THE SPECTRUM GAMES DATABASE

180

PUBLISHER
Mastertronic

AUTHOR

YEAR
1986

CATEGORY
Arcade sports

CONTROLS
Keyboard, Kempston, Cursor.
The keys are redefinable.

DESCRIPTION
180 is a darts simulator.

INSTRUCTIONS
INLAY TEXT FOR 180:

The Game:
You are now the proud owner of the one and only REAL darts game around. 180
has eight different opponents waiting to take you on, a two player option for
when your friends want to join in and a practice game to help you win when
they do!
   Against the computer you'll play in a Championship knockout (coming in at
quater final stage) and to carry off the tournament you have to beat three
opponents. The game selects who you'll play and in what order at random
each time so that every game is different. Regardless of which of the eight
characters appear and when, they will get better as you progress towards the
final. Each of the players has his own style of play, with "favourite"
doubles and finishing technique. Working this out early in a match can often
help you win through.
   The practice game, which we suggest you try out first, is there to help
you become more skillful at throwing the darts. There is (very) little luck
in 180. To win you need to have a good eye and complete mastery of the
throw. Practice is against the clock. You have to hit each number in
sequence, from 20 to 1, in a limited time. Easy it is not, but it is a lot
of fun and it will develop your skills for the big match!

501 And All That:
The main game is "standard" matchplay darts, where the two players compete
to see who can score 501 first, on a best out of three basis (called sets).
You can throw at any part of the board you like but you must finish by
hitting a double, ie. if you need 4 to win, you aim for double two, not
single four. The bullseye in the centre of the board counts as "double 25"
and is thus a legal finishing shot.
   With the maximum possible score being the (infamous) 180 (three treble 20
hits) it follows that the highest number you can finish from is 170 (two
treble 20, bullseye) and there are "preferred" (ie. easier) ways to score
most of the possible winning combinations below that. To save you have to
work them out in the middle of a game, we list here one such set of
'finishes'. There are, of course, alternatives to many of the suggestions,
but this is how most of the professionals play it (see table).
   In real life, the players in a match take turns throwing first - it is
called "having the darts" - and thus the advantage is shared equally between
them. The player who throws first should also be first to go for the winning
double, all else being equal. However, in 180 you will always get the darts
first - don't waste them!

Controlling The Throw:
Joystick is the recommended method of taking your shots, but if you use the
keyboard follow the on screen instructions to define your own choice of keys,
and with regard to which joystick interfaces are supported.
   Push up to start "your" hand into motion. You'll notice very quickly that
up, down, left and right don't work! Only diagonal movements are responded
to, in order to simulate the difficulty of lining up and successfully hitting
the dartboard from nearly eight feet away. Push FIRE to throw. The control
system feels a little odd at first, but you'll soon get used to it. Practice
will make (nearly) perfect - honest!
   Play the tune-up game a few times!

Screening And Throwing:
Whilst you are taking your turn at the board, the screen shows the hand
holding your dart, the board itself and the automatic blackboard. Make your
three shots and the score is automatically chalked up for you. At the bottom
of the board is shown your opponents score.
   Once you've played, the screen will switch to an animated sequence as
your opponent tries to defeat you! (Look out for happenings in the
background!) Just as in the real world, there is nothing you can do here
except watch and weep as all your well laid plans are shot to pieces...

The Magnificent Eight:
So that you will know what, or who, to expect here is the list of experts
you might be called upon to play against in 180. Depending on what stage of
the competition you meet them their rating could be anything from fantastic
upwards, although some are always better and play differently. But we're not
going to tell you any more than that - there have to be some surprises in
life after all:-

Quater and semi finals: Mega Mick, Belly Bill, Delboy Des, Devious Dave, Sure
Shot Sidney, Limp Wrist Larry, Tactical Tel.

Final: Jammy Jim, World Champion and ace dart player. To beat him you have to
be more than just amazing.

