By LUDWIG VON KOOPA - ...Just kidding, it's opposite day. My legs are amazing.
My legs better be good, because with KoopaTV Fitness Fridays, training up my lower-body is a big priority so I can be an incredible Olympic athlete. (Training up my upper-body is the other big priority...) Playing through Ring Fit Adventure is a big way to accomplish this. I do so on the maximum difficulty—30.
Last week, we had the physically difficult experience of Week 39, where we had to hold a long Overhead Squat versus the world boss, and had to survive the Lower Body Set Fitness Gym. This week, the focus on legs continues, as we enter World 40: Extra Fitness Lv. 247. This one is based on World 17: The Boy Who Howled Wolf, which features dark influenced feral animals and ended in an epic showdown against Dragaux. I'm pretty sure we're gonna encounter the exact same thing this time, except my biggest curiosity is how Ring Fit Adventure plans to narratively explain why the animals are corrupted by the dark influence when, in terms of Extra Fitness's storyline, the dark influence has been eradicated.
By the way, the boy who howled wolf is named Linus, and he's a twerpy deceptive kid. Part of the reason that the world originally took so long is because he actually makes you back-track in the storyline (because he lies), but we don't have to deal with that in Extra Fitness. Instead, we go to Hamstring Marsh—and only once. There's a Blue Dark Hart fight with no explanation on why it exists. So that's how it's gonna be, huh? General Store Number 36 is selling three new outfits: the Leg Master II (look like Allegra and increase blue Fit Skill attack power by 5%); the Blue Chameleon II (increase Ring's vacuum range in platforming segments); and the Coral Snake II (no set boost). Altogether, these will require six Garnet to buy out, and I got none, since I used my existing stash to buy last world's Ocean Athlete II. Where to get all of those stones?
The next level, Sweat Street, has a SURPRISE MUSCLE INSPECTION by Dragaux, which genuinely did surprise me. Linus is going around telling Dragaux that I'm his coach, and Dragaux wants me to prove that I'd be a good coach for the kid by breaking every single crate in Sweat Street. Can't miss one. First of all, I never agreed to be his coach. Second of all, how does breaking boxes demonstrate adequate coaching ability? There are 55 crates. Halfway through the level is a rowing segment in which there are no crates, and right after that there is a Treasure Chest with three Super Kale Smoothie (which have the useless effect of cancelling negative status effects). I was worried it'd be a Treasure Chaser instead, where it'd be difficult to run and catch it while breaking every crate, but the game is merciful. Dragaux was disappointed that I succeeded (he apparently wanted to be Linus's coach... and I'd gladly let him if this game had dialogue options), but Linus thinks I'm awesome.
Next up is the Squattery Wheel (Advanced) Game Gym, which has five Persimmons as a reward. Took me two attempts, but I did it. I'm really glad I already S ranked this place. The level after is Hangon Bridge, which is not only a bridge, but a tower. (There's a flight segment over the bridge part.) There's also a Green Dark Flamingo enemy, as opposed to the pink flamingos that were all over last world. To attack, it jumps in and pecks at your shield. Don't forget Yellow Dark Fox in the second enemy group of the level.
With that complete, we can charge right to Dragaux Stadium and end the world... but there's a whole other part hidden behind the warp zone (hidden behind a fight with three Rare Hoplin—maybe use the earlier-acquired Persimmons to make a smoothie to double your experience point gain while fighting them). That's where the bulk of this world's activity lies, but we'll tackle that on later days...
On Monday, I'm dedicating the play session to the Fitness Gym north of the warp zone—the difficult Stamina Set Fitness Gym, offering 450 coins for completion. Half of my anxiety about World 40 is contained in this Stamina Set, so let's tackle it on while I'm at FULL ENERGY!
All of the above are considered aerobics exercises, and while individual reps aren't hard, it's doing 300 reps of things that's the challenge. Mountain Climber and Leg Scissors are measuring with the less-accurate Joy-Con in the Leg Strap, while technically you don't even need to move your legs for Knee Lift, Side Step, and Knee-Lift Combo because the game is measuring just the Ring-Con and you moving your arms up and down as you move your legs. ...Yes, they're Legs Fit Skills. Yes, they're named after leg motions. No, it doesn't measure your legs.
