You may have heard of Ring Fit Adventure. This Nintendo Switch exclusive is essentially a fitness tool disguised as a fun video game. I’ve had some surprisingly good workouts from it, and as someone who struggles with social anxiety, I see Ring Fit Adventure as a valuable way to get fit in a controlled environment without fear of those anxieties taking over.
With previous experience of Ring Fit Adventure under my belt, it’s always been something I’ve wanted to own for myself. Having my own personal workout hub in the comfort of my own home is massively appealing to me. The issue? The game has always been just a little too expensive for me to want to take the plunge.
After letting a younger family member take ownership of my old Switch, though, an Amazon Prime Day 2021 bundle offered me the perfect excuse to not only pick up Ring Fit Adventure, but also a new Nintendo Switch at a price that was close to the retail price of just the console.
The deal I’m referring to is a Nintendo Switch console bundled with Ring Fit Adventure. The deal reduces the cost of the bundle to £314.99, down from the usual price of £369.98. Not only is it the cheapest the bundle has ever dropped to on Amazon, you can still grab it for yourself if you’re quick enough.
What is Ring Fit Adventure?
Ring Fit Adventure is, in essence, a video game and a multipurpose fitness device rolled into one. The package includes the game, as well as a bespoke ‘Ring-Con’ controller and a leg strap. By attaching the Nintendo Switch’s Joy-Con controllers to each of these, Ring Fit Adventure is able to get you to perform (and in turn register the results of) exercises using the Joy-Cons’ motion technology.
Ring Fit Adventure is designed to keep you fit, or to help you get in better shape, no matter your personal level of fitness aptitude. Upon setting up your profile for the first time, the game’s helpful virtual assistant Tipp will run through some questions to help you determine what level of workout is right for you.
One of the great things about Ring Fit Adventure is its difficulty adjustment. If you want to take it easy on yourself, the Casual option provides a not-too-strenuous workout. You can also go in the opposite direction and really work up a sweat with more intense difficulty options should you so choose.
Ring Fit Adventure does a pretty admirable job, then, of tailoring its selection of exercises to your ability and preferences. You’re free to stick to exercises you enjoy and can manage, and stay away from the ones that make you uncomfortable or that you just don’t enjoy doing. Every one of your sessions is even bookended by warmup and cooldown stretches to ease you in and out of the action.
The game’s Adventure mode is split into two main gameplay sections. Each level plays out on a predetermined path that you move through by jogging on the spot, again at your own pace. You’ll also run into monsters that are defeated when you perform exercise routines as your attacks, including squats and overhead presses where you’ll squeeze the Ring-Con controller above your head repeatedly.
If you haven’t got time for an Adventure Mode session, fear not, as Ring Fit Adventure also lets you perform specific exercises or fun minigames separately from the main campaign. There’s even a more casual Rhythm game mode featuring iconic songs from Nintendo’s library.
Not Nintendo's first rodeo
In retrospect, it’s not surprising that Ring Fit Adventure is as fun and polished as it is. Nintendo has a bit of a track record for fitness-oriented gaming experiences, most famous of all, of course, being Wii Fit.
This Nintendo Wii game featured the Balance Board peripheral which the player stood on to perform various exercises and stretches. It was even cited by the British Journal of Occupational Therapy as a beneficial tool for people at risk of obesity.
While Ring Fit Adventure might not offer the robust experience of going to a gym with bespoke exercise machines, a social environment and professional personal trainers, it could be a good option for you if, like me, you suffer from social anxieties that prevent you from going out as much as you may want to.
Personally, I could see Ring Fit Adventure being something of a self-esteem booster, too. One big contributor to my anxiousness is my own body confidence, as well as my personal level of fitness.
If I have a way of getting into better shape in an environment where I don’t mind looking sweaty and amateurish, then it could well prepare me for more ambitious endeavors like going to the gym, meeting new people and just generally getting out more.
Other Ring Fit Adventure Nintendo Switch deals
More Amazon Prime Day deals
- Amazon Echo devices: now starting from £9.99
- Amazon Echo Dot:
£49.99£24.99 at Amazon - Amazon Echo Show 5 (2019):
£79.99£39.99 at Amazon - Amazon Fire HD 8 tablet:
£89.99£39.99 at Amazon - Audible Premium Plus: Prime members get 3 months for 99p
- Blink Mini security camera: now just £21.99 for Prime members
- Deals under £15: save on games, smart home, fashion and more
- Fashion: big savings on Amazon brands starting at under £5
- Headphones: Jabra headphones from £69
- Kitchen: Dolce Gusto coffee machines from £59 and more
- Laptops: cheap PCs starting at just £199
- MacBook Air M1: £100 off at Amazon - now £899
- PC games: EA titles including The Sims 4 from £7.49
- Prime Video: channel add-ons 99p for three months
- PS5: Demon's Souls, Immortals and more discounted now
- Smart home: Ring Video Doorbell from £35
- Smartwatches: Fitbit Charge 4 now £99
- TVs: 4K smart TVs from £298
