Nintendo reveals new Switch adventure game and fitness experience

Nintendo has announced Ring Fit Adventure for Switch, a new product which combines a typical adventure game with physical activity.

Priced at $79.99 and set for release on October 18, it sees players using real-life fitness exercises to explore the game world and battle enemies.

To play, users insert the Switch Joy-Cons into two new accessories that come with the game, the Ring-Con and Leg-Strap.

The former is an electronic device that turns physical force into powerful attacks, while players jog on the spot to move through the game world using the Leg-Strap.

Nintendo says Ring Fit Adventure can be calibrated to match the user’s personal ability, meaning players of any fitness level can enjoy the game.

As well as the main adventure game, which begins when an evil bodybuilding dragon throws the world into chaos, Ring Fit Adventure will feature additional mini-games and workout routines.

“Nintendo is always looking for ways to surprise people with one-of-a-kind, fresh experiences,” said Nick Chavez, Nintendo of America’s senior VP of sales and marketing.

“Ring Fit Adventure combines gaming and physical activity in a way that incentivizes people to keep coming back for more, to further both the story and their own fitness goals.”

In June, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa confirmed that the company was still developing “quality of life” products, five years after late president Satoru Iwata announced his intention to take the firm into the health improvement business.

“Although it’s a very long time ago, as a challenge towards a new business, we announced that we were developing products to improve quality of life. Even right now, the development is indeed still continuing,” Furukawa said.

“Still, we have not made a product that we can proudly announce as a Nintendo product.”

Nintendo’s quality of life initiative was first announced in 2014 by former president Iwata, who described it as a 10-year plan to expand the company’s output with health improvement-related products.

The initiative followed the 2009 announcement of Wii’s heart-tracking Vitality sensor, which was never released.

The objective was to “extend the definition of entertainment” with a health-focused venture that will be “independent from our video game platform business”, Iwata said at the time.