C&VG


Darts

Publisher: Blue Ribbon
Machine: BBC Model B

 
Published in Computer & Video Games #50

Darts

Well, it might not be what Eric Bristow would expect, but this is an interesting and varied game you'll keep returning to.

Needless to say, there is no dart-playing skill involved, beyond the obvious hand-and-eye co-ordination you need for most computer games.

There are three games you can play - 501, Round the Board and Cricket. 501 is the classic pub game for any number of players, with each player starting on any score up to 1001. This offers interesting handicapping opportunities.

Each player gets three darts in turn and you finish on a double.

Round the Board offers three skill levels, singles (dead easy), doubles (tough) and trebles (could take you all night). Each player has three darts in turn and you would round the board from one to bull.

Cricket is quite exciting. One player simply scores as many 'runs', as he or she can by aiming at the high numbers, while player two simply aims at the outer-bull and the bull. When the 'bowler' hits the bull, that counts as two 'wickets'. The outer bull counts as one wicket.

When the bowler has got all ten wickets, the first player's score counts as his or her 'innings'. The roles are then reversed and the highest innings score wins. Nerve-wracking stuff.

When the game starts, the dartboard is first drawn on the screen and, considering the fact that a dartboard is practically all curves, it's not bad.

In all three games, darts are 'thrown' in the same way - the very wobbly dart can be controlled, vaguely, to move left, right, up and down, and when it's hovering over the part of the dartboard you want to hit, you must choose the right moment to press the space bar to throw the dart.

Not at all easy when you're aiming to hit a double or a treble. Could keep you and your mates amused for hours.