Fortunately, I got a 97 (A rank) score, so I pass the level and get some money! The in-game clock has 4 minutes and 21 seconds counted, so this Fitness Gym took a lot less time (and physical exertion) than World 39's. Let's keep going... west, through Backways Path—a level that's mostly rail paths you need to use Fitness Skills to move along, though it ended with a not-so-bad Overhead Side Bend cart section. There's wild Vanilla Ice Cream growing here, which I wish I had in real life to celebrate Shavuot better. (Alongside recognising and accepting the Ten Commandments, you celebrate the holiday by nomming on dairy.) Among the path's enemies is the Berserk Robocycle, which is what happens when the dark influence catches robots.
By the end of the level, I only found one Vanilla Ice Cream. The overworld Treasure Chest that Backways Path leads to had one Strength Drink. The overworld Treasure Chest at the east part of the warp area had five Peaches, and perhaps more importantly, there's the Robo-Wrecker (Advanced) Game Gym behind that chest. For getting an A rank, they'll give you a Garnet stone, which is important...but I want to get an S rank in Robo-Wrecker (Advanced), because I haven't been able to do so yet. I previously said I thought a perfect score was 13,600... but I just got 13,600 this night and still only have an A rank. Therefore, a perfect score must be... 13,700! After getting 13,600 multiple times in a row, my arms are getting awfully tired. ...Still, I went to drink a GLASS OF MILK (in real life) to infuse myself with DAIRY power... and... I successfully S ranked Robo-Wrecker (Advanced), earning me the Robo-Relentless title! (And I screamed out, “YES!”)
Note, the Jews can't agree on WHY eating dairy is a Shavuot custom, but as far as I'm concerned, it's pretty effective. (Well, technically I drank it. I didn't eat any dairy-based meals...)
That accomplishment was on Monday. On Tuesday, I'm playing again! First at the Inside Strait level, which is a palette swap of the longest course is terms of amount you need to run. I skipped the battles... and now I gotta make up for it in the FIVE-ROUND BATTLE GYM, which offers a Defense Drink for completion. I want a Garnet, dangit. Anyway, the frisbee-throwing Berserk Robot is here as an enemy, and it'd make a good Olympic athlete in Ultimate Frisbee... too bad that's not at Tokyo 2021. Anyway, that whole Battle Gym took 19 minutes of in-game time, which is quite lengthy. No Garnet from there, but the Treasure Chest at the lower left of the warp zone does have one Garnet.
And behind the Treasure Chest is the second-to-last Game Gym I haven't S ranked yet: Bootstrap Tower (Advanced). Unlike Robo-Wrecker (Advanced) or Core Crushing (Advanced), I have no doubt in my mind I'm able to S rank this. It's more reaction time and delicate ring movements than physical exertion—unless you fail over and over. Bootstrap Tower (Advanced) just hasn't showed up in any Extra Fitness world until now! On my first try, I got 16,300 points... a new record (by, like, 1,900 points) but not a perfect S rank. Though I did get a Strength Drink from that.
The key to perfection is buffering your Ring-Con thrusts so you're at the appropriate power level to launch yourself while you're still in the air from your prior jump, similar to Squat Goals. You can and should buffer the very first thrust at the beginning, while the game count-down is going. Buffering will save you time, and you only have 90 seconds to get through this—and the end of the minigame features you having to spam thrusts to get high-value gold tokens that you must collect to get a perfect score. Fortunately, the level layout is the same every time, unlike some of the other minigames where it's randomised. But, yeah, the trade-off is that you kinda need to play it like a tool-assisted speedrun.
Eventually, I did it: S rank in Bootstrap Tower, with the title of Full-Body Climber. One more minigame S rank left!
On Wednesday, it's time to end this world and confront the boss: Dragaux at Dragaux Stadium. Before getting to him, he was talking about how Allegra relentlessly expresses to Dragaux that I have the best leg potential in the world. Dragaux doesn't understand what that means, but he's determined to help train my legs, deeming my fight with Allegra in World 39 to be a mere warm-up compared to what he'll put me through.
