There was a time, during the advent of the Wii remote, that Nintendo really got into the idea of fitness games. Wii Sports launched with the Wii, and while fitness wasn't the goal as much as showing off the fun of motion controls, Nintendo still clearly noticed how the game got people moving.
The trend continued with Wii Fit, introducing the Smash Bros. star Wii Fit Trainer. It also brought the Balance Board, an item that could track and log your progress. Then the whole genre kind of hit a lull with the Wii U, either because fitness games stopped being a thing or because the console sold so poorly. All exercise-oriented gamers have now is Just Dance.
That is until Nintendo decided to drop a new contender into the ring. The company is releasing a new game to get you off the couch and waving your controllers. Here is Fitness Boxing.
Unlike Wii Sports boxing, Fitness Boxing is not about knocking out opponents. Instead, players punch with the Joy-Con controllers along to the beat of 20 included songs. The purpose is pure fitness here, allowing players to keep track of calories burned and establish a daily routine. You can even target certain areas of the body to work on.
Unfortunately for fans of Wii Fit Trainer, she is not a part of this gym. Instead, players have access to a customizable trainer. Both male and female options are available, along with several choices for skin tone and outfit. New clothes and accessories are unlocked the longer you play, which is supposed to be the incentive to keep coming back to work out. Or as the advertisement says, it "makes consistent workouts a one-two punch."
Like any game released in 2019, there is a multiplayer component as well. Up to two players can work out together, or face-off in a rhythmic boxing match. Experience tells me that the outfits multiplayer avatars wear make for likely Mii Fighter costumes...
Fitness Boxing releases exclusively for Nintendo Switch today, just in time to help us all shed off that holiday weight and get hot for Valentine's Day.
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