Back in September 1996, Atlus released the first Persona game, which was a spin-off of the larger Megami Tensei franchise. Specifically, it was based on the success of Shin Megami Tensei If, the more high-school drama-focused storytelling that we now all know and love. Atlus has started preparing celebrations and collaborations ahead of the 30th Anniversary, and it looks like a Persona 5 Fitness Boxing game is the first on the list.
The collaboration was teased by the official Twitter account of Fitness Boxing. The teaser image of two hidden Persona characters contains the following:
If you’ve played Persona 5 or Persona 5 Royal before, you’ll instantly recognize the iconic text boxes and the black backgrounds. It’s a subtle tease, but not really when the game is this recognizable. The translation of the discussion between two hidden characters is as follows:
???: What are you getting ready for?
???: Heh heh heh… This time, I’m preparing a training plan that’s a bit different from usual. After all, stamina is essential for a Phantom Thief!
What To Expect From Fitness Boxing X Persona
We’re no strangers to Japanese games here over at Operation Sports — we thoroughly enjoyed playing through Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road. I’m also a big fan of the Persona series. But let’s rein things in here and see what you can expect from the Fitness Boxing and Persona collaboration. Essentially, Fitness Boxing is primarily a series of Nintendo Switch games that focuses on the workout element. The Joy-Cons mimic the good old days of the Wii remote in these games, helping you mimic the character on the screen and work up a sweat. Think of Dance Dance Revolution or Wii Fit, for example.
The core gameplay in these games isn’t necessarily something complex or unique, but they are often spiced up by collaborations. For example, the Hatsune Miku title was well-received, which isn’t a surprise, as that goes for just about anything that has Hatsune Miku. As for Persona 5, it’s widely considered one of the most stylish games ever made. In my opinion, it has the best-designed menus in the industry. More importantly, it has iconic character designs, a comic book style aesthetic, and incredible music.
Expect all of that to crossover to the upcoming Fitness Boxing game. Music will be a major draw in the game, and the acid-jazz, high-energy tracks of Shoji Meguro will be perfect for cardio. The game will likely be released on the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, as that’s the platform where it makes the most sense.
