The Nintendo Ring Fit Adventure Merges Fitness and Gaming

By: Max Cannon

Nintendo is no stranger to making games focused around physical fitness, but a lot has changed since the days of the Wii Fit Balance Board. So with the recent announcement of Ring Fit Adventure for the Nintendo Switch, we were excited to see how Nintendo has grown in their pursuit of healthy-gaming. And based on their reveal video, it seems like there is a lot to love about their upcoming game, especially if you're looking for an opportunity to get up off the couch and on your feet.

The Joy-Con and Leg Strap that come with Ring Fit Adventure.Courtesy of Nintendo

An Adventure in Fitness

While many fitness games seem completely foreign to fans of traditional gaming, Ring Fit Adventure's gameplay seems like it'll appeal to those of us that enjoy traditional adventure games. That is until the controller gets into the mix. The most interesting part of Ring Fit Adventure is how you'll actually be controlling the game with the Ring-Con and Leg Strap. If that sounds completely confusing to you, take a look at the image above. This eccentric equipment translates your workouts into in-game input. If that sounds even more confusing, here's an example. After attaching one Joy-Con into the Leg Strap on your thigh, and hooking your remaining Joy-Con into the Ring-Con, you'll gently jog in-place to move your character through the game's world. If the video is any indicator, you'll need to adjust your jog to navigate certain challenges, like raising your knees even higher to climb stairs. 

Ring Fit Adventure Reveal Trailer - Nintendo Switch

The game's story, as pointed out in the video we've included above, focuses on taking down a big "bodybuilder" monster. As you traverse a sizable map and tackle challenges, you'll literally run across the world and fight enemies with fitness. When you come across an enemy, you'll be dropped into a turn-based battle that any fans of RPGs like Pokémon may be pretty familiar with. However, each turn you'll be selecting attacks based on quick-little workouts that you'll perform with your Ring-Con controller. These "attacks" range from squats to yoga-poses to give you a solid range of workouts to perform as you play. According to a writer over at The Verge, someone at Nintendo said: "that if you played for an hour a day, it’d take between three to four months to finish the campaign." Of course, some players will find a way to cruise through it quickly but that gives you plenty of time to get in a solid routine. 

Different enemies require different workouts to make progress.Courtesy of Nintendo

Picking Up the Pace

If you're looking to get a small workout in but you don't want to play through a story, you'll have a few different options. There are a handful of mini-games and you'll be able to perform different workouts that focus on specific muscles if you're looking to really refine your training session. If you're interested in picking this up for yourself, you won't have to wait too long though the price is a little steeper than your standard game. The whole thing will set you back $79.99 when Ring Fit Adventure releases on October 18th. Could this be the next fitness crazy or a major misstep from Nintendo? Only time will tell.

Who needs the gym when you have your Switch at home?Courtesy of Nintendo

Share Your Thoughts!

What's your take on Nintendo's latest attempt at the merging gaming with fitness? Are you interested or are you sitting this one out? Share your thoughts below and leave a comment!