First, before fighting Dragaux, we gotta get through Dragaux Stadium. Dragaux Stadium is pretty much just spamming squat-powered swings, with an EXP Medal floating at the first swing segment that I couldn't actually vacuum up. Maybe I need to wear the vacuum range increase outfit? But that wouldn't let me wear the Volcanic Athlete II and its attack power boost. The Legs Master II is the best thing to wear here, but... I just don't have enough Garnet to buy it or anything else from General Store Number 36 out.
When we finally reach Dragaux, his legs hurt, but despite that, he'll fight us... and turn BLUE! Giving him two health bars but also a weakness to Blue Fit Skills. He's aided by a Cobalt Matta Ray+ and a Dark Matta Ray+, spaced apart in a way where three-range Fit Skills will hit all of them.
You'll want to use those and KO the Matta Rays as soon as possible, since Dragaux will be healed by them. Dragaux having leg pain is apparently referenced in his attack patterns because he's still focused on punching instead of... kicking, for his moves. ...That's actually kinda clever dialogue-gameplay integration.
Eventually, at his second/last health bar, Dragaux decided to use his legs to crush me... more specifically, a giant leg made out of energy.
AND SO I MUST SUSTAIN AN OVERHEAD SQUAT for a whole SIXTY seconds. And, uh, I kinda failed 40 seconds in, in that I ended up collapsing to the ground and sitting on my feet rather than squatting. Which still counts for the purposes of Ring Fit Adventure, and so I deflected Dragaux's giant leg and knocked off a massive chunk of his health bar. And after that, Dragaux went down shortly after. He dropped 1,428 coins (quite a lot) and... a Rose Quartz stone? BUT I NEED A LOT MORE GARNET!
After the fight, Dragaux claimed his knees were about to give out, and my legs are wobbly—speaking for myself, that's true. He suggested we both overdid it and we ought to take a break. He flew off to do that, I guess?
I gotta say, I'm glad the game forgot about Linus by the end. Dumb kid.
It's surely not a coincidence that most of the screenshots came at the end of the article with Dragaux, since he's the most interesting part of the game. World 41 should see... less of Dragaux, unfortunately. Ludwig still hasn't had ice cream.
So what happened in World 41 with less of Dragaux? No Garnets, but... a festival.
The Fitness Master version of this world (World 63) excluded Linus entirely, and it was a lot better.
My legs better be good, because with KoopaTV Fitness Fridays, training up my lower-body is a big priority so I can be an incredible Olympic athlete. (Training up my upper-body is the other big priority...) Playing through Ring Fit Adventure is a big way to accomplish this. I do so on the maximum difficulty—30.
Last week, we had the physically difficult experience of Week 39, where we had to hold a long Overhead Squat versus the world boss, and had to survive the Lower Body Set Fitness Gym. This week, the focus on legs continues, as we enter World 40: Extra Fitness Lv. 247. This one is based on World 17: The Boy Who Howled Wolf, which features dark influenced feral animals and ended in an epic showdown against Dragaux. I'm pretty sure we're gonna encounter the exact same thing this time, except my biggest curiosity is how Ring Fit Adventure plans to narratively explain why the animals are corrupted by the dark influence when, in terms of Extra Fitness's storyline, the dark influence has been eradicated.
By the way, the boy who howled wolf is named Linus, and he's a twerpy deceptive kid. Part of the reason that the world originally took so long is because he actually makes you back-track in the storyline (because he lies), but we don't have to deal with that in Extra Fitness. Instead, we go to Hamstring Marsh—and only once. There's a Blue Dark Hart fight with no explanation on why it exists. So that's how it's gonna be, huh? General Store Number 36 is selling three new outfits: the Leg Master II (look like Allegra and increase blue Fit Skill attack power by 5%); the Blue Chameleon II (increase Ring's vacuum range in platforming segments); and the Coral Snake II (no set boost). Altogether, these will require six Garnet to buy out, and I got none, since I used my existing stash to buy last world's Ocean Athlete II. Where to get all of those stones?
