Nintendo games news: Wii U struck off as Switch Labo launch takes its place

The Nintendo Wii U games list may have some cracking titles but the console itself never managed to make a big impact.

The Nintendo Switch has already surpassed it in terms of sales and now Nintendo have provided the final nail in the coffin for the console.

Today saw the announcement of the Nintendo Labo Toys, Cardboard Creations aimed at kids.

New kits will be sold from April 2018, which will allow everyone to build new cardboard models of motorbikes, robots and fishing lines.

They all come with games too, which are activated when the Switch console and Joy-Con controllers are fitted into the cardboard designs.

For example, you can make a functioning 13-key piano that a Nintendo Switch console and Right Joy-Con controller can fit into, that can then be played.

As you play, the IR Motion Camera in the Right Joy-Con detects which keys are pressed and plays each note through the console’s built-in speakers.

The first of these will launch April 27 as a Variety Pack, and a Robo Pack, both offering different designs.

It’s a neat new way for Nintendo to help push the Switch as a kid-friendly device, and will likely do well among adults too.

So what’s the connection with the Wii U?

Well, as some fans have pointed out on Reddit, the new Labo toys have now pushed the Wii U off Nintendo’s official website.

The place in which the console sat on the navigation bar has now been replaced by Labo.

It means anyone searching for the console have to dropdown to the secondary search bar, the final move of removing the Wii U from sight.

Interestingly, one of the console’s best games is actually on the front page of the Nintendo site right now, although that’s also because of the Switch.

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze was recently announced as being ported over to the new console.

It will arrive around May 4, 2018, and will be joined by a bunch of other newly announced titles.

Dark Souls Remastered, Mario Tennis Aces and a Switch ports of the Wii U’s Hyrule Warriors were all revealed.

The World Ends With You Final Remix and SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy were also announced during the first Nintendo Direct of 2018.

And recently, online retail giant Amazon posted placeholders for 18 new Switch titles on their US website.

Some of these were priced up to $99.99, which suggests a number of the placeholders were special editions.

Nonetheless, that still leaves plenty of wiggle room for new, unannounced Switch titles seeing as how seven new games were announced at the recent Direct.