Your Sinclair


Wacky Darts

Author: Rich Pelley
Publisher: Codemasters
Machine: Spectrum 48K/128K

 
Published in Your Sinclair #63

Wacky Darts

Rather spookily, Mastertronic released a game uncannily similar to this one back in 1986 - 180 it was called, and I loved it, despite the fact this it was far too easy. This one is a bit harder, and so, I'd say, the betterer one too.

The same concept for gameplay is used in both - a hand is moved about over a dart board, with a strange sort of gliding effect (so you only have minimal control), and Fire throws the dart. In this one, you also have the angle of the hand to worry about. And that's it really - as with most things in life, the more you practice, the better you get.

So, to practice you can arrange a friendly game against an opponent - playing the best of three of either 'proper' darts (counting down from 501 and finishing on a double or a bull) or 'Round The Clock' (Hit 20, 19, 18, etc in the right order down to 1) - however the biggest fault has to be that it doesn't give you a running total, only your total at the end of the last three darts, so you have to be pretty quick to work out what you need to finish or your time will be up and you'll throw the dart automatically.

Anyway, you can chose your opponent - each one with his own unique style and amusing way of throwing the dart, ranging from a grenade launcher to a bow and arrow. There's a nice animated sequence as your opponent throws - another bit rather like in 180, and also from a TV reporter at the bottom of the screen. There's also a knockout tournament you can enter - but probably won't win as the opponents are off-puttingly good, but that's better than being a doddle to beat, I suppose, which was 180's main fault. The graphics are excellent too, and it's all a bit of a good laugh, even if all in all it's nothing really like darts at all.

Rich Pelley

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