The long wait is over and the verdict is in: Sports Champions for Sony Move is a winner.
Sports Champions can either be purchased separately or bundled with the Playstation Eye and Move Controller. (I've left my thoughts on the Move under my review for the Playstation Move Starter Bundle)
I suspect that, as with Wii Sports, most people who get a Move will get it as part of the Starter Kit. But for those who are purchasing it separately, here's everything you need to know about the game.
Before you start up the game, the system will calibrate the Move controller. You'll see an image of your room on the screen, and using augmented reality it'll draw a box around a region which you'll need to stand in throughout gameplay. The system will ask you to move your controller to your shoulders, to your side, and to your belt buckle.
There are six sports to choose from. With each, you can select a tutorial (highly recommended) that talks you through how to play each game.
Disc Golf: Here, you compete against each other or the CPU throwing a frisbee on a golf course trying to get to the target. The scenery is breathtaking. You'll stand on mountaintops, contend with lush forests, and more. Like a real frisbee, you can throw with as much or as little force as you need. You pick up the frisbee by holding the "T" button, and when you release the button it releases the frisbee. The controls are remarkably accurate, although it will take getting used to throwing without having the resistance of a real frisbee.
Gladiator Duel: This is a game where you can choose to use one or two Move controllers. It's a heck of a lot more fun with two, as you can hold your sword in one hand and your shield in the other and control them independently (with one controller, you have to choose either the sword or the shield by pressing and holding the trigger button). Each time you block a move, it'll fill up a power meter that'll let you perform a combo attack. Again, the realism is phenomenal. As you fight your opponents, you'll see damage caused to their shelds and the surrounding arena (don't worry though, it's still rated E for everyone). You'll get a great full body workout from this one.
Archery: This is another game where I'd say you need two Move controllers, so you can use one hand to hold the bow and the other to draw the arrow back (similar to Wii Sports Resort). With one Move controller, you're basically pointing and shooting, which is hardly realistic. Again, graphics are great--you feel like you're in the middle of Sherwood Forest.
Beach Volleyball: Unlike the similar activity on EA Sports Active, this plays like actual volleyball. You have the option of using one or two Move controllers. The attention to detail is impressive. The system will move your player around the court, but for your part you have to us timing and technique to serve (underhand or overhand), bump, set, and spike. The tutorial is highly recommended, as you can learn how advanced techniques like tipping, group blocking, and digging. Again, attention to detail is great with the blue ocean and the sound of the waves in the background.
Bocce: If you don't know what Bocce is, think of the last time you watched Olympic curling. The rules are very similar. You throw a small ball (called a jack or a pallino) to set the target. Then, two players (or teams) compete to see who can throw their larger cannonball-sized balls closest to the jack (knocking opponent's balls away is possible). The game has been around since ancient times. The realism on the game too is astounding. You can play on different surfaces (on soil, on a pier, or on asphalt, with a beautiful city skyline in the background), and the balls react accordingly. To throw the ball, you hold down the Trigger and throw using an underarm motion just like you would the real thing. Letting go of the trigger releases the ball. By adjusting your wrist motion, you can even add spin to the ball.
Table Tennis: I love playing ping-pong in real life, and I enjoyed playing it on Wii Sports Resort with the MotionPlus. But while playing it on the Wii was a lot of fun, I found that it wasn't the most realistic nor accurate game. I could easily beat the system by making exaggerated movements that didn't reflect real life, and the on-screen paddle didn't always mirror my real-life movements. With the Sony Move, you move the controller in your hand, and you see the exact same movement of your paddle on screen. You can use real-life movements to add topspin, backspin, and sidespin.
The details of the game are amazing, and the game developers have a great sense of humor (One of the trophies you earn after playing Bocce is called "I Have Heard of Bocce". And there's a neat surprise waiting for you after you win your first Bronze Cup in the different events--I won't spoil it for you, but suffice it to say it's a nice look into the "augmented reality" that the Move is ushering in).
Games have levels of beginner, intermediate, and advanced. But unlike other games, playing on the beginner level is definitely challenging and satisfying. Unlike other video games, the controls themselves are not "dumbed down" at beginner levels. Rather, the controls are the same at every level--it's just that at the beginner level you get more visual "hints" on how to perform your best and the opponents skills are also at a beginner level. So the game won't get old quickly, because as soon as you master the techniques and dominate at the beginner levels, you get to move on to stronger and stronger opponents and the visual hints start disappearing as you no longer need them.
You might notice the word I keep repeating is "realism". One thing I appreciate is that Sony didn't just ape the Wii by copying its cartoony look and feel. Instead, the graphics are photorealistic and really show off the advanced graphics capabilities of the PS3. And while I was initially blown away by the "coolness" factor of the Move Controller, I quickly forgot about that as I immersed myself into actually playing the game--which is a good sign that Sony did its job. None of the games are exactly like the real thing, of course, but they all come closer than any other video game experience before.
It's a great first effort for Sony, and hopefully indicative of things to come. Sports Champions - Motion Control - Playstation 3 - Move - Sports Games'
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