This is probably the weirdest of the bunch.  It doesn’t let you really be an elephant though.  This one just lets you play games where you have to manipulate and rotate objects in 3-D space, and the apparatus they have you build to do that just kind of looks like an elephant.  Maybe some of the Labo makers are Alabama fans?  Roll Tide!

Here’s a bigger picture of the ‘elephant.’  You put both JoyCons in compartments connected by rubber bands.  The JoyCons use each others’ gyroscopes and motion detectors to tell where you are moving and rotating.  The controller at the end of the ‘trunk’ also uses the IR camera to read reflective marker stickers on the ‘face’ to further help the orientation.  They even have you build a part at the end of the trunk that’s like a trigger so you can push a button, and the elephant ears on the ‘face’ are just for show.  You put the goggles on the back of the face to play.

I had two problems with the Elephant.  One, it feels a little flimsier than other Labo toys you build, mainly because of the extensive use of rubber bands.  The other problem I had is more personal and probably won’t affect too many people reading this.  You see, I’ve been blind in my left eye since birth, and can’t see 3-D effects.  Usually I can play most VR games fairly well, because they don’t require precise use of depth perception.  Well this one does, so I had a harder time with it.

Anyway, let’s take a look at the games you can play.  The first is Marble Run.  You must use slides, gutters, and other objects and rotate them and move them around so a marble has a safe path to roll into a ring.  It’s pretty fun, even if I had a hard time playing it.  You can also design your own courses, so that was neat.

The next game is Doodle, although it’s not much of a game and more of an art application.  You can paint things in 3-D space.  The screenshot below is something I made myself.  Because of my vision, though, I couldn’t do anything more complicated than that.  You could also play a two player game that was like Pictionary.  If it’s anything like the Pictionary style game in Game & Wario, I’m sure it’s a hoot and a half.

And finally you can play some little mini-games and activities in the VR Plaza, but there are so many of those that I can’t go over them all.  And that’s all for the Elephant.  Next time we’ll look at another VR animal you can build, the Bird!  Later!  –Cary

Tags: Game Reviews