Fitness Boxing for Nintendo Switch Review and Impressions

Just in time for the influx of New Year's resolutions, Fitness Boxing from developer Imagineer arrives and offers an interesting blend of rhythm-based gameplay with an exercise slant.  

Boasting a familiar green font that seems straight from the Wii Fit family (it's only published by Nintendo, not developed), Fitness Boxing is a by-the-books affair that makes strong use of the Switch's various functionalities to provide fun and health benefits in the process. 

Billed as an app more so than a game, Fitness Boxing takes a basic concept and runs well with it. Player agency will play a big role in how much a player gets from the experience—both in the exercise effort department and the willingness to keep the experience fresh, as the base game offers limited music and experiences. 

From a simplistic cardio session to a rather brutal test of endurance, Fitness Boxing will have a challenge for most who approach it. 

Presentation and Gameplay

The premise is simple enough. There isn't a Wii Fit board to hop on or any accessories at all to juggle. 

Fitness Boxing asks the player to strap Joy Cons to their wrists (advice players can ignore at their own risk, things can get sweaty fast) and hold the controllers so that their thumbs are on the L and R triggers. From there, players assume a provided stance, match tempo and keep the rhythm while throwing a variety of punches and ducks. 

It sounds simple and it is, refreshingly enough. The Switch detects a user's punches without fail, regardless of whether the task asks for a straight jab or something more difficult like a hook. Keeping pace with the scrolling, Guitar Hero-esque tracks asking for punches to a beat gets complicated the longer the timer at the bottom of the screen ticks away. 

Granted, it doesn't actually have a way to check if a player is doing the moves outside of arm movement. Players could easily sit back on the couch and just half-heartedly throw the punches, ignoring the stances and rhythm. But coughing up the cash for the experience to do that seems...not fun. 

There isn't much else here from a gameplay perspective. The five trainers themselves are forgettable, and being able to briefly customize their attire doesn't add much. It isn't intended to, either, so it is worth appreciating the option is there at all. Those trainers have an anime-ish look to them, and the graphics overall aren't exactly pushing the Switch to its limits. 

It was a little disappointing to see there aren't real-world locations in the background as a player goes through daily workouts. It's always the trainer and some colorful geometry.

Maybe the recent release of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has spoiled it for other games thanks to its brilliant stage backgrounds, but these are at least passable—and they don't distract from the task at hand.

The soundtrack will be a big talking point for users, and it comes out as hit or miss at best. Instrumentals of Avril Lavigne, Carly Rae Jepsen, Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, LMFAO and more make for a bit of a divisive pop-laden offering, and the quantity side of things comes in feeling light. It will be interesting to see if Imagineer keeps pumping in songs and trainers post-release. 

Luckily for those annoyed by the soundtrack or trainers themselves, either of these options can be muted in the options menu. Slapping on some custom music and still following along with the workout is a viable option many will want to take, especially with how repetitive the offerings could get quickly. 

Again, the detractions here are mostly things players themselves can address. There is a ton of fun available to players, with workouts ranging from 15 to 45 minutes and targeting various body parts, and full-body sessions can leave players sweaty and sore the next day. 

Switch Functionality and Fitness Potential 

The Switch is on a roll when it comes to developers flexing their muscles with the system's unique functionalities. 

Fitness Boxing is the latest to do the same. Swing detection is perfect, in most cases, and a local multiplayer option means another player can hop in on the fun with one or two Joy-Cons of their own. 

Tabletop mode is also impressive. Where other games with a lot happening on screen have struggled with visibility at times, Fitness Boxing's simplistic approach makes on-the-go exercising simple.

The tracks and punch requests are simple to see on the mobile screen because of both size and color, and it doesn't experience any hiccups. 

Granted, players aren't going to bust out the Switch on the subway car's floor and bounce around in a boxing routine. But the point is, Fitness Boxing can act as an exercise companion on the go. There are no excuses for missing a session over the holidays anymore. Taking the exercise session to a different room of the house is simpler now, too. 

As silky smooth as the technology is, there does seem to be a bit of a swing-and-a-miss with the Joy-Con controllers. A 30-plus minute workout session is enough to get anyone sweating, so why there isn't some sort of bundled glove device to wear and strap the controllers to is hard to fathom.

Lessening the risk of dropping a controller or making the grip easier on players with large hands would have made some sense. It's a small suggestion more than it is a complaint. 

And those workouts can be taxing. Those who want a challenge can up the tempo and difficulty while it throws out multiple punch requests for different arms out of different stances and even asks the player to contort their body while throwing in ducks and weaves. Stretching sessions before and after the boxing itself is a nice, practical touch. 

In other words, the workouts aren't a joke or game if players don't want them to be. Player data is recorded from the first day and rewards are doled out.

The calendar features obtainable player rewards literally years down the road. Various graphs for completing daily assigned workouts offer an interesting way to track progress, too. Like any fitness device, the calories-burned estimate is probably off, but it serves as a ballpark idea. 

No, Fitness Boxing maybe won't outpace simple hard work in the gym. But it is an accessible, fun way to stay fit and is a prime get-out-what-you-put-in example. 

Conclusion

Imagineer

Viewed as an exercise tool, not necessarily a game, Fitness Boxing is a resounding success and another good demonstration of the Switch's versatility. 

Fitness Boxing carves out an interesting niche on the market, too. For those opposed to the price point or something else about VR gaming, this is a rhythm and fitness experience offering many of the same features as games on those platforms, but with Joy-Cons instead. 

There is another element here with the functionality worth mentioning—the surprising accuracy and fluidity regardless of Switch format makes the mind wander toward a modern Punch-Out!! or something along those lines, not to mention other exercise experiences, perhaps from Nintendo itself. 

Maybe that's getting ahead of things. For now, those who grab Fitness Boxing have an enjoyable romp with goals outlined for years down the road and in a way most games can't, it will actually leave the player better off for it based on what the player puts into it.