Several months ago, Nintendo Switch users got access to a free fitness game on the console called Jump Rope Challenge. Exactly as the name suggests, the game is all about jumping rope and doing the best you can to keep the numbers and the jumps high, but there was a catch to it: It would only be available in the Nintendo eShop for a limited time before it was removed entirely. Why the game would be removed in the first place wasn’t clear, but it doesn’t matter now because Nintendo has announced that it’s sticking around for the foreseeable future as a free download.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Nintendo confirmed this week that the Jump Rope Challenge game would be staying right where it is in the Nintendo eShop instead of leaving like it was supposed to before. September 30th was the day it was supposed to be removed, but you can now download it for free “until further notice.”
Some Jump Rope Challenge stats were also shared to say that people had jumped over 2.5 billion times in the game, a testament to how many times it was downloaded and how much it was used.
Thanks to all players of #JumpRopeChallenge for recording 2.5 billion total jumps! As new jumpers are joining, the free download will be available until further notice and will not be removed from Nintendo #eShop on 9/30. pic.twitter.com/P9g7dXmmZe
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) September 30, 2020
The game debuted at a time when many people were stuck working at home and were unable to go about their normal routines that might’ve involved going out and taking part in different fitness activities. Nintendo said it was created by a “small group of Nintendo developers while working from home in Japan as a simple game to add some quick and fun movement into their daily lives” before it was released in June.
To play Jump Rope Challenge, all you need is a Nintendo Switch – not a Nintendo Switch Lite which will not work with the game – some Joy-Cons, and some space to jump. You swing the Joy-Cons around to mimic a jump rope and hop in time with the movements to make your jump counts go higher. You can play with others so long as you have an extra pair of Joy-Cons for them to use, and the game keeps track of your progress over time to show how you’re improving as you invest more into Jump Rope Challenge.
Those interested in trying out the fitness game can download Jump Rope Challenge now from the Nintendo eShop.
