Amstrad Action


Bully's Sporting Darts

Author: Tim Norris
Publisher: Alternative
Machine: Amstrad CPC464

 
Published in Amstrad Action #92

Hoping to meet that fat bloke who interrupts the game and fails to score 301 with six darts, Tim Norris approaches the 'oche...

Bully's Sporting Darts

There are tons of darts games and this is one of them. Will that do? No, thought not. The attraction of this particular variant is that it features everyone's favourite bovine sportsman, Bully. Dear old Bully, as you must surely be aware, is the fat, ugly, animated creature that interrupts Jim Bowen from time to time during the Sunday afternoon quiz, Bullseye (lovely-smashing-super we've-had-a-lovely-day Jim let's-have-a-look at-what-you-could've-won). Sadly, the game has no connection whatsoever with the TV show other than in that it stars Bully. Jim doesn't appear at all. Still, never mind, eh?

Once you've selected your preferred variation of the game, Bully's hand appears on the screen and begins to bob improbably about the place. You use keys or joystick to control its up, down, left and right bobbings, and then launch your arrow (pronounced 'arra') towards the board. It's very tricky and quite amusing.

Ah, yes, but if that was all there was to it there wouldn't be much of a game for your four quid. A couple of games of 501 (a platform game where you have to buy some expensive jeans - no, just kidding) and you'd switch it off and go and cut the grass or something. That's why there's a whole load of other dart-based games thrown in as well.

Bully's Sporting Darts

You can play football, golf, snooker, tennis, cricket and the traditional clock darts. Lawks a lordy. In fact, they're all just target games (They would be, wouldn't they?) but they do add a little extra fun to the whole thing, especially if you have a bunch of yer mates round.

Football was my favourite, but they're all fairly bizarre and (mostly) entertaining. I didn't understand what golf was all about and cricket bored me stupid (quite a good representation of the real thing, then) and that made them the weakest of the games.

Overall then, this is much more fun than I'd expected it to be. We wasted many a happy hour in the Amstrad Action office playing darts instead of working and I can heartily recommend it for a bit of light and fluffy fun. Shame you don't win a speedboat at the end, though.

Verdict

Bully's Sporting Darts

Graphics 75%
A dart board and a hand. It does the job but it won't blow your mind.

Sonics 70%
Bleep.

Grab Factor 86%
Monstrously entertaining. The whole idea is very amusing.

Staying Power 79%
You'll fetch it out occasionally when your mates come round, but it's not much of a stayer, really.

Overall 83%
Lovely, smashing, super, let's have a look at what you could've won.

Tim Norris

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