Table of Contents
1. Introduction
Ring Fit Adventure is a fitness RPG from Nintendo that requires the Nintendo Switch and Ring-Con to play.
Ring Fit Adventure overcomes the weak feedback and monotony of the fitness process and creates a fun experience for the player with a complete gameplay framework for how fitness works.
2. Get immediate feedback on fitness
Work out first, Play later
Ring Fit Adventure is not the first physical fitness game to be released on the Switch platform, with Fitness boxing also utilizing the features of the Joy-con to create an exercise experience for the player.
These games are very pure and require the player to follow the character’s movements, but do not entice the player to stick with the game. The underlying logic of these games is the same as fitness, requiring players to have a strong self-drive to work out.
These products are more of an alternative to the game format for the gym-goer than a game.
And for most players, the main reasons for not being able to keep exercising are:
Poor feedback: it often takes weeks or even months for the results to show up on the body.
Play first, work out later
Ring Fit Adventure goes in the opposite direction by first laying out the full RPG core mechanics in an interaction that requires the player to operate through movement.
The game’s own substantial RPG system features a much better numerical plan. Any action the player takes in the game converts into experience, and in the early stages of the game, the player can upgrade every 1-2 levels, and even towards the end of the game, up to 4 levels can be reached. The experience is enhanced by attack animations, background music and exercise assistance.
Using RPG elements, the game makes the sport more engaging.
Fun: each movement is animated with fun effects and there are hundreds of levels in 23 worlds for players to experience.
Strong Feedback: Every movement the player makes has a direct effect, including but not limited to moving, attacking, collecting, and recovering.
3. Core Mechanisms
Ring Fit Adventure takes a turn-based RPG approach to plot play and combat.
I have divided the core RPG system of this game into three sections: characters, levels and battles
3.1 Main Characters
The character that players play as in the game does not have an official name. In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Nintendo named the figure Ring Fit Trainee.
This character opens the game by recklessly unlocking Drgaux’s seal at the beginning of the game.
NPC
Ring
Ring is the character that guides the player through the game, and it is also the Ring-con in the player’s hands.
Ring has five abilities to help players on their adventures.
Color Coding
Matching the attack with the enemy color makes said attack stronger
Smoothiecraft
Allows the player to make Smoothies
River Rowing
Allows the player to traverse long stretches of water
Jump Boost
Allows the player to flip during a jump by jumping twice in rapid succession
Wing Ability
Allows the player to cross any chasm
Honey and Hubby are the couple who run the grocery shop in the game.
Dragaux
Dragaux is the game’s biggest villain, a fitness freak determined to beat the player.
Dragaux will appear repeatedly throughout the game, each time with a new method of attack.
The Four Masters
The four masters have been conquered by Dragaux and have blocked the player from challenging him on several occasions on his way to adventure.
Allegra
The Legs Master
Abdonis
The Abs Master
Armando
The Arms Master
Guru Andma
The Yoga Master
3.2 Level Exploration
World
The player moves through the worlds by walking the grid
There are 23 worlds in the game for players to explore
Players can mix Smoothies in the world screen
The worlds contain the following
Towns, where players can buy items and take on side quests
Main levels, where players progress through the story
Branch levels, where players can choose to earn specific rewards or complete side quests
Arena levels, where players need to complete a series of battles in as few rounds as possible to earn rewards
Gym levels, where players need to complete a series of exercises and achieve the required moves to earn rewards
Challenge levels, where players need to play mini-games to meet scoring requirements to earn rewards
Bonus monsters, where the first time you reach a level you need to defeat bonus monsters that drop large amounts of gold or experience
Treasure chests, where players can earn rewards directly
Portal, which transports players to another location in the world to explore
Levels
Players need to keep moving through levels by running in place
Players move through levels by platform jumping
Challenge levels in which players will enter different level scenarios depending on the challenge objective
Levels contain the following
Players can collect gold coins and are rewarded with experience points for collecting three large gold coins
Enemies, where players can choose to fight or leap over them using a two-step jump
Mechanisms, which require the player to break in motion
Branching routes, with different rewards for different routes
3.3 Combat
Character attributes change as you level up, unlock talent trees or equip clothes.
Enemy attributes will vary depending on the type of enemy.
