Sega Nerds

Review: Sega Presents Touch Darts (DS)

by Graham on June 16th, 2007

While Sega has been pumping out the games (either in development or publishing form) in the past few months, one title has gone relatively unnoticed, Sega Presents Touch Darts (known as Touch Darts from now on).

Only a few screenshots and the odd video have been shown, but with the recent release of the magnificent Crush, on the PSP, and news of other bigger titles hitting the gaming scene (i.e. Sega Rally, NiGHTS and The Club) it is not surprising that Touch Darts has slipped under many gamer’s radars.

Developer Full Fat has tried to re-create the experience of playing pub darts as accurately as possible, using the DS’ touch screen. Sure, the characters in the game look like rejects from Guess Who? (thanks to Locit for that analogy), and the graphics have a cartoon feel to them, but that doesn’t mean the game isn’t serious.

What is this game?
Well, if you don’t know, or haven’t guessed, it is a darts game. Just like the darts you get in pubs and bars - a board and several small, sharp spears that players throw at numbered panels on a board.

To play, you touch your stylus on the screen, which aims your dart. You then drag the stylus down the screen, pulling the dart back. Sliding the stylus up the screen and lifting it off lets the dart fly. This may sound pretty crappy to some people, but you will be shocked by just how natural this feels.

How does this baby handle?
Okay, I admit I’m not the world’s greatest darts player, nor do I play very often, but I know how it feels to throw a dart and how tricky it can be to get the right speed, aim and power behind one. Touch Darts, feels pretty similar; you have to get the power, speed and aim just right to hit those numbers.

You can perform several different types of shots, just how well you throw the dart. You can have angled shots, which arc through the air and dip down to hit a number on the lower part of the board. Or you can try and get a straight, powerful shot that has less “dip” as it flies.

Also, the way you move the stylus while throwing the dart will have direct impact on where your dart flies. By keeping the line you draw nice and steady, you’ll get a straight flying dart, and if you angle your shot as you draw, the dart will veer off to one side.

It is because of these controls, that I find this game so surprisingly appealing. When you first start, you will no doubt be pretty rubbish, but after a few failed games, you will soon learn just how to throw the darts with great accuracy.

Enough of the controls, what do you actually do in the game?
Well, other than just playing darts, you have a few other modes to play. The bulk of the game is, of course, playing in darts tournaments in various locations, such as a garden shed or other pubs, from around the world. As you advance, you’ll move on to bigger venues.

The premise of the tournament mode is very simple - you start with either 301 or 501 points (depending on the level), and then you have to reduce that score by hitting the numbers on the board - just like the real life rules.

It is very simple, but winning can be tricky at times, as your last shot (of the round/game) has to either hit the bull’s eye or hit a double (which are on the very outer rim of the board). So if you have only 6 points left (to get rid of), you must hit a double 3, or lower that score to 4 and try and hit a double 2, or lower the score to a 2 and try to hit a double 1. Should you hit a number that is higher or equal to that of what you have left, you will miss your go and the number you had will remain. So if you have 6 left to get, and hit a 6 or above, you will bust. Man, I hope that makes sense

It can be very tricky trying to hit the doubles in the game, and I definitely find it easier to hit triples. But if it was too easy, then the game wouldn’t be much fun, right?

Once you complete a tournament, you start to unlock various items, including new darts, characters and harder tournaments. Really, the items you unlock are not that amazing, just a nice little bonus awarded to you for doing well, which is better than a simple pat on the head.

The game also features several mini-games or Challenges as they are called. There are 10 Challenge games to play, with five difficulty levels for each game. Some of the low-level challenges can be completed in a matter of seconds, but as you go onto higher difficulties, those seconds can turn into minutes quite easily. For some reason, most of these challenges involve playing cards … well, I guess that helps keep up the pub “vibe” of the game.

Here’s a quick rundown of the Challenges:

• Pairs: You are shown a number of cards, and you simply have to hit them with darts and pair the cards up.
• Simon Says: The CPU will throw darts at playing cards in a sequence. You then have to match the sequence.
• Card 21: Just like the card game, Black Jack, you have to try and get a score as close to 21 as possible, without going over. You have five darts, and the cards are face down.
• Round the Clock: Take turns (with the CPU) to hit every number on the board (no playing cards) in order, starting with 1 and ending on Bull (50).
• Finishers: Complete a predetermined finish within a set amount of lives.
• Target Score: You are set a target score and have to reach that score with a limited amount of darts and time restriction.
• Killer: You and the CPU are given three lives and a number to hit. You must hit your number to earn lives. Once you hit five lives you are a “killer,” and then you can aim at your opponent’s number. When you hit the opponent’s number, he will lose a life. You do so until they have no more lives.
• 1,001: Just like the main game, but with 1,001 points to get rid of. Also, you have a limited amount of darts to throw and restricted time (and still need to finish on a double!)
• Bulls eyes: You are given a target score to hit, but only earn points by hitting either the outer or inner bull.
• Speed Darts:You need to hit any scoring area of the board a target number of times, within a given time limit.

