Explore The Moon With Nintendo Labo VR's Newest Minigame

Published: November 22, 2019 2:00 PM /

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Lunar Exploration free Nintendo Labo VR game Japanese Nintendo

Nintendo has released the 12th free mini-game addition for the Nintendo Labo VR has arrived, dubbed Lunar Exploration, free for owners of the Nintendo Labo Toy-Con 04: VR Kit Toy-Con. Also known as Getsumen Tanken in Japan. First reported by Japanese Nintendo (who are also the source of the header image), this game sees you tasked to board a Lunar Rover and explore the moon.

Being the 12th game released in the series, Lunar Rover is preceded by Multitasking Game, Bunbougu Mudazukai Senshuken, Shooting Game, Balloon Fight, Maguro Kart, Capsule Toy, Baseball Board, Kyodai Meiro, Sushi Board, Kaijuu Shooting, and Alien Tataki. These are the Japanese names, and not all of them have been localized. You can, by creating a Japanese user account also go and get those if you are able to navigate the menus to news, the labo channel and download selections.

If you're unaware, Nintendo Labo VR is a very imaginative take on VR phenomenon. All that's required is having a Nintendo Switch and $79.99 kit. In this kit you'll find several cardboard plates from which you can fold and craft various pre-determined constructions, varying from a bazooka to a camera. Once put together, Joy-Cons can be inserted in these cardboard constructs while the Switch can be inserted in a cardboard holder with lenses, acting as a VR monitor for the user. Quite similar to Google Cardboard and other low-cost entries to VR, right down to using cardboard..

While the game is themed around exploring the moon in a lunar rover, it is interesting to note that moon landings and exploration are some of the oldest topics found in gaming, dating back to the Lunar Landing game in 1969. The concept was more broadly explored with Lunar Lander in 1979 by Atari as an arcade game.

Moon Patrol is another example of a game taking place on the moon. Created by IREM in 1982, it was an arcade hit as you patrol around the moon shooting down aliens in your moon vehicle. It's well known for its parallax scrolling 

What do you think of this free game? Think it could be a hit with the kids? What do you think about games that take place on the moon? Let us know in the comments below!

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It is face, Sergei. When enemy see face, they fear shoot. Is very intimidation.
| Former Staff Writer

Former Staff Writer at TechRaptor.