The Nintendo Switch can function as both a home console and a handheld game system, but what if it could also help you stay in shape? Very few people have probably had that thought cross their minds, but one of them remembers Wii Fit and works at Nintendo — Ring Fit Adventure is a new Nintendo Switch experience designed to help you work out while fighting monsters.
Teased earlier as only a “new experience” coming to Switch, Ring Fit Adventure uses two accessories to turn the Joy-Con controllers into workout devices. The first is called a “Ring-Con,” and it can register the pressure you apply to it through squeezing, while also containing a slot for one Joy-Con. A leg strap is also placed around one thigh and has a slot for a Joy-Con, and can register your leg’s movement to simulate running.
Nintendo must not be a fan of bodybuilders, because the villain you’ll be battling in Ring Fit Adventure is an “evil bodybuilding dragon” called Dragaux, and he has brought peril to the world.
To move in Ring Fit Adventure, you jog in place, and your pace will determine how quickly you move. Aiming down with the Ring-Con will make your character jump, and pressing in on the Ring-Con will create a blast of air. You can also fly, paddle, and roll to get to your goal, but you often be on a guided path so you don’t need to worry about staying on the course.
Nintendo lets you pick the length of each of your gameplay sessions, because Ring Fit Adventure is designed for players of any fitness level. There are also “quick play” exercises that target specific muscle groups, as well as a mini-game mode that lets you try to beat your high score. With these options, Nintendo hopes you will make the game a part of your daily fitness routine.
Ring Fit Adventure will be available on October 18, exclusively for Nintendo Switch, and the package includes both required accessories as well as a physical copy of the game. Because it requires the Joy-Con controllers, however, those who choose the Nintendo Switch Lite will also need to buy a set of Joy-Con controllers.