Video game technology has come a long way over the past decade. In addition to awesome new graphics and gaming features, we have also seen an increase in fitness type video games hitting the market.
Fitness video games pretty much help you roll your passion for gaming and need to exercise into one simple and fun bundle. Often referred to as ‘exergaming’, fitness video games first hit the market back in the 1980s, but have seen a resurgence in recent years.
More recently Nintendo dabbled into the market of exergaming with the release of the Wii, which brought more movement than ever before thanks to its unique motion sensor and controllers. After this release, we saw a sharp rise in people actually buying video games in the hope of exercising more and putting their gaming habits to a positive fitness purpose.
Since then we have seen a massive influx of fitness type video games hit the market, with many new brands offering a diverse range of options across many different consoles.
For the fitness enthusiasts out there, we have put together a list of some of the best fitness video games based on pricing, features and overall gaming and fitness experience.
1. Ring Fit Adventure
As mentioned earlier in the article, Nintendo has kind of taken the crown as the leader in fitness games since its release of the Wii. But it’s the brand’s Nintendo Switch which is home to one of the best fitness games on the market at the moment in Ring Fit Adventure.
This fitness-themed RPG will see you, accompanied by the Pilates-esque ring, track down and defeat an evil dragon.
The gaming package uses a ‘Ring-Con’ that can be used to perform dynamic strength-building exercises as you fight off enemies. There’s also a fair bit of running challenges which will also test your endurance skills.
2. The Thrill Of The Fight
The Thrill Of The Fight is easily one of the best fitness video games on the market. It’s often regarded as the best virtual reality boxing game around, so it’s one which we felt we had to include on this list.
The game allows you to take on a diverse array of opponents, each with their own distinct fighting styles and techniques. Players will need to be precise and skillful to out-manoeuvre opponents and land that knockout blow, much like you would need to do in real life.
Many believe this game may also assist in improving your real life boxing skills, as one powerful punch won’t cut it to win by knockout. You need to target weak points to further weaken your opponent, thus developing your boxing ability while also delivering a killer workout.
3. Just Dance 2024
The Just Dance franchise first dropped back in 2009 and since then has continued to produce great fitness type video games. Their Just Dance 2024 release is a great way of getting in a cardio workout while dancing along to a bunch of awesome tracks across all genres of music.
The latest 2024 edition features 40 new hits and universes to explore. It also offers a ‘Workout Mode’ which tracks your calories and time spent dancing.
One of the best things about Just Dance is that you can play it with friends both locally and online, even with your friends still dancing away on the earlier editions like 2023.
In Summary
Fitness video games are here to stay and only advancing as technology does. They are now also a great way to increase your fitness, and a great way to try to get your kids or partners off the couch and keeping fit.
To play fitness video games, you typically need a console that supports motion-sensing technology. Here is a list of some of the top ones on the market today: Microsoft Xbox Kinect, the Sony PlayStation Move, the Nintendo Wii, Wii U, or the Switch.
Happy gaming!
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