I don't WANT to be his coach! I never made that decision! |
The next level, Sweat Street, has a SURPRISE MUSCLE INSPECTION by Dragaux, which genuinely did surprise me. Linus is going around telling Dragaux that I'm his coach, and Dragaux wants me to prove that I'd be a good coach for the kid by breaking every single crate in Sweat Street. Can't miss one. First of all, I never agreed to be his coach. Second of all, how does breaking boxes demonstrate adequate coaching ability? There are 55 crates. Halfway through the level is a rowing segment in which there are no crates, and right after that there is a Treasure Chest with three Super Kale Smoothie (which have the useless effect of cancelling negative status effects). I was worried it'd be a Treasure Chaser instead, where it'd be difficult to run and catch it while breaking every crate, but the game is merciful. Dragaux was disappointed that I succeeded (he apparently wanted to be Linus's coach... and I'd gladly let him if this game had dialogue options), but Linus thinks I'm awesome.
Next up is the Squattery Wheel (Advanced) Game Gym, which has five Persimmons as a reward. Took me two attempts, but I did it. I'm really glad I already S ranked this place. The level after is Hangon Bridge, which is not only a bridge, but a tower. (There's a flight segment over the bridge part.) There's also a Green Dark Flamingo enemy, as opposed to the pink flamingos that were all over last world. To attack, it jumps in and pecks at your shield. Don't forget Yellow Dark Fox in the second enemy group of the level.
With that complete, we can charge right to Dragaux Stadium and end the world... but there's a whole other part hidden behind the warp zone (hidden behind a fight with three Rare Hoplin—maybe use the earlier-acquired Persimmons to make a smoothie to double your experience point gain while fighting them). That's where the bulk of this world's activity lies, but we'll tackle that on later days...
There's no defeating Dragaux in this warp zone area, but there is quite a bit of stuff to do here... |
On Monday, I'm dedicating the play session to the Fitness Gym north of the warp zone—the difficult Stamina Set Fitness Gym, offering 450 coins for completion. Half of my anxiety about World 40 is contained in this Stamina Set, so let's tackle it on while I'm at FULL ENERGY!
- Mountain Climber (x60)—Set the Ring-Con aside and lay on the floor with your hands and feet... and pretend like you're running on all fours. Has wonky controller detection since it relies on the Joy-Con in the Leg Strap.
- Leg Scissors (x60)—Keep the Ring-Con aside but sit on the floor with your legs raised. I suggest keeping a pillow under your butt. Now move your legs in a criss-cross motion in the air 60 times!
- Knee Lift (x60)—Get the Ring-Con back and lift your knees up sixty times, alternating between them.
- Side Step (x60)—I'm a master at this by now, per my Olympics training. (See Week 39's fitness log.)
- Knee-Lift Combo (x60)—I've been doing this one as part of my normal combat repertoire for some time now!
All of the above are considered aerobics exercises, and while individual reps aren't hard, it's doing 300 reps of things that's the challenge. Mountain Climber and Leg Scissors are measuring with the less-accurate Joy-Con in the Leg Strap, while technically you don't even need to move your legs for Knee Lift, Side Step, and Knee-Lift Combo because the game is measuring just the Ring-Con and you moving your arms up and down as you move your legs. ...Yes, they're Legs Fit Skills. Yes, they're named after leg motions. No, it doesn't measure your legs.
Fortunately, I got a 97 (A rank) score, so I pass the level and get some money! The in-game clock has 4 minutes and 21 seconds counted, so this Fitness Gym took a lot less time (and physical exertion) than World 39's. Let's keep going... west, through Backways Path—a level that's mostly rail paths you need to use Fitness Skills to move along, though it ended with a not-so-bad Overhead Side Bend cart section. There's wild Vanilla Ice Cream growing here, which I wish I had in real life to celebrate Shavuot better. (Alongside recognising and accepting the Ten Commandments, you celebrate the holiday by nomming on dairy.) Among the path's enemies is the Berserk Robocycle, which is what happens when the dark influence catches robots.
