For many years, Nintendo has had an active interest in promoting physical activity through video games. The Wii’s focus on motion controls was particularly well-suited for this, especially with the help of theWii Sportsseries.Wii Sportshas fallen by the wayside, but it now has an heir inNintendo Switch Sports. The upcoming Switch title encourages motion controls in a few new ways, like Soccer’s upcoming leg-based motion controls, meaningNintendo Switch Sportslooks like a solid innovation on the gameplay that definedWii Sports.WhileNintendo Switch Sportsdoesn’t look nearly as strenuous as real exercise, it could still make good use of physical activity.
Notably, the Switch already has a successful game that promotes exercise. A few years ago,Nintendo releasedRing Fit Adventure,an RPG that motivated the player to use various exercise techniques in combat and required the player to jog in place to move their character.Ring Fit Adventureearned praise for its decent implementation of exercise, making it overall a major step forward for Nintendo’s efforts in physical activity. BecauseRing Fit Adventurewas such a success, it seems likely that it’ll be represented inNintendo Switch Sportssomehow. The two games share some DNA, even if they use those commonalities in different ways.
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Ring Fit Adventure’s Possible Place in Nintendo Switch Sports
Ring Fit Adventureis a descendant of the Wii’sWii Fit,but it differs significantly.Instead of using a Mii, players control a character belonging to theRing Fit Adventureuniverse. The game notably featured cosmetics, allowing players to dress up their character in different athletic gear. It wouldn’t be surprising ifNintendo Switch Sports' customization included someRing Fitnods in this way. Nintendo could port some ofRing Fit’s cosmetics directly intoSwitch Sports,or it could make some new ones based on major characters from the story ofRing Fit Adventure.
Nintendo could get far more ambitious than that, though. AlthoughRing Fit Adventurefeatures entirely different controls fromNintendo Switch Sports,Nintendo could try to incorporate its mechanics into a DLC somehow. Players could end up playing a PvE expansion where they have to use their skills inNintendo Switch Sportsgamemodes to defeat various monsters fromRing Fit Adventure.Along the way, players could still earn exclusive cosmetics based onRing Fit Adventure,letting them show off their skill in completing the DLC while they’re partaking inNintendo Switch Sports' online multiplayer.
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Nintendo’s Physical Gaming Legacy
Putting an RPG DLC inNintendo Switch Sportsmight be tricky, especially since it conflicts with the game’s main image, but regardless, Nintendo ought to acknowledgeRing Fit AdventureinNintendo Switch Sportssomehow. Both games represent Nintendo’s major advancements in motion controls, which are significant, since the rest of the industry has largely moved away from motion controls. Nintendo remains dedicated to the concept thanks to its interest in promoting physical activity, and it’s paying off.Ring Fit Adventurewas a solid game, andNintendo Switch Sportslooks highly compelling too.
Ring Fit Adventuremay have fallen by the wayside in terms to Nintendo support, butNintendo Switch Sportscould promote physical activity on the Switch throughout the rest of the console’s life.The upcoming Golf update forSwitch Sportscould be the first of many sports added to the game retroactively. Regular additions will keepNintendo Switch Sportsinteresting for years to come, meaning it’ll keep Switch owners on their feet and moving around. HopefullyRing Fit Adventuregets to be a part of that potential longevity somehow, whether Nintendo creates a highly experimental expansion or simply depicts the game through cosmetics. These games are family, even if they don’t look alike, so they deserve to be united to some extent.
