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Ring Fit Adventure is pure Nintendo magic (Pilates Wings)

So far in 2019 I've bested mechs the size of skyscrapers, pummelled ancient demons into the pavement, even terrorised the citizens of a sleepy English village as one very naughty goose. But the greatest video game enemy I've faced this year? It's Ring Fit Adventure's stairs. These things burn.

It's a burn you'll feel in your thighs, mostly. Heck, it's a burn I can still feel tingling away, a full day since I last played this fascinating new Switch game. You might not even consider it a game, really - a successor of sorts to the hugely successful Wii Fit, it's a piece of fitness software that, as my aches attest, is remarkably effective.

But if Wii Fit was emblematic of that era of Nintendo, cheerily blurring the lines as it courted - and attained - mainstream success, then Ring Fit Adventure is emblematic of this current Nintendo era. This is a video game, and loudly and proudly so. At its heart Ring Fit Adventure is an RPG in which you're guiding your avatar through fantastical meadows and sugar pop savannahs, fighting off magical beasts as you level up and learn new abilities along the way.

nintendo_switch_ring_con_photo.jpg

Nintendo has previous in this department - there's Wii Fit, the sadly unreleased Vitality Sensor and, if you can remember that far back, Tetris 64's biosensor that would monitor your heartrate. Ring Fit Adventure repeats that particular trick through ingenious use of the IR sensor.

Oh, and you'll be doing this while holding the Ring-Con, the packed-in accessory that enables all of this. It's a pilates ring effectively, a thick matte rubber thing that works in unison with the Leg-Strap that's also included, and it's all sturdy and slim enough to pack in your bag so you can play anywhere (I wouldn't advise busting out the squat thrusts during your commute, though it is handy to be able to carry it with you on short trips - and you can even set the activity to low impact so you don't wake people up in the hotel room downstairs).

The real magic, though, comes through where the Joy-Con and Ring-Con interact. This way, the Ring-Con becomes a controller you push and pull, your efforts measured and translated effortlessly, and all accompanied with a satisfying level of haptic feedback. When hooked up with the Ring-Con and Leg-Con strapped discreetly around your left thigh, your entire body is the controller - though if that particular phrase gives you flashbacks to the dark ages of motion control of which Wii Fit was a part, be assured that this thing works, and it does so flawlessly.

As a piece of hardware, Ring Fit Adventure is assured. As a piece of software, it's often inspired. The adventure is at the heart of it all, a fully-fledged, full-length RPG that has you and your avatar traversing the lands to defeat Dragaux the body-building dragon. You do this by conquering several self-contained worlds, each featuring a series of short levels where you run from one point to another and beat the various enemies you encounter along the way.




The traversal itself is a form of exercise as you jog gently on the spot. Inclines are harder to climb, while stairs - those damn stairs - require high-knees running in place, providing short bursts of more intense activity. Along the way there are incidentals such as coins to hoover up - which you'll do by pulling on the Ring-Con - and doors to blast open - this time by pushing on the Ring-Con to mimic bellowing air. There are even small gaps to leap over, your jump and hover enabled by holding the Ring-Con to face the ground then giving it a hearty squeeze.

It's exercise, but when playing it never really feels like it. There's more serious burn when you face enemies, as you draw on your loadout of moves, going on to match them with enemy types to deal out more effective attacks. An overhead press might be just the thing to take on the crab with dumbbells for claws that stands in your way, for example, while later on you might need to draw upon your store of smoothies to up your health points when taking on a boss.

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The aesthetic is hardly inspired, and neither is the gear you pick up - it's mostly fitness wear - but it's at least consistent.

It's very video games, in other words, drawing upon staples of the medium and breaking them down into exercise routines. Judged purely as an RPG it can be a bit ramshackle - environments are quickly recycled, and good god your anthropomorphic Ring Fit friend can grate - but most importantly it has that pull of XP points and easily defined progression that gets all those gaming synapses popping, all while you're producing endorphins by sprinting on the spot or tackling mobs with well-maintained yoga poses.

There's a wonderful blend that Nintendo has achieved here, and it's heightened by what a considerate piece of software Ring Fit Adventure is. Keeping track of multiple users is seamless, you can set system-level alarm clocks to schedule your own exercise - and good lord I wish whoever designed the systems on Ring Fit Adventure was given free reign with the Switch's front-end - and you can even do reps on the Ring-Con while your Switch sleeps and still have your progress tracked.