By the end of the level, I only found one Vanilla Ice Cream. The overworld Treasure Chest that Backways Path leads to had one Strength Drink. The overworld Treasure Chest at the east part of the warp area had five Peaches, and perhaps more importantly, there's the Robo-Wrecker (Advanced) Game Gym behind that chest. For getting an A rank, they'll give you a Garnet stone, which is important...but I want to get an S rank in Robo-Wrecker (Advanced), because I haven't been able to do so yet. I previously said I thought a perfect score was 13,600... but I just got 13,600 this night and still only have an A rank. Therefore, a perfect score must be... 13,700! After getting 13,600 multiple times in a row, my arms are getting awfully tired. ...Still, I went to drink a GLASS OF MILK (in real life) to infuse myself with DAIRY power... and... I successfully S ranked Robo-Wrecker (Advanced), earning me the Robo-Relentless title! (And I screamed out, “YES!”)
Note, the Jews can't agree on WHY eating dairy is a Shavuot custom, but as far as I'm concerned, it's pretty effective. (Well, technically I drank it. I didn't eat any dairy-based meals...)
That accomplishment was on Monday. On Tuesday, I'm playing again! First at the Inside Strait level, which is a palette swap of the longest course is terms of amount you need to run. I skipped the battles... and now I gotta make up for it in the FIVE-ROUND BATTLE GYM, which offers a Defense Drink for completion. I want a Garnet, dangit. Anyway, the frisbee-throwing Berserk Robot is here as an enemy, and it'd make a good Olympic athlete in Ultimate Frisbee... too bad that's not at Tokyo 2021. Anyway, that whole Battle Gym took 19 minutes of in-game time, which is quite lengthy. No Garnet from there, but the Treasure Chest at the lower left of the warp zone does have one Garnet.
And behind the Treasure Chest is the second-to-last Game Gym I haven't S ranked yet: Bootstrap Tower (Advanced). Unlike Robo-Wrecker (Advanced) or Core Crushing (Advanced), I have no doubt in my mind I'm able to S rank this. It's more reaction time and delicate ring movements than physical exertion—unless you fail over and over. Bootstrap Tower (Advanced) just hasn't showed up in any Extra Fitness world until now! On my first try, I got 16,300 points... a new record (by, like, 1,900 points) but not a perfect S rank. Though I did get a Strength Drink from that.
The key to perfection is buffering your Ring-Con thrusts so you're at the appropriate power level to launch yourself while you're still in the air from your prior jump, similar to Squat Goals. You can and should buffer the very first thrust at the beginning, while the game count-down is going. Buffering will save you time, and you only have 90 seconds to get through this—and the end of the minigame features you having to spam thrusts to get high-value gold tokens that you must collect to get a perfect score. Fortunately, the level layout is the same every time, unlike some of the other minigames where it's randomised. But, yeah, the trade-off is that you kinda need to play it like a tool-assisted speedrun.
Eventually, I did it: S rank in Bootstrap Tower, with the title of Full-Body Climber. One more minigame S rank left!
On Wednesday, it's time to end this world and confront the boss: Dragaux at Dragaux Stadium. Before getting to him, he was talking about how Allegra relentlessly expresses to Dragaux that I have the best leg potential in the world. Dragaux doesn't understand what that means, but he's determined to help train my legs, deeming my fight with Allegra in World 39 to be a mere warm-up compared to what he'll put me through.
(There's a sexist, stereotypical joke to be made here, and it writes itself, and I really want to...) |
First, before fighting Dragaux, we gotta get through Dragaux Stadium. Dragaux Stadium is pretty much just spamming squat-powered swings, with an EXP Medal floating at the first swing segment that I couldn't actually vacuum up. Maybe I need to wear the vacuum range increase outfit? But that wouldn't let me wear the Volcanic Athlete II and its attack power boost. The Legs Master II is the best thing to wear here, but... I just don't have enough Garnet to buy it or anything else from General Store Number 36 out.
