Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4912 in Computer & Video Games
• Brand: Oxygen Interactive
• Released on: 2006-12-01
• Platform: Windows XP

Games Master
A very competent sim that's strangely addictive

Manufacturer's Description:
World Championship Darts brings together the high drama of major championships with a control method that recreates the skills of a top arrows player. Classic commentary from Sid Waddell and Sky-Sports style presentation make for an enthralling spectacle in both one and two player modes. Meanwhile for those post-pub gaming marathons there are the 13 party games for up to four players.

The game presents the sport of darts in the way you're used to on TV, with dramatic close-ups capturing the excitement of the major competitions. Watch the camera zoom in on the treble twenty when a 180 is in the offing and see how the big moment affects a player's aim.

The first port of call for the beginning is the Quick Game mode. Here a single player, or two players, can set up a match at one of three venues and play using PDC World Championship Darts' innovate control scheme. It's here that you can get to grips with what it takes to become world number one. You'll play the traditional game here, with the winner of each leg being the first to reach zero from 301, 501 or 701 with a double.

Two control methods are offered to players, amateur and professional. In both cases the actual movements required by the player are akin to those used when throwing real darts. To aim, the player places the crosshair over the point he/she hopes to hit on the dart board. Now holding down the left mouse button, the player pulls back the mouse to power up the shot, and then pushes it forward to release the dart towards the board.

In amateur mode the player is guided by an on-screen power meter. Here a marker shows the required power to hit the board where the crosshair is pointing. Too little power and the dart will fall short and land lower on the board, too much power and the dart will hit the board much higher than the aim point. If the mouse movement isn't in a straight line the dart can end up off-target to the left or right. A steady hand is required, just like the real thing.

For budding professionals there's a tougher control often available. Professional mode is just like playing real darts. Once again you'll aim using the crosshair, but there's no power meter to guide you this time. Your skill and judgment are required to decide how far to pull back the dart before releasing it towards the board. Success with this control method requires practice but skilled players will quickly learn to judge how much power to use by watching their character's arm as the throw is made.

Of course darts isn't just about throwing arrows towards the target. Much of the game takes place between the player's ears. This is simulated by the game too, so those big moments, the dramatic finishes and possible 180s mean that it's hard to keep the aiming marker still. Skilled players will learn to judge when to release a dart when the crosshair moves of its own accord.

Mastering these skills, both in amateur and professional mode are the key to success in PDC World Championship Darts' other game modes. Single players can enter tournaments such as the World Championship, World Grand Prix, Desert Classic, UK Open and Holland Open. Success in these tournaments requires beating between five and eight of the world's best players.

For an even greater long term challenge players can enjoy the career mode. Create your own player, choose his entrance music, shirt and control method before embarking on a multi-year career in the world of top-level professional darts. Each season requires you to take part in the available tournaments with the aim being to rise to the very top and become world number one.

Away from the serious world of pro-darts, PDC World Darts Championship offers myriad party games for up to four players. These are designed to be easy to pick up and play and are based on three simpler control methods named A, B and C. In control method A, the crosshair rotates around the board and is stopped with the click of the left mouse button, the cursor then moves from the centre to the outside of the board and back again - a second click of the mouse button throws the dark.

Control method B is similar, but the two motions are firstly horizontal, then vertical following the click of the mouse. Once again the second click throws the dart to the point where the crosshair was stopped. The third control method offers a little more of a challenge.

Control method C has the crosshair moving steadily around the board with constant momentum which the player can influence by moving the mouse. A click of the left mouse button releases the dart.

Party games come in a variety of forms. At the simplest level you can use these three control methods to player regular 301, 501 and 701 to zero games. Pub classics are featured in the game such as Around the Clock, where doubles in order from one to twenty are required to win the match. Other fun darts variations are featured including Cricket - where one team tries to score before the other team tries to bowl them out by repeatedly hitting the bull's-eye and or Killer, where the idea is to take out your opponent. All in all there are 13 party games to be enjoyed in PDC World Darts Championship.

Customer Reviews

Good for the darts fan
If you are a darts fan, like myself, then you will enjoy this game.

The graphics and characterisation are not great within the game, the career mode does not allow full customisation of your character, only the option to change the name, shirt type and shirt colour.

The gameplay, overall is very good, it requires a large element of skill with the mouse in order to master. Aiming, then clicking and holding the mouse while adding power by dragging the mouse back towards you. When pulling back, you must stop moving the mouse left or right though, or else the dart will end up following the same motion and missing your intended target!

The AI are relatively easy to beat, once you are used to the way the aiming system works, you will find it easy to beat the opponents. However, there is always the Professional aiming system if it gets too easy!

The game allows for other humans to play as well using a different aiming system, however the game variations are fun and some I had never heard of before such as Cricket and Black and White.

I will warn that the sound, commentary is VERY repetitive after a while. Also you can only save the game after a 'match' through career mode which can take a while to complete!

With not much choice in darts games around at the moment, this is still a good game. Worth buying if you like darts, otherwise you will find the graphics and sound dull and irritating.

Could have done better!
As a fan of darts and an ex league player I was tempted to buy this game.This could have been a really decent game, but it is ruined by poor graphics and total lack of excitment and atmosphere. The graphics look 5 years out of date.Trying to get the timing right and throw a good darts is addictive and is quite similar to throwing real darts but Sid Waddell's commentary is repetitive and very annoying.
With a little more effort from the Developer this could have been very good.

A must for darts fans!!
My dad has this game and it is a must for anyone who plays darts or watches darts on tv!, I went to my dads last nite just to pick something up and ended up staying there for 5 hours playing this game!
I'm only gutted I dont have a pc at my house so can only play it when im at my dads!