{"id":72699,"date":"2019-01-01T13:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-01-01T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/reviews\/nintendo-switch\/fitness_boxing"},"modified":"2019-01-01T13:00:00","modified_gmt":"2019-01-01T13:00:00","slug":"review-fitness-boxing-rhythm-trappings-help-this-limber-wii-fit-successor-land-its-punches","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/2019\/01\/01\/review-fitness-boxing-rhythm-trappings-help-this-limber-wii-fit-successor-land-its-punches\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: Fitness Boxing &#8211; Rhythm Trappings Help This Limber Wii Fit Successor Land Its Punches"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"media_block\"><a href=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/reviews\/nintendo-switch\/fitness_boxing\/large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/reviews\/nintendo-switch\/fitness_boxing\/small.jpg\" class=\"media_thumbnail\"><\/a><\/div>\n<div id=\"\">\n<aside class=\"picture embed\"><a title=\"Fitness Boxing Review - Screenshot 1 of 5\" href=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/94410\/large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/94410\/900x.jpg\" alt=\"Fitness Boxing Review - Screenshot 1 of 5\" \/><\/a><\/aside>\n<p>As 2019 dawns and gamers the world over wake up after New Year celebrations, <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/nintendo-switch\/fitness_boxing\">Fitness Boxing<\/a><\/strong> arrives in time to take advantage of resolutions to <em>get in shape<\/em>. From the moment it boots up, anyone who\u2019s ever baulked at their BMI beside a frowning Mii or stamped an onscreen calendar following a daily workout will feel <em>right<\/em> at home. The branding may be missing but this very clearly belongs to <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/wii\/wii_fit\">Wii Fit<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s \u2018exergaming\u2019 lineage; everything from its green menu fonts to progress-tracking bar charts feels comfortingly familiar.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s no need to dust off the Balance Board this time, though; slide off those Joy-Con and you\u2019re good to go. This has necessitated some simplification and Fitness Boxing\u2019s learned a thing or two from a certain Ubisoft dance series. In fact, it feels like Wii Fit and <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/nintendo-switch\/just_dance_2019\">Just Dance<\/a><\/strong> met at a party, drank some <strong>Dance Dance Revolution<\/strong> and \u2013 <em>boom!<\/em> \u2013 nine months later found themselves the proud parents of a little rhythm-fitness game.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"picture embed\"><a title=\"Fitness Boxing Review - Screenshot 2 of 5\" href=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/94391\/large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/94391\/900x.jpg\" alt=\"Fitness Boxing Review - Screenshot 2 of 5\" \/><\/a><\/aside>\n<p>It\u2019s a more streamlined and straight-laced experience than before; the lack of Balance Board or plastic doohickeys means no tobogganing, penguin-flipping or other such Mii-based frivolities \u2013 this is Fitness <em>Boxing<\/em>. It\u2019s positioned more as a lifestyle app \u2013 software to tide you over while you\u2019re on holiday and can\u2019t get to your Body Combat class \u2013 and in that capacity, we have to say it works rather well.<\/p>\n<p>Using a monkey-like grip on your two detached Joy-Con, your thumbs rest along the \u2018L\u2019 and \u2018R\u2019 buttons. Icons travel up two vertical lanes into target zones indicating when to throw a punch. Following a rather slow introduction, a variety of HD rumble-enhanced jabs, straights, hooks, uppercuts and ducks make things <em>much<\/em> more interesting. A handy timer lets you know how much time remains in each section. You score points for landing combos highlighted in pink and your total is totted up at the end giving you a maximum three-star rating.<\/p>\n<p>With no bulky peripherals required, the motion data available to developer Imagineer is somewhat limited and it\u2019s unclear exactly how much of your movement input is registered. Queensberry rules prohibit kicks, so there\u2019s no need to stuff Joy-Con down your socks. Handily, this reduces the number of pop-up disclaimers, too \u2013 a real blessing after all those Wii Fit warning screens. (Does anybody <em>actually<\/em> bother with those straps?)<\/p>\n<aside class=\"picture embed\"><a title=\"Fitness Boxing Review - Screenshot 3 of 5\" href=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/94397\/large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/94397\/900x.jpg\" alt=\"Fitness Boxing Review - Screenshot 3 of 5\" \/><\/a><\/aside>\n<p>Each workout is done to the beat of a chart-topper. A lean 20-tracklist unlocks as you complete sessions and includes instrumental versions of winners like \u2018Call Me Maybe\u2019 and \u2018Moves Like Jagger\u2019. A few vintage hits rub shoulders with the likes of Bieber, Pitbull and Lady Gaga; perennial favourite \u2018Funkytown\u2019 puts in an appearance, although the absence of the <strong>Rocky<\/strong> theme can only be down to a massive clerical error. The fact that <em>we<\/em> knew all the songs probably says something, but they add pep to your workouts and confident players can increase the speed of each track in Free Training. The word \u2018instrumental\u2019 may raise eyebrows, but with your trainer constantly barking instructions and encouragement, you really don\u2019t miss Cristina Aguilera\u2019s three-octave acrobatics while you\u2019re <em>in the zone<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Mirroring the set-up of a Boxercise class, you\u2019re instructed to get bouncing, shifting your weight like a real fighter \u2013 <em>1, 2, 1, 2, forward, back, forward, back<\/em>. Performing our finest <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/nintendo-switch\/street_fighter_30th_anniversary_collection\">Street Fighter<\/a><\/strong> idle animation with fists by our face, we felt ready to take on all-comers. Sure, \u2018Video Killed The Radio Star\u2019 <em>kinda<\/em> killed the mood, but you can build your own playlist and the game does a good job of motivating you to keep your whole body moving. After inputting height and weight data, you can target specific muscle groups and set daily workout goals with durations between 15-45 minutes. Your \u2018Fitness Age\u2019 is calculated via some hazy computation (one-third motion analysis to two-thirds &#8216;Magic 8-ball&#8217;, it seems) but it\u2019s as fun as ever to see what number it conjures.