PDC World Championship Darts 2008

Last updated
PDC World Championship Darts 2008
PDC World Championship Darts 2008 Coverart.png
PlayStation 2 box art
Developer(s) Mere Mortals
Publisher(s)
Platform(s) PlayStation 2, PC, PlayStation Portable, Wii, Xbox 360
ReleasePlayStation 2 [1]
  • EU: 25 January 2008
  • AU: 21 February 2008
  • NA: 16 June 2009
Windows [2]
  • PAL: 25 January 2008
Wii [3]
  • PAL: 8 February 2008
  • NA: 16 June 2009
PlayStation Portable [4]
  • PAL: 13 June 2008
  • NA: 16 June 2009
Xbox 360 [5]
  • PAL: 26 Sep 2008
Genre(s) Sports
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

PDC World Championship Darts 2008 is a sports video game, published by Oxygen Interactive and developed and designed by Mere Mortals. It was released for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3 PC, Wii, Xbox 360, and the PlayStation Portable. The game features sixteen professionals from the Professional Darts Corporation, and seven tournaments from the PDC circuit. It is a direct sequel to the previous year's PDC World Championship Darts .

Contents

The game was localized for and released in North America on June 16, 2009 on the Wii, PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable with the year 2008 dropped from its title. A Nintendo DS version was planned, but cancelled, although the DS version of the Nintendo-exclusive sequel, PDC World Championship Darts 2009 , was released as a port of the abovementioned North American localization at the same time it was released.

Gameplay

Much like its predecessor, the game attempts to recreate playing real darts through the functions of the controller and rules set within the game. A variety of new and returning modes are also available for play.

Rules

See also Playing darts and Scoring for full rules

The game almost exactly follows the rules of the classic 501 darts game. Two professionals (one or two controlled by the player) throw darts onto the dartboard to decrease their score to 0, but they must end with a double. The only exception is the World Grand Prix where players must also start with a double. The dartboard's numbers are positioned just as they are in real darts.

Each player throws three darts before the next player's turn. In standard rules, whoever reaches 0 first has won the leg. Varying amounts of legs comprise sets, a certain amount of which must be gained to win the match. An alternative format is matchplay, where certain amounts of legs must be gained to win the match.

Controls

Throwing darts is implemented as a three-step procedure across all platforms. The first step is for the player to decide the general area of where they want to throw, determined using a set of keyboard keys, the Wii Remote pointer or an analog stick, depending on platform and control option. The second step is to determine how strongly the dart is to be thrown towards the chosen aiming area. The throwing power oscillates automatically on the Wii version as long as a "lock-on" button is held, while other platforms determine it manually based on how far the other analog stick is pulled or how long a key is held down. In 'Amateur' mode the power can be seen with a blue that fills a power meter; in 'Professional' mode this aid is not present and the power can be seen via the movement of the character's arm. A new difficulty added is 'Master' mode where extra precision is required. [6]

Once the desired amount of power is reached, the player then completes the throwing procedure in a third and final step by actually making the throwing motion. The Wii version implements this with an actual thrusting motion of the Wii Remote and the PC version assigns this move to another key to press. Other platforms implement the throwing action by quickly flicking the right analog stick forward just after it was pulled backward. Any deviation to the left or right while throwing the dart will also affect the dart's flight. The game also takes into account real-life darts physics, such as under- or over-stacking of darts, flights falling out, and bounce-outs. The former can be used to tactical advantage. These were not present in the first game.

The Wii version also utilizes an alternate control scheme that uses the Nunchuk's analog stick to adjust power and throw the dart, like most other platforms. [6]

Modes

There are numerous modes of play within the game. Aside from a simple Exhibition between one or two players, a single player can also create a custom character and begin a career to become the world's best dart player. Another mode allows any of the tournaments in career mode to be played individually. Or, the player can create a custom tournament with their own preferred format and play that individually or with others. Party Games mode is also available, allowing players to play games such as Around The Clock and Killer in an environment without a crowd.

