The months ahead aren’t looking too bright, are they? As more and more parts of the world close up shop to combat the COVID-19 coronavirus, we’re encouraged to stay inside and minimize contact with others. It’s a scary time to be sure, but video games, thankfully, can offer us a glimpse of light. Not just a tool for escapism though, this time gaming may even keep us sane and healthy during these cloistered months — with a little help from our good old uncle Nintendo.
© Nintendo
Ring Fit Adventure was already one of our favorite games of 2019, and even five months on from its release, we still haven’t finished working my way through the campaign for a final showdown with that goofy, overly muscled bozo, Dragaux. Given the current world state, and having gone through two weeks of self-isolation, we're more glad than ever that I’ve still got Ring Fit Adventure’s ridiculously colorful world to sprint, squat and squeeze through.
Though it’s not a guaranteed recipe for everyone’s happiness, exercise works brilliantly to keep us not just healthy, but calm of mind as well. A trip to the gym is a staple part of many folks’ routine, but with public and social areas becoming more restricted it’s tough to justify heading out, especially to somewhere indoors with shared equipment that’s entire aim is to get you breathing hard and sweating. Thank goodness — or Nintendo, rather — for Ring Fit Adventure; an exercise tool designed precisely for these enclosed, lonesome times.
© Nintendo
While we could spend the entire time cooped up alone, perfecting our Sekiro new game plus run or crafting the ideal holiday island in Animal Crossing (and believe us, we will be dedicating plenty of hours to the latter come New Horizon’s release), we dread to imagine the state we’d be in when finally emerging back into the world. No, it's the squat life we're committed to, there's no turning back.
Jokes aside, hopping into Ring Fit Adventure for even just a brief, ten-minute stint a day has provided a fantastic break from work, and a mental distraction from the twin hellscapes of news and social media reporting. After all, who’s got time to think about the potential collapse of society when a man named Abdonis is taunting us to hit him in the face with crunches and leg raises? Not us!
© Nintendo
It helps of course that, even with Dragaux’s dark influence spread across the land, Ring Fit Adventure is such an unrelentingly cheerful place. Each level is beaming with bold hues, characters regularly crack cheezy jokes, and your Ring companion is nothing but complimentary during each and every workout. We could all do with a bit of Nintendo cheer right now, and Ring Fit Adventure has produced plenty of smiles to accompany its sweats. So thanks Nintendo for brightening up often worrisome days with a touch of humor and health.
Sadly, if you’re looking to pick up Ring Fit Adventure right now, stock have been running into shortages thanks to its popularity driving resellers to snap up all available copies. With sales restrictions coming into place, hopefully Nintendo can refill the market with enough copies to keep us gamers of the world out of trouble and in shape. Play games, have fun, and more importantly stay safe out there, folks!
