Getting fit is easily the most popular New Year’s resolution, and as it’s on my list for 2025, I thought, “What better way to get fit than to play video games while doing it?” Having already broken a sweat with Hatsune Miku in her version of Fitness Boxing, I decided to give the latest in the series, Fitness Boxing 3 a solid crack to see if I could burn some of those Christmas calories away, and have fun doing it. What’s it Like? Grab your towel, fill up your water bottle, and lace up those wrist straps as we review Fitness Boxing 3 for the Nintendo Switch.
Fitness Boxing 3 starts off by gathering some of your data like your age, weight and height, as well as asking you for a goal weight to work on. It then tailors workouts to set intensities and works on moving you towards that goal. The main mode here is your “Daily Workout” which can be customized how you see fit (pun intended) to get you moving towards your goals. Nothing about the game shames you into action, instead. it simply works at your pace. I really liked this aspect of the game and as someone who doesn’t quite feel confident going to an actual gym, Fitness Boxing 3 actually helped me set a daily exercise habit. Each exercise set ends with a post-workout stretch, some workout data for those tracking calories, and some coins to spend in the in-game shop.
Fitness Boxing 3 doesn’t deviate too far from the tried and true formula of the previous entries of the game, but it certainly makes a lot of nice improvements and adds some unique new modes. The new improvements are that the hit detection boxes are far more accurate and the game seems to do a much better job of measuring form. During my workout, there were several times when my trainer corrected my movements by asking me to fully extend my punches or to twist on my hooks. She also seemed to re-correct my rhythm which was off when moving back and forth. Now, I don’t fully know if the dialogue lines are just something the trainer repeated, but the timings seemed to coincide with my movement, and I found myself correcting both my posture and my movements, making for a much better workout. My wife also joined me for 2 workouts spanning 35 minutes which was actually really motivating and great fun. The Co-op workouts can share joycons, or you can use 2 for each person should you have them. It tracked both of our workout data, and coins were rewarded as well.
Mitt Drills are a fun addition to the game that add rapid-fire combos and feel much more intense than standard workouts. You will perform a mix of combos before finishing with a “Rush” that tasks you with hitting the mitts as many times as you possibly can before finishing the set with one final huge punch. It’s a great addition, and I also cheekily played in a sitting position on a handful of occasions. It gave me a solid cardio workout and helped me build up sweat.
There are six personal trainers to choose from which you can customize by altering their appearance or spending your coins on them to change their outfits. They each have their own personalities and styles which you can further develop with the unique mechanic called “Box and Bond,” a mode that sees you do personal workouts to fill a bond meter, which then adds new moments where you learn more about your trainer. It’s a nice touch for those who want to feel like they have a virtual personal trainer but don’t do much outside of the “role-playing” aspect. Each trainer is also voiced, and I did find the voice acting a little hit-and-miss, as my trainer would go from a standard cadence to almost yelling for no apparent reason. It was someone akin to the scene in Austin Powers where he couldn’t control the volume of his voice and despite this, didn’t really detract from the game.
Graphically, the game looks great and despite there not being much scenery, the trailer models and UI look great. There’s really not much more to it but it does a good job with what it has. I do have to mention the music though, which is almost like a midi version of popular hits. I’m assuming these tracks were licenced in some way, but due to them being an elevator music version of their former selves, don’t add too much to your workout regime. You can listen to the elevator version of Bad Guy by Billie Eilish, Danger Zone by Kenny Loggins, and many more. It’s a shame they didn’t use the proper tracks, as most people like to work out to their own playlists, but it’s nothing a headset and Spotify can’t fix.
For my boxers looking into accessibility, there is a new feature called “Sit Boxing” which will help people with limited mobility, still partake in exercises. I regularly have mobility issues due to my spine and found even on my off days, I am able to have a cardio workout from a seated position. It’s a fantastic addition on top of being able to manage specific moves like by using the action assist options, meaning many more people who are usually excluded from the exercise gaming genre can now customize workouts to match their needs even if it means performing straight jabs to get some movement in.
Fitness Boxing 3 much like my morning coffee and saying hooroo to the kangaroos in my backyard, has become a part of my morning routine. It’s a great start to my day and I’m surprised it’s kept me engaged as I had become accustomed to being rather unmotivated to work out, whether it had been my spinal issues, or general mental motivation and the Sit Fit mode is a thoughtful addition for people who need accessibility when it comes to workouts. Fitness Boxing 3 does a great job of kickstarting positive health habits and is an easy recommendation for those looking to make a start on their New Year Resolutions.
So, What’s It Like? Fitness Boxing 3 is like joining a boxing gym but from the comfort of your living room.
In the interest of full disclosure, a review copy was provided by Nintendo ANZ, but this doesn’t influence my score.