Earlier this week, Nintendo unveiled its Labo line for the Switch, and most would agree that it looks like yet another example of the company’s unbridled creativity. The German ratings board, on the other hand, thought it was a bunch of trash. On Thursday, January 18, Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle (USK) tweeted about a near-miss that took place when Nintendo submitted Labo for classification. The unconventional self-assembly peripherals that make the project so unique were almost placed straight in the garbage by cleaning staff.
For the uninitiated, Labo hinges around real-world items ranging from a miniature piano to a fishing rod that use the capabilities of the Switch’s Joy-Con controllers and its detachable display to bring about new gameplay experiences. These toy controllers are printed on sheets of cardboard, before being assembled by the player with the help of video tutorials. When new software is submitted to the USK, it rarely comes with sheets of cardboard attached. As a result, the cleaners assumed it was simply some unwanted waste paper and came very close to disposing of it, according to a report from Game Informer.
Nintendo managed to do an exemplary job of keeping Labo under wraps, and the project was a genuine surprise when it was unveiled by a slickly edited teaser video. It’s strange to think that its existence could have been revealed ahead of time by a few stray sheets of cardboard that were thrown out in error, should they have fallen into the wrong hands. Of course, that assumes that anyone who happened upon the components would have had any clue what they were for. Without the instructions to put them together — and advance knowledge of their relation to the Switch — it would have been difficult to grasp their purpose. This time a week ago, who among us would have guessed that Nintendo’s next big idea involved sheets of cardboard?
The first two installments in Nintendo Labo series are scheduled to release on April 20. The Variety Kit is set to cost $70, while the Robot Kit is priced at $80. A Customization Set intended to add a personal spin to the controllers is coming out on the same day for $10.
With less than a week to go until the highly anticipated Nintendo Switch 2 Direct, Nintendo gave the first Switch one last go-around with a Direct of its own. This Thursday morning Nintendo Direct gave us a clear idea of what to expect from Nintendo Switch throughout the rest of 2025 and even a bit into 2026. Unfortunately, we did not get release dates for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond or Pokémon Legends: Z-A, but we did get in-depth looks at gameplay from both titles. On top of that, there were plenty of surprise reveals, such as Sony bringing classic Patapon games to Nintendo Switch and Nintendo teasing new Tomodachi Life and Rhythm Heaven games for 2026. To help you keep track of what was part of this showcase, I’ve recapped everything announced during the March 2025 Nintendo Direct. Read through this, and you’ll have a clear idea of what to expect from Nintendo Switch as its successor finally arrives.
If you worried the Nintendo Switch 2 wouldn’t support your Amiibo collection, you can breathe easy; recent FCC filings indicate it will have NFC support, and that most likely means Amiibo. The filings also show the Switch 2 will support Wi-Fi 6, an upgrade over the original Switch’s Wi-Fi 5. That’s great news for all fans. It means the Switch 2 can support faster Internet speeds and is on-par with the base PlayStation 5 — and has higher maximum speeds than the Xbox Series S or X.
Ridge Racer 64 is now available for Nintendo Switch Online. For those keeping track, this is the first time in 25 years the game has been available (legally) on anything but the Nintendo 64 itself. Who wants to dust off an old consoleThe classic racing game is available to all Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack subscribers starting today. Ridge Racer 64 first hit shelves in 2000, near the end of the console’s lifespan. That put it in competition with other games like Gran Turismo 4 and Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed. Less than a year after its launch, the PlayStation 2 released and dominated console sales for years to come — and that means Ridge Racer 64 flew under the radar for a lot of people.
