"180" is a classic arcade game for the C64 which I still own and occasionally play to this day. In short, it's a darts "simulator" but as it is controlled by the old-style digital joystick (8 directions and 1 fire button only!) there is a limit to how much control you have over your throw.
So this is not one for the hardcore sim fan, it's a quick, fun and humorous arcade experience. The game offers 1-player, 2-player and Beat The Clock modes.
Beat The Clock is included to let you get the hang of the controls and learn the position of the various numbers on the board. You have to hit all 20 numbers in ascending order before the timer runs out. This is the most frustrating of the three modes but helpful for those not familiar with the layout of dartboards.
2-player is, as it says, a match against you and your friend right there in your living room. Played over the best of three games, this adds considerable longevity to the title.
1-player mode is where the bulk of the design went into the game, and is where I personally have the most fun. You play in a short elimination tournament against a number of amusing pub-dwelling
caricatures such as "Beer Belly Bill" and "Devious Dave". In reality, the different characters seem to have no pre-set skill level or style of play; one of them is picked at random as your opponent at the quarter- and semi-final rounds with increasingly skill accordingly. They're not too hard to beat once you get used to the controls.
The final match of the 1-player mode is against the infamous "Jammy Jim" who always, always hits a 9-dart finish (the quickest finish possible). What this means is that you have to do the same to win! So perfection is required to actually win and even the most experienced player can still fall at this final hurdle due to a slip of the controls. The satisfaction of beating Jim keeps you coming back, though, because you know it's all over if you make even one mistake!
The game is presented in a first-person mode when you are taking a shot with a nicely-animated hand rocking back and forth as you line up your throw. The difficulty comes from the fact that once the hand starts moving in one direction, it doesn't stop until you change directions so you can't carefully position it then hit the fire button, you are always taking your shot "on the move" which makes the game quite tricky when you have to hit doubles and trebles, never mind the bull’s eye which is practically impossible!
When your computer opponent takes their shot, you see a reasonable pub background as their animated darts fly from their hand into the board and the score is updated in a helpful tool bar at the bottom of the screen. Occasionally the barmaid works the beer pump but apart from that there's nothing else to see; it's more satisfying that just seeing a list of numbers that have been hit, though.
A final amusing touch is that, should you score the maximum in 1- or 2-player mode, there is a sample of darts commentator/referee Tony Green (from TV's classic "Bull’s eye" game show!) shouting "One Hundred and Eiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiighty", which is yet another amusing and satisfying element to the game.
Although this was a £1-99 game when first released, it is a testament to how much could be achieved with a 64k machine when the right balance of graphics, gameplay and, here, a good sense of humour, were brought together. Download a copy today, it's good fun and you won't regret it!
