The Nintento Switch has been a real game changer (pun intended) in the console world. For the first time, a console grade device can also turn portable with complete ease. I’ve been a Nintendo fan since the first Famicom days, and have had the luck to have had the opportunity to play on every other console Nintento released since.

Since the Wii, Nintendo started to release fitness titles. The Wii Fit was quite fun to play, despite the cumbersome but necessary balance board. Game fitness has taken another step up with the brilliant versatility of the Nintendo Switch. Ring Fit Adventure is like no other fitness games I’ve ever played.

The game was released in Oct 2019. Initially I did not pay much attention to it. It was during the Chinese COVID-19 lockdown in Feb/Mar 2020 that a report caught my attention. Apparently there was someone who spent a lot of time playing it during the lockdown and lost a good amount of weight. Gaming and weight loss is a good combo for me!

I started looking around to order the game, and the prices have shot through the roof. I read that the demand from China was tremendous and that drove up the price globally. It was also out of stock in many places.

Luckily, in early April, just when Singapore started with our version of the lockdown Circuit Breaker, Amazon.sg had a surprise listing of the RingFit Adventure, and at a reasonable MSRP price of S$129. (Thank you Amazon for being fair!!) It was something I had to order immediately, few hours later, it was all sold out!! As a comparison, other local retailers had the price at over S$300, with the highest at S$500.

Amazon.sg was really efficient, and I received the game the next day. In the package, expect to see the game itself, a really well made Ring-Con, and a leg strap. The Ring-Con is where you would attached the right controller, and the leg strap will hold the left controller and strapped to your left thigh. I’ve been playing for over 60 days now and these still look new.

The game play is a very well thought out. The story mode is pretty much like a turn based RPG. There’s the boss, Dragaux which you’ll have to battle multiple times at the end stage of some worlds. Each world has a unique map and consists of common stages, there are the PvE stages where you’ll be running and battling mobs, some environment will have special water and air terrains. The real workout is the run, and also the battle scenes. The battle is where it resembles turn based RPG, where you and the mobs will take turn to attack. To attack, you get to choose from a self defined list of skills. It would be a specific type of workout that you have to perform, ranging from upper body, lower body, abs, and balance. To progress well through the game, you’ll want to use a range of different skills. This is a really nice touch to get the play a rather balanced workout. The past two years I’ve been visiting the gym in my condo, but I was too focused on the treadmill and elliptical machines. This is a really good change.

Apart from PvE stages, there are also Game Gyms, these give a nice break to allow some other fun activities. There is a good variety of games that work out the arms, legs and abs. No RPG is complete without levelling your character, upgrading armour (tops, shorts and shoes), and potions (smoothies). Fortunately these are not at the level of complexity found in full blown RPG like Breath of the Wild. There is also a skill tree that you will spend skill points on, to add health (heart), attack points, defence points, new skills and other perks.

60+ days in, I’ve been playing this for at least 30mins everyday. My character level is now over 170, and I’ve lost track of which world I’m in now. As expected by any seasoned gamer, each world has increased difficulty and fun factor! Even the game gyms get more challenging. Earlier stages just need you to reach a minimum points to clear the stage, but the current level I’m at adds new twists, like to only collect silver coins and completely avoid the gold coins.

Wrapping Up…

Fitness wise, I definitely feel to be in much better shape. I had really poor stamina for running, but now I can clear a running stage without much difficulty. The game checks in regularly with you on how you feel about the difficulty level, and you can adjust to increase or reduce. So it can keep up with individual progress. Weight wise, there is some noticeable reduction, but definitely not significant like it was publicised by other. Weight loss is not simply about exercise but also intake. I’m just glad that I’m not putting on weight during this long running stay home movement.

I really recommend this game for everyone. For those gamers who lack the access or motivations to hit the gym, this is an excellent alternative. The Ring-Con is simple but yet really effective to give a decent workout.

I think I’m not even half way through the game yet as there are still many empty slots in my inventory list. I’m trying to avoid reading any reviews or walkthroughs, so no spoilers please.