Jocky Wilson's Compendium of Darts

C&VG (Computer & Video Games)

Overall 80%

Paul Rand 80%

Zeppelin Spectrum £3.99 Step up to the oche and challenge the rotund Scotsman himself, Jockey Wilson, to a variety of games, each played on the dartboard. As well as the traditional game of 501, take on the former world number one at Shanghai, Football, Dart Bowls, Ten-Dart Century or Scram. Zeppelin prove with Jockey Wilson's Compendium of Darts that there's more to the game than being fat and drinking lots of beer. Graphically, the game is uninspiring, but what can you do to make a dartboard exciting? The games themselves are imaginative and fun to play, especially against a friend, but if you have to go solo there are three difficulty levels to keep you away from the bar and on the oche.

Your Sinclair

Overall 83%

Jon Pillar 83%

BARGAIN BASEMENT Torch? Check. Helmet? Check. Ability to write incredibly informative and witty reviews? Check. (Sort of.) Say hello to RICH PELLEY & JON PILLAR. JOCKY WILSON'S COMPENDIUM OF DARTS 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.

Drink 15 pints (for double vision) and then aim accordingly.

C&VG (Computer & Video Games)

Overall 71%

Richard Leadbetter 71%

Zeppelin Spectrum £2.99 Six different types of pulse-racing Darts action can be yours with the aid of this Zeppelin release. As well as the bog standard 501 Championship Darts, there's Shanghai, Football (?), Dart Bowls, Ten Dart Century or Scram. Though the gameplay is pretty simplistic, and the duel against Jocky himself is a tad disappointing, this darts game isn't bad.

Sinclair User

Graphics 82%

Sound 60%

Playability 72%

Lastability 73%

Overall 73%

Alan Dykes 73%

Andrea Walker

Label: Zeppelin Memory: 48K/128K Price: £3.99 Tape Reviewer: Alan Dykes Stomach!. This is something you need a lot of to be able to play darts properly. If you don't have enough then you might just belly up and lose the chance of collecting a big fat cheque at the of the tournament. Yes, it's a funny old game and Jocky Wilson's Darts Compendium just goes to prove this. The whole point of the game is to compete with the jovial Geordie in six different tournaments where your accuracy and judgement, (not to mention luck), will be tested to the full. At the sharp end of the collection there is a 501 matchplay game which is fairly competitive. The rest of the compendium includes Ten Dart Century, Shanghai, Scram, Dart Bowls and Football. The rules for these games vary little but each does represent sufficient new challenge to keep your joystick wiggling for a little longer. A quick flight through the control procedures of Jocky Wilson's Darts doesn't yield much joy. Each dart floats in front of the board as if held by a drunken orchestral conductor, with generally rather imprecise, keyboard or joystick guidance and fire instructions. It's a bit like juggling on a waterbed but it is possible, with practice to become reasonably accurate. I quickly became bored with a noise like that of air escaping from a balloon every time I threw a dart but in general the sound doesn't help or hinder the game. The graphics are quite good and are easy to see with some nice colour on the omnipresent presenter and Jocky. Jocky Wilson's Darts Compendium isn't a bad collection and has enough action to keep you occupied for a short/medium time span, especially if you're a darts fan.

Crash

Overall 76%

Nick Roberts 76%

Zeppelin Games £2.99 Everybody's favourite hero comes to life on the Spectrum once again. This time ol' Jocky Wilson has got six games on offer, all stuck up his shirt at the same time by the look of his character in the game! You can play normal 501 darts or choose from five other games for one or two players. Football is a where each player has to hit the bull to start. Once they've chosen a number they must aim for the doubles. Each double hit scores a goal. The first to ten goals is the winner. In Dart Bowls, the flat player throws a jack, then both players throw three darts. The nearer they come to the jack, the more points you score. Scram is another fun game where one player is a stopper and one a scorer. When a stopper hits a number that sector is wiped out. The scorer then has to score as much as possible with the remaining board. This continues until the whole board has been stopped, then players swop roles. Ten Dart Century is my favourite of the games. Each player has ten darts and has to score as close to 100 as possible without going over. If a dad misses the board the score is reset to zero. This is trickier than it sounds. Shanghai is the last game. The computer selects a sector of the board to aim at. You can then only score in that sector and the one with the highest points after ten sectors is the winner. Jocky Wilson's Darts Compendium makes a refreshing change from the usual boring darts games. The graphics on the board are as interesting as they possibly can be but single players get an extra bonus of playing against a cartoon Jocky!

Eh! Grand, super, smashing! You get nothing for two in a bed, not in this game! Jim Bowen just cracks us up!

It's Jocky on the oche (a might tubby, isn't he?).