The other mode, will get people interested is the multiplayer mode. This is really fun, however at the same time, it is disappointing. It is a disappointment, because you can only play on one DS. There is no wireless or online multiplayer, which I think would have been great for this game. However, this is not a travesty, because the game works very well with the use of only one DS, as it is turn-based play, you can happily pass the DS between two to four people and still enjoy the experience.

There are six different multiplayer games to play:

• Cricket: Players must close off numbers before their opponents can. You are given several numbers to close off, and you must hit the number three times to close it. The winner is the first to close all numbers.
• H.O.R.S.E: One player starts by throwing a dart at any number on the board. the second player must then match the number. If he does, he then becomes the leader. If the second player misses the number, he will get an H added to his board. If anyone misses the board completely, they too get a letter. The loser is the person who has H.O.R.S.E written on their board first.
• 501: Same as the main game.
• 301: Same as the main game.
• Killer: Same as in Challenges.
• Round the Clock: Same as in Challenges

Please, no more lists! What about everything else?
The graphics in the game are not brilliant, it has to be said, but at the same time, there is absolutely nothing wrong with them. On the bottom screen, you are faced with a 2D image of a dartboard, which is where you aim and throw. Around the board is a background, which differs depending on your location. In your shed you will have wood, in a pub you will have bricks and maybe the odd poster or two. It’s nothing great, but it does the job.

On the top screen, you have on the left side, the score board; this is usually a chalk board but can also be a digital board, it all depends (again) on your location and the type of board you are using. On the right side of the top screen, you have a small window which shows the 3D image of the darts flying and hitting the board. This is used to help show just where your darts have landed, and also to better show off the action, as the 2D board doesn’t really do much to spice up the game.

Like I said, the graphics won’t “wow” you, but you can’t complain about them at all, if they tried to make the game more complex with full 3D environments and characters, it would most definitely ruin the ‘up close’ experience the game has.

The other thing that is good but not amazing is the sound. During the menus, after match screens and Challenges, you are treated to some pretty shoddy pub style piano tunes. The tunes aren’t bad enough to upset you, but you won’t be hanging around to listen to it, either. Still, it does help to add that feel of it being a tradition game of darts.

As I said, the music only plays during the menus and mini games. So what’s happening during the main game and multiplayer? Well, there is no music, but this is where the sounds become good.

The game has some pretty decent ambient sound effects. You hear some great thud sounds as the darts hit the cork, depending on how hard you throw the dart and the angle you will hear many different sound effects. Also as you hit the metal rims (around the panels) you hear that great little sound of metal on metal, not quite a ‘ping’ yet not a ‘thud’, to tell you that your dart has bounced back.

One other great sound is the onlookers. When you first play in your shed or house, you only have a couple of people, and if you do well you may hear the odd clap of hands from your opponent, in a polite way or a cough or two. When you start hitting the pubs, you will be shocked as you hear loud gasps as you just miss a double, or great cheers as you hit 3 triples in a row. Also the eerie sounds of murmured laughter and talking in the background, really help to set the scene.

Now this may wear thin on some people, but I love it. There is something brilliant about hearing the crowd as you are aiming for that winning point and get a miss, miss and then a hit. You hear a gasp, louder gasp then a roaring applause emits from the two little speakers on the DS. And somehow, Full Fat have managed to make it so these different sounds link together perfectly and don’t sound like rubbish ‘wooden’ effects thrown in. The sounds also come so quickly that you could think that a real person is watching and cheering you on. You don’t have any delay between a miss and the onlookers uttering their disappointment. And it really can help to spur you on in those tense moments.

Still as I say, some people will no doubt find these sound effects irritating, but I guess that’s what the volume control is for.

The main downfall, for the game is how dodgy the AI can be. On the early levels, you will see how bad they are, by the way they randomly throw the darts at the board. So once you learn how to play, you can quite easily beat them. But as I said before, the tricky part is hitting the doubles at the end of the game. Many a time, I have been beating the opponent by a good 200 points, but lose because I find hitting the double too tricky. But I think that could be more that I suck at hitting the doubles.

Really, I think you won’t believe how addictive this game can be. As I said before, I’m not a huge darts fan, but there is something about this game that has kept me playing nonstop. It is also the perfect game to play while on the toilet (come, on we all do it), or while traveling on the bus or train.

While the gameplay does feel very accurate, I think maybe any professional dart players may feel otherwise. But for the rest of us, this is a great way to experience darts, without worrying about hitting other punters in a crowded pub.

[youtube width=”400″ height=”335″]http://youtube.com/watch?v=UfNogcpV3vc[/youtube]

Summary:
The only people I think will not like this game are those who really don’t like darts at all. But then, you would expect them to stay away from this anyway. While it certainly has some flaws and the lasting appeal may be in question, it is a great handheld game, that I feel, at the very least, deserves a try.

Touch Darts‘ easy and accurate controls makes the game very easy to pick up and play. It will provide several hours of strangely addictive gameplay for you and your friends. You will be pleasantly surprised … if you give it a try.

Score: 7/10

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