Professionals

Sixteen professionals were included in the game. This was six more than in the previous game, with them joining the original ten. The in-game players are below (listed along with their main career achievements):

A screenshot featuring Andy Hamilton throwing against Ronnie Baxter PDCgame2008screenshot.jpg
A screenshot featuring Andy Hamilton throwing against Ronnie Baxter

Special features

PDC Pro animations (throw styles and walk ons) have been motion-captured and are fully integrated. All new graphic enhancements – player improvements and real-world sets and tournament locations, based on the locations from the PDC calendar. Enhanced audio including calling, commentary, convincing dynamic crowd sounds, and darts atmospherics. Enhanced A.I – player A.I. is calculated using real life averages from major tournaments and also based on actual playing characteristics i.e. stamina, belief, pressure, complacency and accuracy. Improved and in-depth career mode, realistically reflecting a player's progress through the PDC calendar, featuring 7 of the major PDC tournaments each season. All new character editor, supplying a greater range of options to customise players' pros. Elements include male and female character models, skin tone, eye colour, nationality, name, hairstyle, hair colour, eyewear, shirt style and colour, throwing angle, level of difficulty and preferred checkout. Also includes options for dart barrel weights and flight designs.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phil Taylor (darts player)</span> English darts player

Philip Douglas Taylor is an English former professional darts player, widely considered the greatest darts player of all time. Nicknamed The Power, he dominated darts for over two decades and won 214 professional tournaments, including a record 85 major titles and a record 16 World Championships. In 2015, the BBC rated Taylor among the ten greatest British sportsmen of the last 35 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nine-dart finish</span> Perfect leg in the sport of darts

A nine-dart finish, also known as a nine-darter, is a perfect leg or single game in the sport of darts. The object of the game is to score a set number of points, most commonly 501; in order to win, a player must reach the target total exactly and hit a double scoring area with their last dart. When the target is 501, the minimum number of darts needed to reach it is nine. For example, one way to achieve a nine-dart finish is to score 60 on each of the first seven throws, then a 57 on the eighth, and lastly a 24 on the ninth. It is regarded as an extremely difficult feat to achieve even for the sport's top players, and is considered the highest single-game achievement in the sport, similar to a maximum 147 break in snooker or a 300-point game in bowling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Professional Darts Corporation</span> Professional darts organisation

The Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) is a professional darts organisation in the United Kingdom, established in 1992 when a group of leading players split from the British Darts Organisation (BDO) to form what was initially called the World Darts Council (WDC). Sports promoter Eddie Hearn is the PDC chairman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Part</span> Canadian darts player

John Part is a Canadian former professional darts player and current commentator. Nicknamed Darth Maple, he is a three-times World Champion, having won the 1994 BDO World Darts Championship on his world championship debut, and the PDC World Championship in 2003 and 2008. Part is statistically North America's greatest darts player to date. He has the distinction of being the first non-UK player to win the World Championship, and the only non-European to date to win the PDC World Darts Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin Painter</span> English darts player

Kevin Painter is an English retired darts player, known as "The Artist". He is arguably most famous for finishing as the runner-up to Phil Taylor in the 2004 PDC World Championship final, now widely credited as one of the greatest televised matches in the history of the sport. He was also the winner of the Players Championship Finals in 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Darts Organisation</span> Former governing body of darts in Great Britain

The British Darts Organisation (BDO) was a darts organisation founded on 7 January 1973 by Olly Croft. Made up of 66 member counties, it oversaw professional, semi-professional and amateur darts competitions in Britain. The BDO was a founder member of the World Darts Federation in 1974. It also staged a World Professional Darts Championship from 1978 to 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mervyn King (darts player)</span> English professional darts player

Mervyn King is an English professional darts player who plays in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) tournaments. Nicknamed The King, he has reached seven PDC major finals and reached a peak of No. 4 in the PDC Order of Merit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dennis Priestley</span> English darts player

Dennis Priestley is an English former professional darts player. He has won two world championships, and was the first player to win both the BDO and WDC world championships, in 1991 and 1994 respectively. He is nicknamed "The Menace", after the Beano character Dennis the Menace, and reflects this by wearing red and black, and using red and black flights.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adrian Lewis</span> English darts player

Adrian Lewis is an English professional darts player currently playing in the PDC. He is a two-time PDC World Darts Champion, winning in 2011 and 2012. He is nicknamed Jackpot, as he won a jackpot gambling in Las Vegas in 2005, but he was unable to collect the money as he was 20 years old, below the US legal gambling age of 21.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Wade</span> English darts player

James Martin Wade is an English professional darts player, currently playing in the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC). He became the youngest player to win a major PDC title, when he won the 2007 World Matchplay at the age of 24. This record has since been broken by Michael van Gerwen. Wade has won eleven PDC majors, third in the all-time list behind Phil Taylor and Michael van Gerwen. He is widely considered one of the best left handed darts players of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PDC World Darts Championship</span> Darts championship

