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Nintendo Labo was a surprising and pleasing addition to Switch, bringing a mixture of software and physical constructs to the hybrid console. One of the coolest parts about the experience is bringing one’s own personal creativity to bear, decorating the signature cardboard of Labo with everything from markers to stickers. Peripheral and accessory maker Nyko has taken note of the Labo phenomenon and decided to bring both cardboard and creativity to its own upcoming PixelQuest Arcade Kit.
At E3, I had the pleasure of getting to mess around with the Arcade Kit, which is a cardboard housing for Switch shaped like an arcade cabinet. However, rather than fill an entire corner of your home, the Arcade Kit instead is roughly the size of a something like a blender and will easily fit on a tabletop or a shelf. You can check it out in the gallery, below:
Isn’t it great?! I loved the thing. The Switch itself sits in the center as the arcade cabinet “screen,” while the Joy-Cons rest in place functioning as the “joysticks.” Don’t worry, there’s no actual dissection of the Joy-Cons required; those joysticks simply snap onto the top of the Joy-Cons’ control sticks. They’re surprisingly authentic feeling, too, which is great when playing games like Street Fighter II (which is what the Nyko reps had up for demo purposes). My mind immediately went to fighting games when thinking of what could be compatible with the Arcade Kit, but the Nyko folks reminded me of all those delightful Arcade Archives titles that will also work well in this format.
Beyond the practical functionality of the Arcade Kit, there’s also that Labo synergy I mentioned in terms of both building the thing and decorating it. There are stickers that come with the Arcade Kit which can be used to create pixelated imagery like what’s on this sample unit. As I pointed out to the workers, though, you’re really not limited to just the stickers. Like Labo, virtually anything can be painted, drawn, or stuck to the Arcade Kit to make it look however a person wants. My mind is racing with all the things I want to create on the side of my own!
As an added bonus, the Arcade Kit is also a bank! I was told that in the front of the unit, much like an actual arcade machine, there will be a coin slot that players can put their extra nickels, dimes, pennies, and quarters into. It’s an excellent touch and doubles as a nice bonus bit of retro fun. It’s not revolutionary, but the pure, whimsical goofiness and joy of the Arcade Kit can’t be denied. It’s a natural extension of what Labo does without the need for a game. It’s expected to drop this summer and will retail for $19.99. For families looking to work on a project together, or fans simply wanting to play their games a different way and unleash their inner artist, the Arcade Kit is a must!
BONUS ROUND
It wouldn’t be an arcade without a bonus round, eh? Before we go, let’s look at some other cool goodies I spotted in Nyko’s booth:
Note that it doesn’t come with an NFC Reader, but considering just about everyone has a pair of Joy-Con attached to their Switch at all times, it shouldn’t be that big of an omission for most. For those of you gaming on other platforms, the Wireless Core Controller is compatible with Android devices and PCs. When playing on PC it requires the (included) Type-C cable to be plugged in in order to function. It launches soon for $29.99.
By the way, those kickstands? Those are new, too. Nyko previously only offered a metal one (which I own and love) that has a built-in slot to house an extra Micro SD card. These colored variants will come in the Kick Stand Multi-Pak and sell for $12.99 for the set of three. Also, the Switch in this photo is encased in a clear version of Nyko’s Thin Case, which provides some light protection for the console. The clear one is coming in the summer and will sell for $12.99.
These were the coolest accessories that we spotted in the Nyko booth at E3! Do any of them catch your eye? Share with us in the comments and on social media!