Most of the level is just these things. You can see more of them in the background... ...Which will soon become the foreground. |
When we finally reach Dragaux, his legs hurt, but despite that, he'll fight us... and turn BLUE! Giving him two health bars but also a weakness to Blue Fit Skills. He's aided by a Cobalt Matta Ray+ and a Dark Matta Ray+, spaced apart in a way where three-range Fit Skills will hit all of them.
Usually, I think Ring is an awful character and the real villain, but I applaud his dialogue here. |
You'll want to use those and KO the Matta Rays as soon as possible, since Dragaux will be healed by them. Dragaux having leg pain is apparently referenced in his attack patterns because he's still focused on punching instead of... kicking, for his moves. ...That's actually kinda clever dialogue-gameplay integration.
In Week 17's log, I also had a picture dedicated to how weird it is that Blue Dragaux punches instead of kicks. But now there's dialogue explanation for it. |
Eventually, at his second/last health bar, Dragaux decided to use his legs to crush me... more specifically, a giant leg made out of energy.
Dragaux is holding up only one leg (or a foot), so not sure why it's pluralised. Also, it's not even his own leg. It's an energy formation. |
AND SO I MUST SUSTAIN AN OVERHEAD SQUAT for a whole SIXTY seconds. And, uh, I kinda failed 40 seconds in, in that I ended up collapsing to the ground and sitting on my feet rather than squatting. Which still counts for the purposes of Ring Fit Adventure, and so I deflected Dragaux's giant leg and knocked off a massive chunk of his health bar. And after that, Dragaux went down shortly after. He dropped 1,428 coins (quite a lot) and... a Rose Quartz stone? BUT I NEED A LOT MORE GARNET!
After the fight, Dragaux claimed his knees were about to give out, and my legs are wobbly—speaking for myself, that's true. He suggested we both overdid it and we ought to take a break. He flew off to do that, I guess?
The reason Tuesday was the longest day was due to the Battle Gym, not the Game Gym. |
I gotta say, I'm glad the game forgot about Linus by the end. Dumb kid.
It's surely not a coincidence that most of the screenshots came at the end of the article with Dragaux, since he's the most interesting part of the game. World 41 should see... less of Dragaux, unfortunately. Ludwig still hasn't had ice cream.
So what happened in World 41 with less of Dragaux? No Garnets, but... a festival.
The Fitness Master version of this world (World 63) excluded Linus entirely, and it was a lot better.
Linus needs more screen time and it's unfortunate that you only got one ice cream cone. I really don't have much to add to this, so what's an obscure game you really like? Mine is Elite Beat Agents.
ReplyDelete#BanLinus
DeleteNo one mentioned cones! The ice cream in this game is in a cup. If it was in a cone, that'd be personally problematic. >_>;;;;
Does Pocket Card Jockey count as obscure? I mean, it doesn't have a Wikipedia page.
Sure does! In fact I've never even heard of it, how do you play such a game? Ice cream cones are vastly superior to cups, by the way, since you can't eat a cup. Well you can, but you really shouldn't.
DeleteYou play it on your 3DS. There's a demo, but the game itself is only $7.
Deletehttps://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/pocket-card-jockey-3ds/
I've written about it multiple times on KoopaTV!
I can't eat cones because they're made of wheat and I have Celiac Disease. >.>
oh, I'm sorry to hear that. And I think I will get it, if you say it's good. I'll start saving....
DeleteActually, if I win this KoopaTv loyalty round, then I could get it right away, doesn't look like I'll have much competition. aHEheheheheheheheheeheheheheheheehehhheheheehehehehehe.
Yeah, you're pretty much dominating the round so far. Commenting every day will get you very far.
DeleteGood on you for not skipping leg day(s)
ReplyDeleteWish I did.
DeleteDid you get the persimmon recipe?
ReplyDeleteYes, I did. It's found in World 15: Quizton, but I ended up finding it much later.
DeleteOh good I was worried you might never find it. Awesome work BTW I’ve been following your story as I have been playing through glad it’s not just me struggling on level 30
ReplyDeleteOoh, that makes me feel really happy to read that you're following me alongside your own adventures. :D
Delete