Announced during the Nintendo Direct on September 13, 2022,Fitness Boxing Fist of the North Star has everything from video game curiosity. Is it out of a desire to reach a more “serious” audience (not to say more “gamer”) than housewives under fifty that the publisher Imagineer fell in love with the cult work of Buronson and Tetsuo? Hara Hokuto no Ken ? Some will say that this is only an opportunity for pure opportunism, others that it will give birth to the absolute fantasy of an entire community of fans: to be able to become the kōhai of the greatest masters of Hokuto (steak ) or the Nanto school (of mink), the main characters of the saga taking on the role of instructors for the players armed with their joy-con.
Sharp gameplay (No Ken)
What about the gameplay system? This will be identical to what was proposed Fitness Boxing, and will therefore consist in performing the movements appearing on the screen in the right rhythm, in a kind of Just Dance of the noble art. Anyone looking for a Musô experience will therefore have to go their own way…
As for stroking the otaku in the direction of the hair, Imagineer seems to have the will to pull out the heavy artillery, since the different game modes (Outlaw, sort of light musô on rails, or Boss Battle, as its name suggests) will bring the fighters to face Raoh, Jagi and others, all to the sound of the cults Ai Wo Torimodose (You Wa Shock)!! of Crystal King, or Silent Survivor. Still, beyond that, Fitness Boxing Fist of the North Star will undoubtedly remain a video game curiosity that will only appeal to a fringe of players hard hit by the acute collection of branded derivative products Hokuto no Ken (of which the author of these lines is sadly a part).
Fitness Boxing Fist of the North Star will make the Seven-Scarred Chests sweat on March 2 on Nintendo Switch.