Training_Potter_Daytime003.jpg

The UI will keep tabs on distance travelled, calories burned - and those measurements are more accurate if you're brave enough to input your own weight into the game.

Scrape away at all that - at the fitness aspect, at the RPG and at the lifestyle elements that accompany Ring Fit Adventure - and you have something that's pure Nintendo. Perhaps you'll see that at its purest in the 12 included mini-games, all with their own global and local leaderboards, and all unlocked off the bat. Here you'll ease a parachute as you glide through a course, sculpt pottery by maintaining posture or play a game of circular whack-a-mole by pushing and pulling the Ring-Con.

There's an end-of-pier charm to it all, the showmanship of the arcade matched with Nintendo's time-proven ability to take something - here the humble pilates ring - and imbue it with a sense of play and wonder. Ring Fit Adventure is that and then some, boasting all the inventiveness of last year's curio Labo and matching it with a video game that compels you to come back for more. This might not have the show-stopping pull of a Mario or Zelda, but I can guarantee that it's the purest Nintendo experience you'll play this year.


Overall reviews seem to be pretty positive so far. Anyone here thinking about picking it up?

Launch trailer below.




 
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stranno

Member
Does the ring contain any hardware?

I imagine its just a piece of plastic activating SR and SL but i havent seen any teardown of it.
 

JimiNutz

Banned
Gonna pick this up for the gf in the New Year to help out with the inevitable post Xmas exercise slump (it's always hard to get back into working out after the Xmas break for her).

I'll be picking up Brain Training as well so that I can work out my mind while she works out her booty.
 

Reon

Member
Does the ring contain any hardware?

I imagine its just a piece of plastic activating SR and SL but i havent seen any teardown of it.
It doesn't have much in the way of actual tech in it, but the material it's made from has really high tolerances and good resistance. Its feel is really solid. I don't think it's going to weaken or anything with long-term use.
 

Vawn

Banned
Nintendo could have sold this at 60 easily. :/

It's a pretty unique experience. The number of people willing to pay $60, but not $80 is not going to be enough to justify the difference.

If there was a lot of competition in the pilates ring fitness RPG genre, maybe it would have been cheaper.
 
S

SLoWMoTIoN

Unconfirmed Member
Gonna pick this up for the gf in the New Year to help out with the inevitable post Xmas exercise slump (it's always hard to get back into working out after the Xmas break for her).

I'll be picking up Brain Training as well so that I can work out my mind while she works out her booty.
She must be special. Your ex gfs usually disappear in the woods.
 
S

SLoWMoTIoN

Unconfirmed Member
You'd be paying for 3 months worth of Gym Memberships for that.

This is a good investment if you keep at it and show your manly abs!

Does the Strap fit people with Thick/Rugby Thighs like mine?
Hm? A gym is far more expensive. They always get you with the initiation fee. But even then it isn't a good comparison since the gym is superior to this in every way outside getting out of your house.
 

Murr

Member
Ordered it today. What fascinated me most is the plastic ring thingy. Wonder how long it will last.
 
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Hm? A gym is far more expensive. They always get you with the initiation fee. But even then it isn't a good comparison since the gym is superior to this in every way outside getting out of your house.

Depends which Gym you go to. My local one provides a discount if you live within an area.

This game is more beneficial for those who can't be as intense in their exercise or are unable to leave the house.

Of course a Gym is better, but for $80/£70 this is worth money if you use it regularly.
 

Shaqazooloo

Member
I'll get it at some point (if I remember) but the Canadian price is rough. $100 Cdn before taxes. Ouch!
 
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MiguelItUp

Member
I legit didn't know this was coming out so soon. An old co-worker posted that they got it, I asked how it was and they said it's a lot of fun. However, they couldn't play anymore because their body won't allow them, lmao. Said they were drenched and already sore, haha.

As someone that regular goes to the gym 3-4 times a week, I want to try this. Really curious.
 

EviLore

Expansive Ellipses
Staff Member
Engadget's EIC says it's only for kids and manchildren (repeating the latter several times). It's apparently the first video game she's ever reviewed, though, making it a dubious conclusion.



Meanwhile, CNET girl had a good time

 
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Spukc

always chasing the next thrill
I collect retro consoles
I love rgb modding them and frame meister etc
Collecting vinyl.
Screwing around with the Pi models
Loving analogue synths.
And i just ordered a MiSTer.

