Producer: Automata UK
Memory Required: 48K
Retail Price: £5.00
Language: Machine code
Author: Guy J. Brown

There have already been several versions of Darts for the computer and while one may well wonder why on earth anyone should want to translate the noble game to the TV screen in the first place, one certainly marvels at the dottiness of doing it for the third or fourth time - until you realise who the perpetrator is! As it says on the inlay, what distinguishes this game from any of its less worthy predecessors is that, 'skill, luck and overweight drunken slobs all play their vital part.' So get yourself a pint of pina-colada and a packet of liver 'n' strawberry crisps and prepare to play Dartz.

The game may be played by one or two players with options on a 301 or 501 game. The left side of the screen shows the darts board with a flying cursor. The cursor may be stopped by the player to land in whatever segment is desired. If the dart doesn't miss or bounce off the board the screen cuts to a close up with a flying cursor moving from the bull to the edge repeatedly. Again, pressing the stop key will select the scoring band of the board, ie. bull, outer bull, double, treble or single. Any game, as proper, should end with a double.

At this point, any resemblance to any other computer darts game ends. On the right a scoreboard keeps account of each player's score; points left to get, sets and legs won - and alcohol intake! With each dart thrown the player consumes 4 milligrams of alcohol - or alcol as it says on the board. Below the scoreboard is a graphics representation of Eric (that's 'you'), a table supporting a pint behind, and the board in front. After each throw there is an action replay to show you how it went.

Adding to the hilarity are various random elements such as fans who buy you drinks and so push up the 'alcol' level in your blood, plus an increasing tendency to miss the board as you get progressively more drunk. The screen informs you from time to time of your condition, starting with giggly, through legless to paralytic. After that, things get really bad! Unless you are exceptionally lucky, alcohol poisoning is likely to kill you long before you win. Watch out for loud noises from the crowd - they have nasty effects. And there is the obligatory free hit single on the flip side of the cassette sung by Eric and the Arras.

COMMENTS

Control keys: any key
Joystick: hid
Keyboard play: responsive to start, increasingly erratic
Use of colour: good
Graphics: animation good in action replay. nice text characters
Sound: good where appropriate
Skill levels: starts out with 1 and gets worse
Originality: an original concept based on a relatively common simulation

I found Dartz wouldn't load at first because the basic loader was in fact wrong. After rewriting it, it loaded first time. After about 5 minutes I began to wish it hadn't. The game is somewhat unplayable and not very addictive. The level of skill required to play is not very high at all. I didn't enjoy this one much. The usual 'classy' piece of 'music' on the cassette's B side is up to its usual low standard with lyrics like... I missed the board and hit the lavatory door... which just about sums up this game.

It's hard to make a criticism about Dartz. It's definitely a lot of fun, it's almost certainty not a game - not a real one anyway. The graphics are first rate, with loads of detail for Eric. The incidents are accurately reflected, even to the floor collapsing under him through overweight and too much drink. The darts game itself would be quite good, except that the random elements start to make it all quite irrelevant after a while. Great fun, probably worth buying for its oddity value, but certainly not addictive.

Dartz is not really a game, more a drunken simulation of a night out at the pub. Starting out the game is quite fun to play with a few random elements adding a bit of variety to the game. After a while these random elements totally take over the game as your alcohol content rises. It's the first game I've played for a long while that doesn't require 14 fingers to control, just one will do - even your toe will do! For a company normally noted for their soberness, a real hiccup of a game!

It's darts night down at the local - Automata style - which means that not only do skill and luck play their part, but also the usual overweight and drunken slobs. Being one of these familiar specimens, you have to beware of getting too pi... drinking too much beer!

Alex: The cassette insert claims that animated cartoon graphics are included, but that's being pretty presumptuous as the only time they're present is when the player goes to retrieve his darts; even then they only occupy a quarter of the screen. Overall it's generally quite a good idea, with the usual Automata novelty value, but the content and execution leave a lot to be desired. Another fault is the claimed skill factor; your efforts hardly relate to your final score. MISS

Alan G: Use of graphics is well above average, especially the animated figure of the player throwing his darts. These are improved by the choice of colours which is just about right for a game of 'arrows' in the pub. There's also some very good sound included, but it gets boring after a while.


Alan H: This computerised mixture of darts playing and getting drunk at the same time is a superb idea, and very funny into the bargain. Like most Automata games it relies heavily on novelty value. Nevertheless, it does feature a well laid out screen, adequate speed and some interesting graphics. Best of all, though, is the humour, which pokes fun at beer-bellied darts players.

MAKER: Automata
FORMAT: cassette
PRICE: £5.00

Wonderfully authentic Darts simulation from those wacky Automata people. Now I'm certainly no player myself (the game-play is baffling!) but I can't help but appreciate the attention to detail employed here.

All the possibilities of a real match have been carefully woven into the play. Supping generously after each leg my player's alcohol content began to dramatically rise. Warning bells rung as my condition escalated from giggly to dizzy to tipsy. Indeed I got so sozzled that I could barely hold my darts. The game reached a bizarre climax when the tortured floorboards, unable to stand my vast girth any longer, collapsed with an undignified groan. Like I said, very authentic.

The presentation is first rate. There's a split screen display showing the score, the board along with a neatly animated cartoon graphic. If you miss the board or take a drink, the cartoon depicts your actions. Very stylish. Likewise the audio track on the flip. Smashing stuff I'd say. Hic.

MACHINE: Spectrum 48K
CONTROL: Keys
FROM: Automata, £5.00

I must admit that I was extremely sceptical when I first heard about this game. How, I thought, is the programmer going to overcome those difficulties inherent in computer adaptations of real life sports?

C.D.S. made their version of Pool outstanding by going for hyper-realism. Addictive Games made their Football Manager a strategy game but still maintained a fun, graphic element. Automata, in their inimitable style, have made Dartz a reasonable adaptation by forsaking all thoughts of realism for the sake of humour.

All you have to do in the game is stop a cross-hair as it flickers around a dart board. This is achieved by way of the best keyboard layout on any game I know of. You only have to press one key and even then it doesn't matter which one. Having aimed, Eric, your player, makes his throw.

Eric certainly looks the part, being heavily overweight for such a small graphics character. But his arm moves nicely enough and the dart flies towards the target.

It all sounds simple enough but there are some interesting complications.

For example, you may be issued a 'warning' which means Eric has to pay a visit to the wee room or he may miss the board altogether. Why you may ask is Eric confronted with these particular problems? The answer is drink. At the start of each game Eric is given a quota of 2mg of alcohol per dart but this increases rapidly.

The program operates smoothly and graphics are clear and effective. Normally I'd say that a game this simple would be a good one for the kiddies but with all that drink around, I'm not too sure.

The sound is fairly minimal but complementary to the game, with rising and falling beeps attempting to raise your adrenalin.

There is only one key used during the game to stop the cross-hair and throw the dart, so it should be easy for any member of the family to challenge you to a game of 501 or 301.

Although this is a good version of computerised darts, it really wouldn't compare with the atmosphere of the local pub, even though you take regular gulps of the house beer to 'improve' your play.

STEVE SPITTLE

Hic... shorry. Ish jusht that I can't sheem to shtop falling over and hic... hic... hicupping.

Anyway there's these two dartboards... whoops I mean one. Like any dart me on a micro it loses all sense of the real game and as a game in its own right it is not that good.

However, the idea of playing darts and tying it in with the drinking is up to Automata's usual warped standard.

It's the best attempt at darts I have seen on a computer but the humour is essential to keep you interested.

BOB WADE