Nintendo Labo now compatible with Mario Kart 8

 
Nintendo have launched a new free update for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on Nintendo Switch which allows players to control their character and cart using the Nintendo Labo Toy-Con Motorbike. This will work in much the same way as when using the Joy Cons by themselves, with the motion of the Toy-Con reflecting the motion of the driver on screen.

The Toy-Con Motorbike for Nintendo Labo comes as part of the Nintendo Labo Variety Kit. The controller is shaped like the handlebars of a motorbike and is used in conjunction with a motorcycle game that comes as part of Nintendo Labo.

Many users have made the comparison to the way the Nintendo Labo game plays with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Edition, and it now seems as though Nintendo were already in the process of bringing the functionality across to the kart racer.

Before this update the only accessory that would potentially help players using the Joy Cons with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was a steering wheel peripheral. Joy Cons could be inserted in the steering wheel in much the same way as the controllers for the Nintendo Wii could be in order to provide a slightly more realistic experience. Now players are able to take that experience one step further than ever before with a modeled motorbike controller.

This is the first time that Nintendo have extended the functionality of Nintendo Labo beyond the mini games released as part of the core title. There are a few other ways of controlling games in Nintendo Labo that might be applicable to other titles now, or in the future, but whether or not Nintendo is planning on doing the same for them has not been confirmed.

Daemon X Machina is one future title that looks as though it could be a good fit for the Nintendo Labo Robot Kit. In this kit players build robot appendages with which they can control a huge machine in the game. If this functionality were to be transferred to the hectic-looking Daemon X Machina it might prove to be a hindrance rather than an enhancement, but a different mode using the Labo Kit could extend the longevity of Nintendo Labo.