Pretty much a manchild i guess 😍

Engadget is right.
I remember that site being old and outdated.
But gotta get dem clicks i guess 🤔
Is it like tech buzzfeed or worse?
 

zenspider

Member
First impressions: the game feels fucking fantastic.
The ring as virtual object is wonderfully realized. I love that you can aim it in the world and stretch or push to interact - jogging, pointing the ring down and blasting air to jump, or holding it to float feels so sick.

The HD rumble feels really good as well - having tactile feedback when you are doing excercises is really valuable. Having done physical therapy and gym training, this is much better than having a conversation about your form while you're excercising. Leveraging hand-eye coordination for proper form is really smart and feels great.

Using the IR camera to check your pulse is super cool too, as is the "multitask mode" which lets you count reps and track excercises while your not in game.

The whole package feels the opposite of cheap. This is all really well executed. I think Nintendo, avoiding waggle/casual messaging in thier main thrusts, may have undersold what a quality product this is.

This is fun enough to motivate me to excercise, and as someone who works over 40 hours a week in a physically demanding job, "just do it" doesn't cut it. I need it to be fun and enjoyable. The first two days kicked my ass, but I'm looking forward to playing again.
 
Yeah, the CNET video review was pretty good.

Not sure why the Engadget reviewer has to be condescending or even beat around the bush "a few adults with... um, juvenile sensibilities" followed by a nervous smile. HAHA, nice one! Bitch.
 
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Ill wait for a bundle or price drop i think.

If this proves to be better then a fad im in.

Im very skeptical though plus i dont ever use my switch on a tv
 
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Lupin3

Targeting terrorists with a D-Pad
Hopefully they'll add boosters as DLC, so you can burn calories twice as fast.
 

PhoenixTank

Member
Engadget's EIC says it's only for kids and manchildren (repeating the latter several times). It's apparently the first video game she's ever reviewed, though, making it a dubious conclusion.


Like Super Mario Bros? Mario Kart?

Is she just naming Nintendo games?

Edit: Mario Kart Tour, perhaps I could see?
 
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Just got it. Going to try it out later today, but I need to buy a yoga mat. Have wood floors.

This review is great for people who do workout and want to see someone try it who isn't a complete novice.



I love motion control games, so I'm honestly getting this mostly for fun. I like the look of the turning and aiming.
 

EviLore

Expansive Ellipses
Staff Member
Just got it. Going to try it out later today, but I need to buy a yoga mat. Have wood floors.

This review is great for people who do workout and want to see someone try it who isn't a complete novice.



I love motion control games, so I'm honestly getting this mostly for fun. I like the look of the turning and aiming.


There we go. Yeah, looks like a fun supplemental tool. I think I'll pick it up.
 
Finally got it!
It is indeed pure Nintendo magic!
All the modes shine, the accessories feel really durable!

The Adventure mode feels like it's both arcade-y and deep like a great single player should feel. The art style, character customization, and music are icing on top of the cake! It really exceeded my expectations and am glad to have picked up Ring Fit Adventure for Switch!
 
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#Phonepunk#

Banned
looks really dope. right now im swimming in games but i might have to pick this up sometime. price is too high for me as well.

but it's very cool to see games try something new. i played some arcade shooting game once where you could dodge by squatting and after about 15 minutes of that my legs were like rubber bands the next day. in short i think game companies are overlooking the possibilities, so it's great to see experiments like this!
 
Just moved into a new apartment and my pull up bar is too big for the door frame. Thinking about picking this up but I'm worried about jogging in place. Anyone who has this, do you think it would annoying for the people below me? Or is there a way to avoid that activity altogether?
 
Just moved into a new apartment and my pull up bar is too big for the door frame. Thinking about picking this up but I'm worried about jogging in place. Anyone who has this, do you think it would annoying for the people below me? Or is there a way to avoid that activity altogether?

I didn't experiment with it yet, but there is a feature called "Silent Mode" which I think is an alternate mode made for such a scenario
 

TwiztidElf

Member
I got it on Friday and played through and beat the first boss.
It was a lot of fun, and I was definitely sweating by the end of that first session.
It's sitting there unused right now though, as I ran an ultra marathon yesterday, so I'm lying here rubbing my sore legs instead.
 
I got it on Friday and played through and beat the first boss.
It was a lot of fun, and I was definitely sweating by the end of that first session.
It's sitting there unused right now though, as I ran an ultra marathon yesterday, so I'm lying here rubbing my sore legs instead.
Does it feel like something you will be playing in a year from now? Any replay value?
 
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