LABO
Object of the exercise
Inside the six-month creation of Labo Fit Adventure Kart Kit
Let yourself forget the practicalities – and the intentionally ridiculous compound name – for a moment, and it could almost be real. A mock Nintendo Direct, hosted by YouTuber Mike Choi, introducing a brand-new product, complete with its own mascot and matching Amiibo. And it is real, in a sense – the Labo Fit Adventure Kart Kit does exist, and is fully functional. It’s just that there is only one in the world, currently being stored in Choi’s San Francisco apartment.
As the name suggests, this project connects the dots between a few existing Nintendo products. It’s a peripheral-driven fitness game, in the tradition of Wii Fit, utilising the Ring-Con from the publisher’s most recent foray into that arena along with an exercise bike, clad in Labo-styled cardboard, in order to play an especially sweaty game of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Surprisingly, though, the concept didn’t originate from any of these games, but from a round of Tetris 99.