Verdict
Much like the previous entries in the franchise, Fitness Boxing 3 Switch 2 Edition offers an enjoyable experience that causes you work up a sweat. It’s a solid option for both beginners and fitness enthusiasts as another workout option at home.
I used to be a very active kid. You wouldn’t know it these days, but I was an athletics champion and a very good goalkeeper, too. While I’ve no interest in partaking in competitive sports anymore, I’d love to get in shape again, and, as videogames are my favorite pastime, I think Fitness Boxing 3 might be the way to go.
I’m no stranger to fitness games, as I’ve played Fitness Boxing 3 on the original Switch and actually have the first Fitness Boxing as well, something you can’t even buy anymore due to licensing issues, but it’s not often that something sticks. I have ADHD, so it goes without saying that routines aren’t my friend. While I absolutely go through phases of hyperfocus, that also means I can end up turning my attention elsewhere and forget to return to my exercise game. I’m determined to change that, and, as Nintendo graciously gave me a review code for the Switch 2 version of Fitness Boxing 3, now seems like a good time to see if it can keep my attention.
As the game is a couple of years old at this point, I’m not going to dive in too deep, as you likely already know what it offers, but I’ll still give a brief overview of what you can expect from Fitness Boxing 3 and whether it’s worth your time.
Honestly, it’s been a good way to start my day, giving me an extra kick of energy that a coffee just doesn’t give, even though I’ve managed to convince myself that I can’t function without my morning caffeine. After a week of playing the game each morning, I can confirm that not only has it kept me coming back, but I’ve been looking forward to exercising before work – something I didn’t think was possible. I’ve always enjoyed combat sports, including martial arts and kickboxing, both of which I did when I was younger, so Fitness Boxing 3 offers the sort of workouts that I genuinely enjoy.
Of course, as it’s a game, it doesn’t offer the same workout intensity as going to the gym, but if you put the effort into it, you absolutely do work up a sweat. Honestly, as someone who’s trying to get fit after not bothering with my fitness for years (despite being a very active kid and teen), Fitness Boxing 3 is giving me a great way to ease back into it – it’s serving as a good reminder that I actually enjoy working out in this way. I just needed the responsibility of a review to motivate me to do it. Plus, it also offers workouts that involve sitting down, making it even more accessible.
For those who are certified gym goers, you might not think much of the early workouts, but the more you play, the more intense workouts become available to you. Plus, ultimately, it’s a good off-day option if you need to get your fix of exercise even when you have a day off from the gym. It gets your heart pumping, especially thanks to the Boost Up option in free training, which forces you to speed up with each passing round. I’m pretty sure my Apple Watch was concerned for my well-being at one point, not being too used to tracking a higher BPM.
The song tracks on offer are high-energy and may even be a bit surprising to some – it’s not every day you throw punches to the tune of Ghostbusters. There are also tracks you’d expect to hear, like Billie Eilish’s The Bad Guy, a song that’s an absolute banger to do some boxing to, thanks to the beats.
Performance-wise, I can’t fault Fitness Boxing 3 Switch Edition in the sense that it runs well and does a good job of tracking your punches. However, as is the case with any fitness game, the tracking of things such as calories might not be as accurate as you’d like, but if you take my approach of ‘so long as I’m sweating, I’ve burned something’, it doesn’t matter too much.
Overall, I highly recommend Fitness Boxing 3 Switch 2 Edition – it’s an enjoyable exercise game that can cater to different fitness levels and abilities, with plenty of workout options available.
