Sports Champions Disc Golf

When PlayStation Move launched there was one game that truly showed off its impressive 1:1 controls: Sports Champions. The game featured multiple sports, each using Move in its own unique way. One of the sports stood out from the rest, and that was Disc Golf: the precision and accuracy of Move was able to transform the controller into a disc, bringing the sport to life in the virtual world with great success. The superb disc physics allowed players to throw shots however they desired: forehand, backhand, rollers, etc. without even touching a button, but rather by simply swinging their arm just as they would on the course.

Here at Movemodo we enjoy the sport of Disc Golf not only in Sports Champions, but also on the actual course as well. We were lucky enough to recently compete against a few Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA) World Champion Disc Golfers in a Disc Golf Tournament in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, and while we didn't stand a chance against them in a competition, we did get to see their amazing skills in action on the course. As the day dwindled to an end, we learned that they were not only champions on the course, but on the Move as well.

So just how good is the disc golf in Sports Champions? Well we asked none other than 2005/2007 World Champion Nate Doss, 2009 World Champion Avery Jenkins and 2007-2009 World Champion Valarie Jenkins to find out.

Movemodo: Firstly, can you please introduce yourselves, and give our readers some insight to each of your accomplishments in the Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA)?

Avery Jenkins: My name is Avery Jenkins and I am a Touring Professional Disc Golfer that Travels all over the World playing in Disc Golf Tournaments in the US and abroad. I am the 2009 Disc Golf World Champion, 3X United States Distance Champion, 2004 Japan Open Champion and 2000 PDGA Rookie of the Year. I truly love Disc Golf and I do all that I can to make this one of the best Sports out there.

It’s a goal of mine to make Disc Golf a Mainstream Sport in the years to come. It has the potential to be something great, it’s just going to take some time and a lot of hard work. Players need to realize that we need to take this sport seriously because if we don't no one else will either, it's all on us taking it to the Next Level.

Valarie Jenkins: My name is Valarie Jenkins. I am a 3x Women’s World Champion (07-09), 4x Player of the Year winner, 2010 US Women’s Disc Golf Championship, 3x Japan Open Champion and 2009 European Open Champion.

Nate Doss: Nate Doss: 2x World Champion, 2008 US Disc Golf Champion, 2007 National Tour Champion. I have been playing Disc Golf for 19 years.

Movemodo: As World Champion disc golfers, how accurately is the sport represented in Sports Champions with PlayStation Move?

AJ: I believe that the Sports Champion Game represented Disc Golf very well in the simple concept of how the game is played and how the discs fly. One of the most interesting attractions of Disc Golf is the fascination of the flight of the flying disc and the ability to manipulate/control a disc in ways unlike other sports played with a ball. The PlayStation Move allows the player to have this control of the disc, releasing at various heights and angles in order to progress down the fairway toward the basket. I can’t wait for the next version of this Disc Golf game is hopes that it increases in ways of realistic graphics, making you feel like you’re out on the course.

VJ: This is the most accurate Disc Golf video game that has ever been developed. From the throw to the flight to the landing, it emulates what an actual Disc Golf disc would do.

ND: I would say that this game represents a great example of the competition side of Disc Golf. Using the stroke play format it allows players to compete against one another, as well as against the system. It gives players a good representation of the challenging shots in Disc Golf by offering the variety of tee lengths and hole layouts.

Movemodo: Disc Golf in Sports Champions is brutally difficult on the Gold/Platinum levels, and we’ve heard that you were able to 3-Star the entire game! Did this offer a significant challenge to the World Champions, or was this simply a practice day at the park?

AJ: Well to be honest, it did take a while to beat the entire Disc Golf video game at the 3-Star Level on every level but we eventually did it. I think that most difficult part of the game was the Challenge Modes and Valarie was definitely the best at those. I think that the game produced enough challenge for those that don’t play Disc Golf every day and it took lots of practice rounds to beat some of the Platinum Level players that rarely missed a shot.

VJ: This was teamwork by all three of us for months, and it was not an easy task! It was less than a handful of times where we beat the CPU by 3-stars on our first try. It usually took several tries by each of us before we could move on to the next CPU player.

ND: It was extremely difficult to accomplish. It took all three of our skills, and hours to finally conquer the challenges.

Movemodo: Now that you’ve completed the disc golf in Sports Champions, do you think PlayStation Move is the perfect tool for bringing gamers a full disc golf title that offers real courses, disc, etc.?

AJ: I think that is the natural progression of popular games such as this to evolve, to get better with each and every version. I would love to see the game use the same Discs (Drivers, Mid-Range and Putters) that we use and hopefully play some of the very same Disc Golf courses that we play on the PDGA Tour. Eventually, it would incredible to have them create realistic PDGA professional players, such as us to be included in the game as well. So we can only wait and see……

VJ: I love the fact that it brings Disc Golf into your living room. It is an active game where one needs accuracy and great hand eye coordination. I have to admit we played more Disc Golf on the Move than we did while were home during the off-season. On the course we couldn’t help but imagine certain shots from the game we made.

ND: The PlayStation Move has offered the most realistic gaming experiences, especially to represent Disc Golf. I think a full Disc Golf game would be a great challenge to any level of gamer.

Movemodo: Not only are you all World Champions in your sport, but also advocates in bringing the sport of disc golf into the mainstream. Do you think that Sports Champions has had an impact in bringing new players to the sport?

AJ: I really think that this game has given the sport of Disc Golf some great exposure by including it with the collection of sports on Sports Champions. I would be excited to know if a Disc Golf game such as this brought gamers out to the Disc Golf course to check out the real-life sport that we play for a living but it would not surprise me at this point. I know that the more public awareness that Disc Golf receives, the more people will be interested in what it is and hopefully want to try it out. Also in this time of the economic downturn, the affordability of Disc Golf has appealed to the mass of people looking for a reasonably priced recreational activity to enjoy outdoors with friends and family.

VJ: Absolutely, I love the fact that Sports Championships is introducing Disc Golf to so many people that may have never heard of the sport before. Hopefully this will show more people how great this sport is, and encourage them to come out to an actual Disc Golf course. This is a great step toward teach people the basics of the game and spreading the knowledge of our lifestyle.

ND: I think this game has created a higher awareness, and it has the potential to introduce more people into Disc Golf. By creating a full blown Disc Golf game with real courses and more disc choices it would really show people that our Disc Golf is an actual sport.

Movemodo: Are there any other PlayStation Move games that you enjoy outside of Sports Championship?

AJ: To be honest, the only other game that I have played on the PlayStation Move is Bocce on the Sports Champion game. We vowed that we would not play another game until we successfully beat the entire Disc Golf game with 3-Stars at every level. Now that’s dedication.

ND: I ventured outside of the Disc Golf game, and played Bocce on Sports Champions. I thought it was a really fun game and entertaining to play.

Movemodo: Lastly, is there anything else you would like to tell our readers?

AJ: “When a Ball dreams, it dreams it’s a Frisbee” – Dr. Stancil Johnson PDGA #009

ND: If you like playing Disc Golf on Sports Champions I recommend grabbing a disc and heading out to a course near you.

Has the disc golf featured in Sports Champions given you the desire to try out the sport for yourself? Would you like to see a fully featured Disc Golf game come to PlayStation Move? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.

Thanks to Nate Doss, Avery Jenkins and Valarie Jenkins for their time.