If you’re looking to have some family fun over the festive period, there aren’t many better options than Nintendo’s Ring Fit Adventure. Similarly, should you be determined to stick to those New Year fitness goals this time around, the supremely accessible RPG provides an abundance of workouts all centered around making exercise fun. There’s no reason to call it quits when you’re enjoying yourself, so this Ring Fit Adventure set up guide (along with some handy top tips) could be your first step on a journey to better health.
How to set up Ring Fit Adventure
When you open up the Ring Fit Adventure box, you’ll find the above items from left to right: Ring Fit Adventure game, leg strap, and Ring-Con.
Setting everything up is simple. Just follow these steps:
- Insert the Ring Fit Adventure game cartridge into your Nintendo Switch console
- Select the Ring Fit Adventure game icon from the console’s HOME Menu
- If connected to the internet, you may be prompted to update; you can choose to do so now or later
- Remove the left Joy-Con from your Nintendo Switch system
- Slide it into the leg strap pocket with the analog stick at the top and facing outward (as pictured above)
- Attach the velcro leg strap to your left thigh, ensuring that it’s tight enough to stay in place as you move
- Once you’re happy, stand still and the game will register that your leg strap is in place
- Remove the right Joy-Con from your Nintendo Switch system
- Grab the Ring-Con and locate the protruding black plastic part that features the Nintendo Switch logo
- Note the “+” symbol on its edge, align the matching “+” symbol on the Joy-Con and then slide it into place
- It should slide smoothly along the rail and click into place, just as it does when connecting to the Switch console itself
- Lay the Ring-Con on a flat surface to calibrate and don’t touch it until the game informs you it’s okay to do so
- Pick up the Ring-Con and squeeze inward using the two handgrips to proceed
- Using the analog stick and buttons on your right Joy-Con (attached to the Ring-Con) select your location
- This determines how distance and weight is measured in the game and can be changed at any time
You’re now at the Ring Fit Adventure main menu and ready to begin. The game will walk you through the basic controls and some health and safety information, before allowing you to choose which of the title’s four modes you wish to play.
ALSO: Ring Fit Adventure sold out in Japan (so you should probably buy it now)
Keep in mind that you can only play Ring Fit Adventure on Nintendo Switch Lite if you own an additional pair of Joy-Cons.
Ring Fit Adventure beginner tips
We’d recommend starting out by selecting the Adventure mode, which is Ring Fit Adventure‘s eponymous main event. You’ll be prompted to enter information about your age, weight, height, and average level of physical activity. You should aim to answer truthfully, as this will impact the catered difficulty level you’re assigned and also the estimated calory tracking information. If you’re finding things too easy or too hard, you can always adjust the difficulty level (of which there are a whopping 30) at a later time.
Adventure mode also introduces players to a colorful narrative and cast of characters, further motivating you to return for additional workouts in order to see what happens next. You’ll start the journey with just a select few basic exercises, which are used to battle creatures when you aren’t running on the spot to travel through levels, before steadily unlocking more and more.
It’s possible to cater workouts to specific bodyparts by customizing your loadout, though having a diverse range of “Fit Skills” equipped will ensure you get a full-body pump on while also being prepared for anything. The color of enemies depicts what type of exercise they’re most vulnerable to, so, for example, working arms against a red enemy will deal more damage whereas you’ll want to switch to legs when facing a blue monster.
One final top tip: It’s a good idea to invest in a yoga mat. Some exercises are floor-based and incredibly uncomfortable to perform on a hard surface.
