The New Wii Fit? This era's Wii Sports? An RPG game? Well, how about all of the above? That's probably the best way to describe Ring Fit Adventure, the new Nintendo Switch game to potentially catapult the hybrid console into fitness-gaming territory once again, in which the Wii thrived tremendously during its heydays.
But times have changed. People simply won't settle for plain instructional guides onscreen to work up a sweat at home. They want the sizzle of Just Dance and the sophistication of Wii Fit combined. Ring Fit Adventure does a bit of both. It captures the Wii Fit's original spirit and delivers a fitness-focused title filtered through the genre of RPG. The result? A decidedly juvenile-looking gimmick with enough intriguing elements that make it worth a second look, and perhaps also a third.
Ring Fit Adventure
Mere days ago, Nintendo teased a wacky, suspicious-looking new peripheral for the Switch shaped like a ring with one Joy-Con inserted at the top of the circumference and the other lodged inside a strap. Now, in a just-released video, Nintendo offers more context on how these new accessories factor into gameplay.
Working Out With Ring Fit Adventure
In Ring Fit Adventure, players will be interacting primarily with the ring and performing all sorts of exercises to move through a fantasy world. Running, for instance, is done by lightly jogging on the stop, while flying in-game requires flapping one's arms. The Ring-Con accessory can be bent, pulled, or squeezed to perform various moves in-game, as well. Bending the ring inward, for example, will create a blast of air that can break crates or launch the character high into the air.
Ring Fit Adventure essentially functions as a light RPG title controlled using dynamic physical movements in the real world. In other words, it's an RPG game that makes people exercise to continue. At certain intervals, the player will encounter "fit battles," which play out similarly to turn-based RPGs. The character's attacks are performed by completing certain poses, stretches, or exercises.
The game has four main attack types that target different parts of the body: red is for arms, yellow is for core, blue is for legs, and green is for yoga. In-game monsters differ in the attacks they're weak against; the player can perform, say, a "red" move against a similarly colored to inflict greater damage.
The world of Ring Fit Adventure will be divided up into courses that will reward the player with experience points upon completion. Earn enough of these and the character will level up, which in turn will increase their base states and slowly unlock new skills that can be used in battle.
Ring Fit Adventure will hit shelves Oct. 18. The game will be bundled with the Ring-Con accessory and the leg strap. Nintendo Switch required, of course. Those planning to play on a Switch Lite will be required to use detachable Joy-Cons to play, though.
