San Diego Studio and Zindagi Games’ Sports Champions 2 is a missed opportunity. The original Sports Champions’ intention was to showcase the precision of Sony’s Move controller (which it demonstrated to great effect) as well as prove to the world that casual games featuring motion controls didn’t have to be standard definition abominations. The collection of games on offer wasn’t particularly impressive, but there were some out-of-the-box ideas, and we got to play stuff like Gladiator Duel, Disc Golf and Bocce. Archery was undoubtedly the highlight of the first game, and returns in Sports Champions 2, but what about the other games? Are they interesting enough to hold your attention for more than ten minutes? Well, let’s just say that the final product could have been so much more than what we currently have.
The purpose of a casual sports title is defeated if a learning curve of any form exists, and unfortunately, every game in Sports Champions 2 has one, and despite using the same Move controller (or controllers, as the case may be), requires a gameplay technique entirely different from the other — and the differences are drastic. At times, it feels natural (like Tennis and Bowling for instance), and at times it can be a combination of logical and absurd (Skiing), while occasionally you’re just wondering why you’re not playing a full-price title (Fight Night Champions or Tiger Woods instead of say, the Boxing and Golf mini-games) because of the inherent complexity of its controls despite the shallow gameplay. The biggest problem with Sports Champions 2, however, is that there aren’t enough interesting mini-games to begin with.
Archery was a fan favourite last time around, and it doesn’t disappoint in Sports Champions 2. But really, it’s just more of the same. Draw, notch and let loose —you’ve got more targets to hit and more points to score, but if you already own Sports Champions, there isn’t anything dramatically different here. Tennis is a mixed bag —occasionally entertaining, yet strangely plagued by unresponsive controls. But it’s still the game that makes best use of the Move controller, allowing you to slice, drop, add top-spin as well as effectively play forehand and backhand strokes. Skiing, on the other hand, is ridiculously easy and also a terrible bore, although I’m told it’s best played with two motion controllers (a collective investment of around INR 6,799 to enjoy it, however, is a bit much in my opinion). Bowling can be a lot of fun—until you score your hundredth strike. On a positive note, Bowling has little-to-no learning curve, but the total lack of depth means that once you work out the angle and spin, you’ll pretty much be scoring strikes with every single throw. Golf is challenging and requires skill to play effectively. It also makes good use of the Move controller. The most interesting part about the mini-games themselves are the challenge levels which can be unlocked while playing the game’s equivalent of a career mode.
Priced at 1,799, Sports Champions 2 falls under the “budget” category of games for the PS3. It feels like a budget game as well—amateurish interface and menus, average production values, game design issues. But just like games for the Playstation Vita, games for the Move are pretty hard to come by, and PS3 owners are forced to pick up any or all infrequent releases. Sports Champions 2 might be derivative, but isn’t bad by any means—it should give you a couple of hours’ entertainment when played solo and has the potential to be an engaging party game if you’ve got a few Move controllers to spare.