Finishing Combinations:

No. Wanted      Dart 1  Dart 2  Dart 3
170             T20     T20     BULL
167             T20     T19     BULL
164             T20     T18     BULL
161             T20     T17     BULL
160             T20     T20     D20
158             T20     T20     D19
157             T10     T20     D20
156             T20     T20     D18
155             T20     T19     D19
154             T18     T20     D20
153             T20     T19     D18
152             T20     T20     D16
151             T17     T20     D17
150             T20     T18     D18
149             T20     T19     D16
148             T20     T16     D20
147             T20     T17     D18
146             T18     T20     D16
145             T15     T20     D20
144             T20     T20     D12
143             T17     T20     D16
142             T20     T14     D20
141             T19     T20     D12
140             T20     T20     D10
139             T20     T13     D20
138             T18     T20     D12
137             T19     T16     S16
136             T20     T20     D8
135             T20     T15     D15
134             T20     T14     D16
133             T20     T19     D8
132             T20     T16     D12
131             T13     T20     D16
130             T20     T18     D8
129             T11     T20     D18
128             T20     T20     D4
127             T20     T17     D8
126             T19     T11     D18
125             T19     T20     D4
124             T20     T16     D8
123             T13     T20     D12
122             T18     D18     D16
121             T19     T16     D8
120             T20     S20     D20
119             T19     T10     D16
118             T20     S18     D20
117             T19     S20     D20
116             T20     S20     D18
115             T20     S15     D20
114             T20     S14     D20
113             T20     S13     D20
112             T20     D12     D20
111             T17     S20     D20
110             T20     S18     D16
109             T20     S15     D16
108             T20     S16     D16
107             T19     S10     D20
106             T20     S14     D16
105             T20     S13     D16
104             T18     S18     D16
103             T17     S20     D16
102             T20     S10     D16
101             T17     S10     D20
100             T20     D20     -
 99             T19     S10     D16
 98             T20     D19     -
 97             T19     D20     -
 96             T20     D18     -
 95             T19     D19     -
 94             T18     D20     -
 93             T19     D18     -
 92             T20     D16     -
 91             T17     D20     -
 90             T18     D18     -
 89             T19     D16     -
 88             T16     D20     -
 87             T17     D18     -
 86             T18     D16     -
 85             T15     D20     -
 84             T20     D12     -
 83             T17     D16     -
 82             BULL    D16     -
 81             T19     D12     -
 80             T20     D10     -
 79             T13     D20     -
 78             T18     D12     -
 77             T15     D16     -
 76             T20     D8      -
 75             T13     D18     -
 74             T14     D16     -
 73             T19     D8      -
 72             T16     D12     -
 71             T13     D16     -
 70             T10     D20     -
 69             T11     D18     -
 68             T20     D4      -
 67             T17     D8      -
 66             T10     D18     -
 65             T19     D4      -
 64             T16     D8      -
 63             T13     D12     -
 62             T14     D10     -
 61             T15     D8      -
 60             S20     D20     -
 59             S19     D20     -
 58             S18     D20     -
 57             S17     D20     -
 56             S16     D20     -
 55             S15     D20     -
 54             S14     D20     -
 53             S12     D20     -
 52             S20     D16     -
 51             S19     D16     -
 50             S18     D16     -
 49             S17     D16     -
 48             S16     D16     -
 47             S15     D16     -
 46             S14     D16     -
 45             S13     D16     -
 44             S12     D16     -
 43             S11     D16     -
 42             S10     D16     -
 41             S9      D16     -
 40             D20     -       -
 39             S7      D16     -
 38             D14     -       -
 37             S5      D16     -
 36             D18     -       -
 35             S3      D16     -
 34             D17     -       -
 33             S1      D16     -
 32             D16     -       -
 31             S15     D8      -
 30             D15     -       -
 29             S13     D8      -
 28             D14     -       -
 27             S11     D8      -
 26             D13     -       -
 25             S9      D8      -
 24             D14     -       -
 23             S7      D8      -
 22             D11     -       -
 21             S5      D8      -
 20             D10     -       -
 19             S3      D8      -
 18             D9      -       -
 17             S1      D8      -
 16             D8      -       -
 15             S7      D4      -
 14             D7      -       -
 13             S5      D4      -
 12             D6      -       -
 11             S3      D4      -
 10             D5      -       -
  9             S1      D4      -
  8             D4      -       -
  7             S3      D2      -
  6             D3      -       -
  5             S1      D2      -
  4             D2      -       -
  3             S1      D1      -
  2             D1      -       -
  1             BUST!

T = Treble
D = Double
S = Single

Loading Instructions:
Type "LOAD" then ENTER

The program code, graphic representation and artwork are the copyright of
Mastertronic. All rights reserved.
(C) Mastertronic Limited 1986
Made in Great Britain

CHEATS

SEQUELS/PREQUELS
None.

SCORES RECEIVED
Crash: "The best ever darts game." 72% (CRASH #35, December 1986)

NOTES
Curiously enough, there have been almost no darts games since 180
and certainly none as good. So the verdict still stands: it is
still probably the best darts game around.
