GAME REVIEW | Hitting the Fitness World with Hatsune Miku
Since its premiere back in 2019, the Fitness Boxing series has seen plenty of succces in both the gaming and exercise world. (It even somehow got its own five-minute anime adaptation, which touted an impressive cast featuring Saori Hayami and Sumire Uesaka!) Imagineer’s series even found ways to branch out into different worlds, with its Fist of the North Star crossover being a perfect fit for the sort of exercises this game delivers. And now, a certain blue-haired Vocaloid has taken the reins of the series, with the release of Fitness Boxing feat. Hatsune Miku.
Like the previous entities, this edition of Fitness Boxing will have you doing various exercises and routines. Punches, jabs, uppercuts, hooks, and even dodging techniques will be on the menu for this game’s training. After going through the tutorials (which I highly recommend!), you’ll then dive into doing routines that mix things up. And just like the many Hatsune Miku games from the past, the more you keep to the rhythm, the better you will do.
Players use the Joy-Cons as their boxing gloves, as they attempt to punch at the precise moment. Getting a Perfect and even an Okay is good, but it’s when you start getting the ole Miss when things start to throw you off. Odds are, you won’t have issue with the slower-paced exercises, as it can be easy to stay on track with the amount of punches you do. However, it’s when you’re exercising to a song with a faster beat when things can get crazy.
Fortunately, there are ways to overcome those hurdles. Fitness Boxing feat. Hatsune Miku has an excellent Basic Training section that lets you work on proper posture and tempo. Learning to uppercut, duck, and jab may sound easy on paper, but the game constantly reminds you to not just use your arms when exercises. The way you turn your body and use your abs is also emphasized with importance, something that’ll help work more of your core during the training.
It’s when you go into the Daily Routine where the workout truly begins. You start off with some good stretching exercises, working on both your arms and legs. Then, you dive right into the fitness aspect. The mixture of original and Vocaloid songs used has both a solid tempo and audible appeal that make them prime for working out. Depending on your level setting, these exercises can go from between three to seven minutes. The likes of Miku, Len, Rin, and Luka will be there to give you support and work out along side you. (No MEIKO, though, this writer’s personal favorite Vocaloid.)
Where Fitness Boxing feat. Hatsune Miku matters most is in the exercise training. And let me tell you that you will get quite a workout with this training. Each day, I have been doing the daily routines, which can last between 25-30 minutes. Within that time frame, I find myself burning between 230-300 calories during the workout. And I feel that burn every time, with the amount of sweat I break and the soreness of my muscles the next day. (With that being said, doing those pre and post-workout stretches have helped to avoid being a lot more sore than I could be.)
For the most part, the game does a great job reading your movements. For the slower and regularly-paced workouts, I found that every punch I threw connected and read perfectly. However, when the pace gets faster, and you’re expected to throw multiple jabs in a row in split-seconds, that’s when I saw my movements not reading. As a result, I clocked in a bunch of misses because the game couldn’t keep up with my movements. It happens in rare cases, but it can be irksome to see how it affects your overall score in the end.
That score will help you obtain in-game currency, which can be used to unlock more songs and costumes. The song selection is stellar, but I can’t help but feel like the outfit choices for Miku and the gang are a little lacking. Maybe in an update, they’ll add more, but it would’ve been cool to have Miku exercise in one of her Racing or Punk outfits. There’s also the issue of crafting custom routines, which unfortunately costs an extra $10 to purchase as DLC.
PROS:
- Gives you a great workout
- Great song selections
- Terrific tutorials
CONS:
- Custom routines cost extra
- Joy-Cons not 100% readable
- Not many costume choices
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Fitness Boxing feat. Hatsune Miku gives a bountiful of exercises and songs to choose for. You’ll easily feel the burn as you punch your way to your goal weight, with every workout feeling more rewarding than the last. If training with your favorite Vocaloid sounds appealing, then do not hesitate to sign yourself up for what Fitness Boxing feat. Hatsune Miku has to offer.
FINAL GRADE:
Promotional consideration provided by Kate Hedstrom of Michael Meyers PR.