Monsters without colour have slightly higher defence than other monsters
Darkened monsters have much higher defence than normal monsters
Skills：
Skills are how characters attack or recover in battle
Players can acquire new skills by unlocking talent trees or by opening treasure chests in levels
Players need to perform the movement represented by the skill to activate it, and the effect of the skill is positively related to the standard of the player’s movement
Although the number of movements required per attack or recovery varies by adjusting the intensity of the training, the upper limit of the value is fixed
Arms(8)
Overhead Press / Front Press / Bow Pull / Overhead Arm Twist / Overhead Arm Spin / Shoulder Press / Tricep Kickback / Back Press
Stomach(16)
Knee-to-Chest / Standing Twist / Plank / Overhead Bend / Open & Close Leg Raise / Overhead Hip Shake / Seated Forward Press / Overhead Lunge Twist / Leg Raise / Flutter Kick / Pendulum Bend / Leg Scissors / Russian Twist / Overhead Side Bend / Seated Ring Raise
Legs(11)
Squat / Knee Lift / Thigh Press / Wide Squat / Hip Lift / Ring Raise Combo / Overhead Squat / Mountain Climber / Side Step / Knee-Lift Combo
Yoga(10)
Chair Pose / Warrior I Pose / Fan Pose / Warrior II Pose / Revolved Crescent Lunge Pose / Warrior III Pose / Hinge Pose / Tree Pose / Standing Forward Fold / Boat Pose
Attack: All enemies can attack, attack power varies depending on type
Accumulate: Enemies will accumulate for one round before launching a powerful attack
Restore: yoga carpet enemies can restore their own blood and that of one other enemy
Summoning: pumped up bird enemies can summon other enemies to join the fight
- Damage Formula
- Normal Attack :(Player Attack + Cloth Attack + Action Attack) /Target Defense
- Color Matched :All Attack * 150%
- Smoothie :All attack * 120%(boost) or 135%(huge boost)
Special Attacks
By drinking Smoothies or unlocking a talent, the player has a chance to trigger a Rush attack
Rush attacks require the player to repeat as many moves as possible in a limited amount of time
Rush attacks have different levels of fixed damage (normal, good, perfect) depending on the number of moves the player makes
Props
Smoothies can be used to add bonuses in levels or to restore blood and provide buffs in battle
Players can synthesise Smoothies in the world interface or buy them in town
Players can obtain Smoothie recipes through treasure chests or level rewards
The ingredients needed to make Smoothies can be collected in the levels
Players will need to use Ring-Con with their moves to make Smoothie
Equipment
Equipment can improve character attributes or increase level rewards
Some equipment has special mechanics, such as translating the language of other races in the game
Equipment needs to be purchased by the player in town
Talent trees
Talent trees can unlock skills, improve character attributes and increase a character’s combat abilities
3.4 Summary
From a traditional RPG point of view, the system of Ring Fit Adventure is extremely simplified.
This gives us an insight into the design philosophy of the game: a low barrier to entry, but with the potential to investigate the core mechanics.
Ring Fit Adventure creates an accessible atmosphere that allows players with little exposure to RPGs to get started quickly, while providing a rich combat support system to improve the experience of skilled players.
The focus of the game’s design is still on the action experience of movement interaction, and the full RPG core is also intended for this experience. As a result, players will be driven by the RPG elements to keep playing and thus actively exercising for fitness purposes.
4. Enhancing the experience
Ring Fit Adventure ensures a fun fitness tone through its core mechanics, and reinforces this experience in the following ways.
Visuals
When the player performs a move correctly, the flame effects on the character’s head become brighter and the power-ups glow, creating the impression that the player is burning calories themselves.
When attacking, depending on the type of action, there are different attack effects around the enemy. These effects are closely related to the action, for example, when performing abdominal movements, the attack effect changes from a beer belly to a visible eight-pack.
When defending, the size of the defensive shield will change depending on the player’s level of force, the harder the player works, the larger the shield will be.
Sound effects
As the player moves through the level, a quick run in place will not only fire up the character’s head, but will also motivate the player with acceleration sounds.
As players perform actions, they are prompted by a low to rapid sound effect, the more standard the player’s actions, the faster and louder the sound translates.
Level design
Some levels will emphasise the repetition of a certain move, but will evolve through mechanics to present the same move as a different organ. For example, levels that emphasise deep squats will see the player face simple bouncing organs – springs that repeat deep squats – swings that deep squat in rhythm – and deep squat power cars.
On hard-to-pass sections, the game sets up large gold coin rewards ahead to motivate players to reach their goal in one fell swoop.
On difficult sections, the game will also zoom out to show the magnificent scenery ahead to entice players to go further.
Sports assistance
Players can choose their own exercise intensity to prevent them from giving up on the game because it is too difficult.
For players with special needs, the game offers a motion assist option to reduce the intensity of the motion in specific parts.
Each time you start the game, after 2-3 levels, you will be prompted not to over-exercise to reduce the chance of injury.
Customised stretching exercises at the end of each game, based on the movements performed that day.
5. Epilogue
In traditional RPGs, the plot is a very important part of the game. Ring Fit Adventure does not tell a complex story, but simply uses the story of Dragaux to set the stage for the entire system to be played by the player, and the game’s well-designed mechanics are all designed to create a fun fitness experience.
Nintendo immerses the player in the sport through an accessible and deep RPG system. I think this is not only an innovation in game design, but this game also serves to expand the community and reach of the game. While the player base is expanding, there are still prejudiced people who don’t understand the artistry and literature behind narrative games, and it’s games like Ring Fit Adventure that are most likely to become gamers.
With the addition of a rhythm mode in subsequent updates and a more difficult multi-week challenge once the game is cleared, Ring Fit Adventure is an excellent piece of work with solid roots and a high level of completion.