Super Animal Royale

A 64 player animal battle royale could keep your legs moving because there’s always somebody else to deal with, but I think the shooting would also make you forget you’re exercising pretty quickly. Super Animal Royale has a quieter side too, which is probably where I’d start.

Gameplay

The fights sound like a good fit for a game you want to stay engaged with, since other players are trying to take you out and there isn’t a long story scene asking you to sit still. You’re animals with guns, which is a funny enough idea that I don’t need it to explain itself much further.

The battle royale part means you’re not settling into one safe pattern and jogging on autopilot, because you have to pay attention to where opponents are and get your aim onto them. I think that gives the matches a nice sense of urgency when I’m sitting down, but it also means the game can pull your full attention away from the workout. I get distracted by much less.

Super Animal World gives you fishing, hamsterball races, and story quests between the fights, and I like that there’s a place to go when I don’t want another high pressure match. The fishing sounds especially appealing for an easy workout, although I don’t know how much attention it asks for once you’re actually trying to do it. Either way, a calm break is welcome.

I’d probably spend more time in the fights than the hub, because the fast rounds are what make this sound fun to me, and the hub is there when I want to take things down a notch. The whole setup has a nice contrast between tiny animals carrying machine guns and a place to go fishing afterward. That’s a pretty normal afternoon.

Category Score: 3 out of 3

Treadmill and Bike Compatibility

The fights are where I’d be careful. Aiming at another player while your body is moving sounds like a lot of small corrections to make with your thumbs, and if you miss, the other person isn’t going to politely wait while you get your footing back. Full controller support is a plus, but it can’t make a live match wait for you.

On a treadmill, I’d keep the speed low enough that I can look at the screen and react without my arms bouncing around, and I’d skip trying to turn a hard run into a competitive match. The game sounds like it rewards quick attention, so there’s a real chance you’re working harder to win than you are to keep a steady pace. I don’t know that I’d trust myself to do both well.

A bike seems more manageable if you want to try the battle royale matches, since the screen and controller can stay fairly steady while you pedal, but I’d still expect to get absorbed in the fight and lose track of my effort. That’s not necessarily a bad time, it just means you should set an easy pace before you drop in instead of expecting the game to remind you to exercise.

For a gentler session, I’d head to Super Animal World and try the fishing or hamsterball races, then save the gunfights for when I can give them my full attention. The story quests might also be a better fit than a live match, though I can’t tell you how much reading or focus they involve. I’d give the quieter side a try first.

Category Score: 1 out of 3

Computer Requirements

The minimum requirements are modest enough that I’d look at the graphics card first, but this doesn’t sound like a game that needs a new high end computer to run. A 64 bit system and a very old or basic graphics card should be in the right neighborhood, and 900 MB of storage is not much room to worry about.

Category Score: 3 out of 3

Conclusion and Score

Super Animal Royale sounds like a fun game for a slow bike ride or an easy treadmill walk, especially if you’re happy spending time in the relaxed hub. I’d keep the live battles for when you can focus on the screen, because they sound like a lot to handle while running hard.

Overall Score: 2.33 out of 3