While you likely wouldn’t know it to look at me, I greatly enjoy rhythm fitness games. Titles like Wii Fit and Ring Fit Adventure are obviously at the top of the pecking order, but Imagineer’s Fitness Boxing franchise is certainly no slouch. This week sees the release of Fitness Boxing 3: Your Personal Trainer, which is technically the fourth in the series to make its way to North America, and it’s yet another fun way to punch your way to better health.
As the (sub)title implies, Fitness Boxing 3 sees you teaming up with one of six virtual trainers to participate in regular daily or ad hoc workouts to an upbeat soundtrack of original electronica and instrumental covers of pop classics. These fitness instructors run the gamut from the cheerful Monica to the blunt Guy, with plenty of distinct variation between the three male and three female options. That said, they all perform the same role in more or less the same way, so it really comes down to a matter of personal preference.
The peppy Lin is the default character, and, as she’s the trainer who leads you through your first workout, she’s likely who many players will stick with. Allowing first-timers to pick their trainer right off the bat would’ve been a nice touch—and I would have preferred the option to set my height and weight units in feet and pounds from the get-go rather than having to ask Alexa to do the metric conversions for me—but these and many more granular settings become available quickly after your debut Fitness Boxing session.
No matter who you ultimately pick, your trainer will be available to lead you through customizable daily workouts—where you can specify things like fitness goals, target areas, and duration—that begin with basics like jabs, crosses, and dodges, slowly building into a wider move set and more complicated combos. They’ll guide you through each rhythm-based exercise activity, providing instruction as you progress and reminding you of your stance and upcoming moves.
Like a lot of motion fitness titles, it’s pretty easy to cheese your way through most moves, as the movement itself is more important than whether a punch is straight or a hook, but you’re really only cheating yourself here. (He said in his disappointed dad voice.) Your trainer is still likely to encourage you, and that little dose of positive reinforcement goes a long way in keeping players honest.
As you demonstrate your daily dedication, your training instructor begins to understand your unique needs, suggesting routines that better match your fitness level and exercise goals—which you can choose to embrace or ignore. Regardless, you’ll be rewarded for your hard work.
In addition to a helpful timer (which always lets you know how much time you have to swing and sweat), each activity displays a score with points tallied for the successful timing of your punches and bonuses for landing combos. A mission system also awards you coins for completions, which you can use to purchase customizations for your favorite trainer(s)—clothing, shoes, accessories, and even hairstyles—and unlockable selections from the expanded soundtrack.
Unsurprisingly, I spent all my cash on sneakers… and an instrumental rendition of Eric B. & Rakim’s 1992 smash, “Don’t Sweat the Technique.” Don’t judge me. Or, for that matter, sweat my technique.
Your achievements, play reports, and other user data are always close at hand, allowing you to keep an eye on your progress even as you scout upcoming daily and weekly missions. Still, Fitness Boxing 3 puts a huge emphasis on simply participating and progressing at one’s own pace. This is an affirmation that any exercise is better than no exercise, which could well be the game’s unofficial tagline.
This extends to the title’s supplementary content as well. Want to really get some extra punches in? Try the new Mitt Drills mode with your fave instructor. Have a friend you’d like to include in your upcoming workout? A two-player mode supports both single and dual Joy-Con play. Are you a gamer who tends to be left out of the fitness game fun because of limited mobility? Sit Fit Boxing is a more inclusive mode that allows exercising while seated.
Though not exactly a rousing narrative adventure—unlike the aforementioned Ring Fit Adventure, which really did have a fun story beneath all its high fantasy cheesiness— Fitness Boxing 3: Your Personal Trainer does nicely add a personal touch to all its rhythmic gameplay. It even goes so far as to offer Box and Bond Sessions, simple chat exchanges where you’ll learn more about your preferred trainer.
While that may not make it game-of-the-year material, it (alongside the game’s copious user options and support for seated play) does demonstrate a dedication to iterative upgrades, building on the previous titles by making this chapter more personal and more customizable. Taken together, its content and presentation serve to make Fitness Boxing 3: Your Personal Trainer a solid pick-up for anyone looking to get more active in the new year.
Give the free demo a try and see if it deserves a spot on your own holiday wish list.
Review and promotional materials provided by Nintendo of America. This post contains affiliate links. Lin is my huckleberry.
