Jocky Wilson's Compendium of Darts

BARGAIN BASEMENT

Torch? Check. Helmet? Check. Ability to write incredibly informative and witty reviews? Check. (Sort of.) Say hello to RICH PELLEY & JON PILLAR.

Zeppelin
£2.99
Reviewer: Jon Pillar

In the tradition of 180° and Wacky Darts, Ockey Jocky is a lighthearted darts game. As with the others, there's a two-player option and a 'bobbing dart' control method to simulate the difficulty of throwing accurately after drinking 12 pints of Tetley's (that's the beer, not the tea).

What makes this one special is that it boasts 5 other darts variations. These are scram, where one player tries for a high score before the other eliminates the board sectors: Dart Bowls, where you attempt to throw closest to the jack dart; Ten Dart Century, where you have to throw exactly 100 in 10 throws; Shanghai, where scoring is restricted to one sector; and Football where you hit the bull to start and then score goals with doubles. A step up from the 'round the clock' option, and no mistake.

The graphics are colourful and jolly, with a neat caricature of Jocky and lots of nifty touches like the spinning coin that decides who throws first, and the way Jocky's darts actually hit different parts of the board in the animated bit. The game is certainly harder than both 180° and Wacky Darts (Jock's no pushover, even at the Pub Standard level) but at least you get a running total after each throw (unlike WD).

If you're a darts fan, then this is probably the game to get. It offers a stiff challenge, and the extra options make it a barg. And it's refreshing to see a 'personality' licence that doesn't take its subject too seriously for once.