Sports Champions -- And You Thought Gold Cup was the End!

If you've managed to get your hands on Sports Champions by now, then you know how difficult the game can start getting once you move up to the second difficulty level, Silver. The AI gets tougher, faster, and more devilish, and by the time you hit Gold in some events, where all of the "assists" the game gives you are stripped away, defeating an opponent will feel like winning the lottery.

One of things I really appreciate about Champions is that, if you're a hardcore gamer, and you want a real challenge, it's there. Newbies can stick with Bronze, but anyone wanting to push the limit can do so, and you won't -- and you can't -- get there by waggling the remote around.

If you have bad habits in a particular sport, they're going to show up in-game, and if there's a particular technique you like to use, chances are you can find a way to make it work. Gold-level events will make you sweat, make you curse, make you stomp around the house, but it will also teach you and have you coming back for another round.

Despite the picture I'm painting, some gamers have dedicated launch weekend to reaching Sports Champions'  summit, only to find out that they're only halfway up the mountain. That's right, the game doesn't end at Gold, something you wouldn't normally realize until you had beat it since the game only displays three difficulties from the get-go.

I'm talking about the discovery of the Championship Cup, a full fourth tier of opponents to master. I'm still working my way through Silver on most events, myself, but nothing makes me happier about purchasing a game than realizing that, even at my best, I still have a long way to go.

As a value proposition, and as a showcase for technology, Sports Champions is continuing to prove itself as one of the best launch titles ever conceived.