Premier League Darts

It is perhaps not the best indication of Britain's general state of health that we have such a fondness for the most sedentary of sports. Fair enough, the slim and toned David Beckham may be the nation's sportsman of choice, but there are still a host of chubby, hard drinkin', hard smokin' snooker pros and darts lords that are held in pretty high esteem by the general population.

Premier League Darts features a cast of real-life darts men that help to give the game a certain sense of credibility. These men pop up as avatars to let you know who you are supposedly throwing against, and as a full torso shot when the shots themselves are made.

There are a few types of game on offer here. Other than the standard 501 and 301 games, where you have to score those respective numbers, there's also pub favourite around the clock and cricket. The main meat of the game is in the tournament mode though, where you pitch your talents against the various darts pros. If this is all a bit too involved though, there's also the usual quick match option.

However, where mobile darts games really stand or fall is in the simple method by which you throw the dart itself. And unfortunately, Premier League Darts is not particularly successful in this respect.

Throwing a dart only takes a single key press, and it's all about timing. One main aiming circle pulsates, getting bigger and smaller. There is also a grey dot which marks where the dart will actually land. This dot moves in and out of the main aiming circle, although it is only visible whilst it is moving within the confines of the circle.

Although the method isn't all bad and there is a certain small sense of mastering this single key darts throw, it just isn't fun enough. Considering that a full-blown tournament is fairly long and involved, you will most likely find yourself frustrated before you're half way in.

Frustration and a control method based on patience are not a great combination, and soon you just feel like blasting away, like your local pub's lone drinker who challenges everyone around to a darts game after a few too many pints of the black stuff under the mistaken impression that if it wasn't for that arm-breaking fall from a tree at the age of 13, he'd really have had a chance at darts-based world renown, when in reality he only manages to hit the board half the time.

Premier League Darts is more successful in its multiplayer modes. Under the more quick blast conditions of the multiplay faceoff, the control method fares better, and with both Bluetooth and pass-the-handset modes available, multiplayer fun is immediatedly accessible.

If you want to use Premier League Darts as a solution for awkward gaps in conversation down your darts board-less pub, the game isn't a bad choice, but it doesn't stand up to extended single play even though the game structure leans towards longer gaming sessions. For those looking to fill lengthy train journeys, Phil Taylor's Power Darts may be a sounder choice.