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"picture embed\"><a title=\"Fitness Boxing Review - Screenshot 4 of 5\" href=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/94405\/large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/94405\/900x.jpg\" alt=\"Fitness Boxing Review - Screenshot 4 of 5\" \/><\/a><\/aside>\n<p>Fitness Boxing gives your personal coach a makeover; the featureless mannequin from the box art is a ruse and the comically anodyne Wii Fit Trainer has been replaced here by the lovely Lin. For all her natty gym wear and skin pigmentation, though, she\u2019s only a minor upgrade in terms of personality. We suppose she\u2019s a <em>tad<\/em> more enthusiastic when you nail a combo, but <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/nintendo-switch\/super_smash_bros_ultimate\">Smash Bros.<\/a><\/strong> has given us a peculiar affection for her predecessor and Lin certainly isn\u2019t amiibo material.<\/p>\n<p>Following the tutorial, you can exchange her for one of five other trainers \u2013 three female, two male \u2013 each with individual names and voices. Custom garments unlock as your total-punches, stars and daily stamps are counted, with future gifts stretching out on the calendar for months and <em>years<\/em>. The models are a mixed bag and the women seem a little more polished (Bernardo\u2019s body seems to be an HD copy-and-paste of Carl\u2019s from <strong>GTA San Andreas<\/strong>). The ability to alter their eye, hair and skin colour feels a <em>little<\/em> odd, as do the zooming camera controls that permit you to examine tight polygonal glutes and thigh gap to your heart\u2019s content.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"picture embed\"><a title=\"Fitness Boxing Review - Screenshot 5 of 5\" href=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/94398\/large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/94398\/900x.jpg\" alt=\"Fitness Boxing Review - Screenshot 5 of 5\" \/><\/a><\/aside>\n<p>Two-player mode lets you train in tandem with a partner, working together to chain combos or competing in a dreary VS mode where punches fill a meter until one player triumphs; the latter mode highlights the wisdom of focusing on <em>fitness<\/em> over \u2018games\u2019 this time around. Stretching sessions before and after each workout can be turned off, although we recommend keeping them; over-zealous air-punches can lead to the sorts of mischiefs <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/wii\/wii_sports\">Wii Sports<\/a><\/strong> did us back in \u201906. Far be it to suggest that we\u2019re anything other than the <em>finest<\/em> physical specimens here at NL, but we <em>did<\/em> wake up for several mornings with sore muscles under the shoulder blades.<\/p>\n<p>And \u2013 yes \u2013 if you don\u2019t fancy floating like a butterfly, it\u2019s <em>entirely<\/em> possible to \u2018cheat\u2019; we found you could get by just fine on the sofa. It\u2019s certainly easier to time those punches with your whole body moving back-and-forth, but playing while seated is an option if you\u2019re unable (or unwilling) to stand. The game doesn\u2019t seem to discriminate between X or Y axis movement, so hooks and uppercuts received \u2018Perfect\u2019 ratings regardless of direction, so long as timing was accurate.<\/p>\n<p>Overall, it feels comparable to Just Dance in terms of accuracy \u2013 reliable enough to feel fair but we wouldn\u2019t put too much faith in those \u2018calories burned\u2019 estimates. Just as paying for gym membership won\u2019t magically gift you Jennifer Lawrence legs or Chris Hemsworth hamstrings, you\u2019ll get out of Fitness Boxing what you put in. Once Nintendo\u2019s pocketed your \u00a339.99, the onus is on <em>you<\/em> to get into the spirit and use the software to its full potential. Tabletop mode means you can\u2019t use being away from home as an excuse, either; it functions perfectly on the smaller screen, with text and icons large enough to follow with the console perched on a hotel room desk.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"conclusion\">\n<h2 class=\"heading\">Conclusion<\/h2>\n<p>Within its common-sense (and, thanks to Wii Fit, well-known) limitations, Fitness Boxing is a breezy, energetic success that gets your blood pumping. For the one-time price of a month\u2019s gym membership, it delivers some light CV and takes pointers from Just Dance and various rhythm games to provide a convenient and engaging workout. It\u2019s no substitute for hard hours at the gym, but there\u2019s certainly potential to tone up those arms and shed a few of the mince pies you put away while watching <strong>Groundhog Day<\/strong> over the holidays. It would be a mistake to buy this thinking you\u2019re getting a <em>game<\/em> or some magical antidote to your spare tyre. However, it kept us coming back and if you\u2019re after a reason to justify cancelling that direct debit to Gold\u2019s, this is as good as anything you\u2019ll find on a console.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"object object-youtube\">\n<div class=\"youtube\">[youtube https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=VL1jiVLgnLM?rel=0&amp;hd=1&amp;showinfo=0&amp;modestbranding=0&amp;autohide=1&#038;w=900&#038;h=507]<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<aside class=\"embed-products\">\n<div class=\"item\"><a class=\"image external\" rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"http:\/\/nintendolife.com\/p\/8888\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/products\/8888\/85x100.jpg\" width=\"85\" height=\"100\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As 2019 dawns and gamers the world over wake up after New Year celebrations, Fitness Boxing arrives in time to take advantage of resolutions to get in shape. From the moment it boots up, anyone who\u2019s ever baulked at their BMI beside a frowning Mii or stamped an onscreen calendar following a daily workout will [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-72699","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-nintendo-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72699","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=72699"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72699\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=72699"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=72699"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=72699"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}