-Con Wind Pedal, and Toy-Con Elephant. A complete package of the required software, as well as all six Toy-Cons, retails for $79.99, while a starter kit, containing the software and two Toy-Cons – the Toy-Con VR Goggles and Toy-Con Blaster – retails for $39.99.

Both kits, of course, include a screen holder and a safety cap. Those who purchase the starter kit can choose to get the other Toy-Cons across two Expansion sets, each retailing for $19.99. It’s no Oculus, or PSVR, but it’s a good step- and definitely lends more value to the entire concept of Labo.

Black Friday is almost here, which means the Holiday shopping season is about to reach a fever pitch. This is the best time for trying to accrue as many sales as is possible, and Nintendo will be capitalizing on the frenzy with some pretty decent deals and bargains on their hardware all around.

Some of this is stuff we have already had a look at, thanks to individual retailers revealing it before, but here it is officially confirmed: a Nintendo Switch bundle with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for $300 (a Switch alone costs $300, so this is effectively a price drop), a Nintendo 2DS bundled with the disappointing 3DS version of Super Mario Maker for $80, as well as two Labo kits available for $100, which represents savings of $40 to $50. That said, the Labo deal will apparently only be available at Best Buy, so if that’s something you want, you know what store to make a beeline for

You can check out the charming video with Nintendo unveiling these deals for yourself below.

When Nintendo unveiled Labo earlier this year, I was instantly struck by how clever of a use of technology it was, and also how, in spite of it probably not being the best tech for games, it had some great implications for arts and crafts, as well as STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) learning in classrooms. Well, it looks like Nintendo has decided to act on those implications, because it announced today that it will be bringing the Labo to classrooms all around the United States.

The initiative will be to bring Labo to elementary school classrooms in an effort to inculcate STEAM learning. They will be teaming up with Institute of Play for this program, and will bring it to 100 classrooms to begin with. Teachers will also be provided with free Nintendo Labo Teacher Guides.

The jury is out on whether or not the Labo was a successful gambit for Nintendo, but it will be programs like these that will truly help the novel concept reach its full potential, and I am glad to see Nintendo making steps towards this.

Nintendo and @InstituteofPlay are teaming up to bring #NintendoLabo to elementary classrooms nationwide to promote basic STEAM principles and help make learning fun! #NintendoLaboClassroom

Learn more: https://t.co/4WToww7lh4 pic.twitter.com/8fPjbRRRkA

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) October 23, 2018

Nintendo’s Labo isn’t a very good video game – honestly, I think it is barely a game to begin with. What it is, however, is a great toy, a great arts, crafts, and science DIY project for kids, and just a very cool application of the unusual tech crammed into Nintendo’s newest system. Apparently, its merits as a toy are agreed upon by many, because Nintendo Labo Variety Kit has been nominated for Toy of the Year in the Netherlands, as Nintendo Netherlands’ Twitter page announced. (later translated by Twitter user NintenDaan).

The nomination is specifically for the 10-11 year old age group category, and, as I am sure you have noticed, is for the Variety Kit. The Variety Kit was one of the two Labo kits available at launch, featuring a variety (heh) of projects, such as the piano, the motorbike, and the fishing rod. That’s the more popular and successful one, so it makes sense that it is also the one that has been picked up on here.

Whether or not it wins, at least Nintendo can be assured that their wild experiment caught some eyes, if nothing else.

Wij vinden het fantastisch dat het #NintendoLabo-mixpakket is genomineerd voor de verkiezing van #SpeelgoedvanhetJaar! Vergeet niet te stemmen als je ook geniet van bouwen, spelen en ontdekken met kartonnen bouwplaten: https://t.co/8RdgrZRf6i pic.twitter.com/KDsIzOf6nE

— Nintendo Nederland (@NintendoNL) August 20, 2018

Nintendo has just announced their financial results for the first fiscal quarter of the year, and the results are looking great so far. The company has seen significant increases in sales across multiple areas and they are expecting to continue having strong sales throughout the rest of the year.

Sales have increased by 9.1% year-on-year, while operating profit has increased by 88.4% during the same period. The company has seen strong sales with games such as Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze on the Switch, which has sold 1.40 million units so far, and Mario Tennis Aces, which has sold 1.38 million units. The Nintendo Labo is also off to a decent start, with a total of 1.39 million units sold so far.

Overall, software sales has seen significant growth, with a 120.8% increase year-on-year, whereas hardware sales have decreased by 4.4%. As for the Nintendo 3DS, hardware and software sales have (unsurprisingly) decreased year-on-year. Digital sales and add-on content have also sold well overall with  a 68% increase year-on-year. The company also reports that smart devices and IP related income has reached 9 billion yen as of now.

Nintendo also stands by its prediction to sell a total of 20 million units of the Nintendo Switch in this fiscal year. Although shipments of the Switch have slowed down during this quarter, its sales have been going up after E3. There are also a lot of upcoming titles planned for the year including some Pokémon titles, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and games from other publishers. Overall, it looks like it’s going to be a pretty good year for Nintendo.

Nintendo has announced a brand new kit for its cardboard based Labo series of DIY projects and games. Toy Con 03: Vehicle Kit lets players assemble a multitude of vehicles, including a car, a plane, and a submarine, and then play Nintendo Switch games with their cardboard vehicles.

The project retails for $70 ($10 more than the standard $60 cost of a Switch game), and lets you build cardboard based vehicle accessories for your Switch. I presume that these cardboard setups, specifically the steering wheel one, will also be compatible with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, which was already updated a few weeks ago to add Nintendo Labo compatibility to it.

Toy Con 03: Vehicle Kit is the third Nintendo Labo pack the company is introducing after the first two, Variety Pack and Robot Kit, launched the Labo initiative back in April. It will be interesting to see how Nintendo chooses to ramp up its Labo initiatives as we go into the Holiday season.

Nintendo Labo is available exclusively on the Nintendo Switch.

https://youtu.be/vI6QzU8NXFI