The PDC World Darts Championship, known for sponsorship purposes as the Cazoo World Darts Championship, organised by the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC), is a World Professional Darts Championship held annually in the sport of darts. The PDC championship begins in December and ends in January and is held at Alexandra Palace in London and has been held there since 2008. It is the most prestigious of the PDC's tournaments, with the winner receiving the Sid Waddell Trophy, named in honour of the darts commentator Sid Waddell, who died in 2012. Along with the Premier League Darts and World Matchplay, it is considered part of the Triple Crown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terry Jenkins</span> English darts player

Terry Jenkins is an English former professional darts player who was nicknamed The Bull, having previously used the name "Tucker" for his matches. He reached number three in the world rankings and was a runner-up in nine major PDC televised finals, those being the 2006 and 2007 World Grand Prix, 2007 Premier League, 2007 Las Vegas Desert Classic, 2007 and 2009 World Matchplay, 2008 Grand Slam of Darts, 2014 UK Open and 2014 European Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gary Anderson (darts player)</span> Scottish darts player

Gary Anderson is a Scottish professional darts player, currently playing in the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC). He is a former BDO and WDF world number one, and a two-time PDC World Champion, having won the title in 2015 and 2016. His nickname is "The Flying Scotsman", after a famous Scottish steam train.

<i>PDC World Championship Darts</i> 2006 video game

PDC World Championship Darts is a sports video game published by Oxygen Interactive and developed and designed by Mere Mortals. It was released for the PlayStation 2 and PC. The game features ten professionals from the Professional Darts Corporation, and five tournaments from the PDC circuit. A sequel, PDC World Championship Darts 2008, was produced the following year.

<i>PDC World Championship Darts 2009</i> 2009 video game

PDC World Championship Darts 2009 is a sports video game, published by Oxygen and developed and designed by Rebellion Developments. It was released exclusively on Nintendo platforms for the Nintendo DS and Wii on May 29, 2009. The game features eighteen professionals from the Professional Darts Corporation. The game includes a Create-A-Player mode, which for the first time, players can create a female dart player to use in both Career Mode and Exhibition Mode. There is also a practice mode. It is a direct sequel to the previous year's game, PDC World Championship Darts 2008. While the game was primarily aimed at PAL regions, the DS version was released in North America as one of four versions of the localization for Darts 2008 on June 16, 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Wright (darts player)</span> Scottish darts player

Peter Wright is a Scottish professional darts player who plays in the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC), where he is currently ranked No. 2 in the world. Nicknamed "Snakebite", he is a two-time world champion, having won the PDC World Darts Championship in 2020 and 2022. He is also a World Matchplay champion and has been ranked as the World No. 1 in the PDC twice.

<i>PDC World Championship Darts Pro Tour</i> 2010 video game

PDC World Championship Darts: Pro Tour is a darts simulation video game based on events held by the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC). The game was developed by Rebellion Developments in collaboration with British developer Redoubt, Ltd. and published by O-Games on 26 November 2010 in Europe for the PlayStation 3, Wii and Xbox 360 game consoles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Smith (darts player)</span> English darts player (born 1990)

Michael Smith is an English professional darts player. Nicknamed "Bully Boy", he plays in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events, where he is the reigning World Champion and World No. 1, having won the 2023 World Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 PDC World Darts Championship</span> 28th edition of the PDCs World Championship event

The 2021 PDC World Darts Championship was the 28th World Championship organised by the Professional Darts Corporation since it separated from the British Darts Organisation. The collapse of the BDO in September 2020 and subsequent postponement of the World Darts Federation-sanctioned event meant that this edition was the first undisputed World Championship in the sport since John Lowe won the Embassy in 1993. The event took place at the Alexandra Palace in London from 15 December 2020 – 3 January 2021, and was played behind closed doors, except for the first day of the tournament, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 PDC World Darts Championship</span> 29th PDC World Darts Championship

The 2022 PDC World Darts Championship was the 29th World Championship organised by the Professional Darts Corporation since it separated from the now-defunct British Darts Organisation. It took place at the Alexandra Palace in London from 15 December 2021 to 3 January 2022.

References

  1. ↑ "PS2 release dates". GameFAQs. Retrieved 15 March 2008.
  2. ↑ "PC release dates". GameFAQs. Retrieved 15 March 2008.
  3. ↑ "Wii release dates". GameFAQs. Retrieved 15 March 2008.
  4. ↑ "PSP release dates". GameFAQs. Retrieved 15 March 2008.
  5. ↑ "Xbox 360 release dates". GameFAQs. Retrieved 9 December 2010.
  6. 1 2 "PDC World Championship Darts 2008 Review". Gamespot. 19 March 2008. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.