Producer: Shadow, 16K
Author: D Lockett

You might think a game of throwing skill would be difficult to translate into a computer game, but Shadow Software have managed very nicely in this cute and gentle game. After a fine title card, a large, traditional darts board appears. By pressing any key you freeze a fast moving sweep line, which determines the segment your dart has hit. At the base is a cross section through the board showing the rings - double, single, treble, single, outer bull, bull. It's elegant, simple and very effective. A sensible demo/instruction mode shows you how to do it. You can select the number of points required for a game, enter the two players' names, and the program guides you through three shots in each turn. You must finish with a double or bull of course. Perhaps not exactly exciting, but a fine game and worth the money.

Producer: Shadow, 16K
Author: D Lockett

You might think a game of throwing skill would be difficult to translate into a computer game, but Shadow Software have managed very nicely in this cute and gentle game. After a fine title card, a large, traditional darts' board appears. By pressing any key you freeze a fast moving sweep line, which determines the segment your dart has hit. At the base is a cross section through the board showing the rings - double, single, treble, single, outer bull, bull. It's elegant, simple and very effective. A sensible demo/instruction mode shows you how to do it. You can select the number of points required for a game, enter the two players' names, and the program guides you through three shots in each turn. You must finish with a double or bull of course. Perhaps not exactly exciting, but a fine game and worth the money.

Producer: Shadow, 16K
Author: D Lockett

You might think a game of throwing skill would be difficult to translate into a computer game, but Shadow Software have managed very nicely in this cute and gentle game. After a fine title card, a large, traditional darts' board appears. By pressing any key you freeze a fast moving sweep line, which determines the segment your dart has hit. At the base is a cross section through the board showing the rings - double, single, treble, single, outer bull, bull. It's elegant, simple and very effective. A sensible demo/instruction mode shows you how to do it. You can select the number of points required for a game, enter the two players' names, and the program guides you through three shots in each turn. You must finish with a double or bull of course. Perhaps not exactly exciting, but a fine game and worth the money.

MEMORY REQUIRED: 16K

Darts is not a game readily associated with computer simulation, hence it takes just that bit extra to design and market a version which competes with the more computer orientated games.

Have Shadow Software managed this? On loading a reasonably good introductory 'screen' is displayed - a good start. To play the game itself a standard board is displayed on the screen, with a line from the centre of the board to the circumference rotating around the centre. It is then up to your judgment as to stopping the line over the desired value. Once the line has been stopped, another display comes into use. A small blob runs backwards and forwards along a line with double, treble, off the board, and 25 shown on it. By pressing a key at the right moment the desired type is selected, with this your score is determined and subtracted from the start value. Obviously there is provision for two players but not for the computer to play. The graphics, though not complicated, are quite pleasant, but nothing amazing. Instructions are limited, giving just about enough to go on, but really they should have been rather more comprehensive.

In conclusion it can be said that Championship Darts is nicely put together, quite fun to play, but technically limited by a relatively average program.