There are lots of you out there who have proved that you’ve got the skills and determination to show us up in Kinect Sports Rivals. From smashing records set by the team behind the game to defeating every challenge we set, you’re a talented bunch!
We decided to put the spotlight on a few of our superstar players to show off their skills and success. Let’s go!
First up in the spotlight is Terry, aka Deadly Silent74 on Xbox Live. Terry is one of our most dedicated players, having logged almost 110 hours on the Kinect Sports Rivals island. Winning fan after fan has led Terry to climb the Rivals League to reach the top level of the Legendary League, an exclusive status only matched by 12 other players in history. Here’s Terry to explain how he did it!
Can you tell us a little about yourself?
I am a 40 year old gamer. I have played video games since the Odyssey. I have played Xbox since the first system. I have had Gold for about five years now.
What attracted you to Kinect Sports Rivals?
What attracted me to KSR was I was actually doing the motions on the game, not just using the controller. That made the game feel somewhat more real to me, even though I am terrible at real sports!
What’s your favourite sport in the game?
My favourite sport in Rivals is Bowling. My favourite in the first two games was Golf.
Which team have you joined?
My team choice was easy. I joined the Eagle Legion. I enjoy fairness in games, boosting my own abilities. I do not enjoy dirty, offensive tricks.
What has been the biggest challenge in climbing the ranks to the top?
The biggest challenge in climbing ranks was collecting fame. It can be very time consuming. For example, I have played over 100 hours to get where I am today!
What motivated you to keep going until you reached the Legendary League?
What kept me going all the way to Legendary is I like to complete a challenge I set for myself. I want to get every achievement, every challenge, every rank possible.
What’s your favourite Xbox game (other than Kinect Sports Rivals)?
My favourite game is the Borderlands series. I love the Fable series as well. I am best at RPGs.
Next up is Pauline, Sharp Mistress on Xbox Live. Pauline has impressed us with her tireless commitment to achieving 100% completion of the game and all its achievement challenges, meaning putting in time every single week. Over to you Pauline!
Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
When I was about eight years old, I remembered going to Family Video to check out which games I should try and Banjo-Kazooie caught my eye. I totally fell in love with that game and believed that Rare truly knows how to create the most magical game. Being a deaf gamer all started right there. I also collect Dragon Ball Z figures and love to draw.
What attracted you to Kinect Sports Rivals?
I love their game designs and advanced motion-tracking capabilities. After trying out the demo, I liked the unique feature where your face is scanned and mimicked. I made some changes and seeing my own Champion made me feel incredibly sexy. See the picture. 
What’s your favourite sport in the game?
Hmm, I would say Wake Racing because of the beautiful environment and challenging courses. I admit I need to pay more attention to where I am going than the course environment, haha. Racing against those Rivals is a lot of fun, too. It does become more challenging if you keep winning first place. Those Rivals will eventually catch up.
What team have you joined?
Viper Network all the way! Need I say more?
What has been the hardest challenge to beat so far?
‘Proud As Punch’ had to be one of the hardest challenges I’ve done and achieved. A lot of people seem to struggle with this one and a few other achievements. I must say that I’m proud to be one of the few players who completed that game successfully, even all of the DLC. The Blast Corps DLC is seriously the hardest of all, in my opinion. Took me so many attempts that I was close to giving up but decided to keep trying.
What drives you to complete challenge after challenge?
Perfection, completion, and rewarding experience (earning achievements!)
How much time per week do you devote to the game?
2-4 hours per week. If I do have plenty of free time I would play a bit more, working my way up on the leaderboard. I think I’m getting there.
What’s your favourite Rare and/or Xbox game?
I love nearly all of the Rare games on both Nintendo and Xbox platforms. My most favourite game would be the Banjo-Kazooie series, of course. I also look forward to playing upcoming Rare games on Xbox One.
Finally we focus on Kevin – or AestheticaL as he’s known on Xbox Live - Kinect Sports Rivals World Championship finalist! Kevin beat out every other participant in Canada to compete at the finals in San Diego. He also holds the world record for five out of six of the game’s Climbing courses. Impressive!
Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
My name is Kevin, from Barrie Canada. I’ve been playing Xbox since the original in 2001, been on Xbox Live since 2002, and haven’t looked back since! I play many different types of games but my favourite genre would have to be FPS. Counter Strike and Halo on the original Xbox started it all, leading to Halo 2 and Call of Duty 4 on the Xbox 360. Outside of video games I run a tech blog called Definitive Gear and just recently launched a professional Twitch channel under the same name.
What attracted you to Kinect Sports Rivals?
I loved the original Kinect Sports titles from the Xbox 360. My favourite sport to this day is Golf and Darts from Kinect Sports: Season Two. I’m hoping they make a return for next-gen someday!
Which team have you joined?
I chose the Eagle Legion. I felt that they were the ‘good guy’ heroes of the game and had some quirky humour that I enjoyed.
What made you decide to compete in the KSR World Championship?
The World Championship was announced around two weeks prior to the game’s release, and I wrote an article about it. I knew I was going to participate since I had already planned to get the game. Worked out pretty well I’d say!
What was the toughest part of qualifying?
The toughest part was meeting my own goals. I wanted to get a perfect game in Bowling early on because it’s something that is permanent once you achieve it. I was the top player in Canada for almost the entire competition, so I was constantly under pressure from myself to beat my times and strengthen my odds to stay on top. I achieved a perfect score in Bowling exactly one month after the game’s release, and I feel that secured my top ranking as I was the only one in Canada to attain it.
How did you feel when you realised you’d be heading to San Diego?
This tournament was the greatest prize I’ve ever been awarded, so it was a little overwhelming. Even though I had some time to prepare for it compared to other finalists who had closer competition, receiving the email after the qualification period closed was a big relief and felt incredible.
What has been the highlight of your time with Kinect Sports Rivals?
There are so many! From battling world record scores with Lucktose (Germany) and FusedDaelin (USA), to achieving a perfect score in Bowling, the entire Comic-Con experience, competing in the World Championship final, and meeting all of the incredible people along the way. It was the experience of a lifetime and I hope that Microsoft does more things like this in the future!
What’s your favourite Rare and/or Xbox game?
Like many people, most of my best memories are from the Nintendo 64 days! Banjo-Kazooie, Jet Force Gemini, Diddy Kong Racing, Goldeneye, and Perfect Dark. After meeting some great people from Rare throughout the World Championship, I look forward to seeing what is coming next!
Reckon you’re made of similar stuff to these guys and want to let us know about your KSR prowess? Get in touch on the Kinect Sports Rivals Twitter account or Facebook page!
Or want to take on these superstar players? Send them a Rival challenge in game!