Jocky Wilsons Darts Compendium

Copyright : Zeppelin Games | Reviewed by : Ritchardo

Darting superstar Jocky Wilson returns to the CPC oche for another game of the pub favourite. Following on from the modest success of Challenge, Compendium looks to up the excitement by adding different variations of the game.

Graphics

Despite being released two years after Jocky Wilsonâ??s Darts Challenge, the dartboard â?? the main viewpoint of the game â?? in this title is nowhere near as attractive as itâ??s predecessor. The bright colours and attractive sidebars have been traded in for easy to port red and blacksâ?¦

The difference between the two titles, graphically anyway, comes in the screen depicting your opponentâ??s throw. Instead of the colourful, cartoony overhead view of the first game, youâ??re presented with a full-blown side view of Jocky as he throws from left to the dartboard on the right. The colour scheme is pure Spectrum and the game is blatantly a direct port. This sequence does allow one fairly unique feature though â?? instead of the dart being chucked at the dartboard in a set path, you can see the aim and trajectory of the dart shifting depending on where upon the board your opponent is aiming. Simple but effective none-the-less.

Sound

Far from awe inspiring, Zeppelin once again let themselves down on the sound stakes. Like the previous title, the game is restricted to the odd beep and thud of the dart striking the board.

Gameplay

Almost unique in design, Jocky Wilsonâ??s Darts Compendium was the first (I think- donâ??t quote me!) game to take itâ??s subject matter, decide it was too boring and try to turn it in to something else insteadâ?¦ so what you get as a follow-up is a hotchpotch of little sub-games with a loose darting theme rather than an improved dart simulator.

For what itâ??s worth those games are â?? football (first to hit bull then 10 doubles); dart bowls (the sport of bowlsâ?¦ but with darts); scram (hit as many points as you can while your opponent blocks sectors); ten dart century (ten darts each, nearest to 100 wins); shanghai (get most points in computer selected sector); matchplay 501 (your regular bog standard game of darts).

Each of the games are more or less the same in terms of playability, with only scram and 501 proving better than piss poor. When youâ??ve played one bizarre take on darts then youâ??ve played them all.

Not worth the download time and if youâ??re after a darts game then youâ??d be better advised to go for one that is at least interested in the sport.