Game Info
GAME NAME: Darts Up
DEVELOPER(S): EnjoyUp Games
PUBLISHER(S): EnjoyUp Games
PLATFORM(S): Nintendo Wii U
GENRE(S): Sports
RELEASE DATE(S): September 25th, 2014
EnjoyUp Games seems to be picking up steam as a publisher and developer on the Wii U eShop. I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing two of their previous efforts: Abyss and Unepic. Their latest title, Darts Up, is a unique take on the bar game of darts, but unfortunately has it’s flaws.
Darts Up is a straightforward and standard game of darts. There are four different modes that you will be able to choose from: classic mode, in which you have a set number of rounds to obtain the highest score possible, X01 mode, which requires that you achieve a particular score (the score you must match is customizable), combo mode, which is similar to classic except certain combinations will help you score more points and finally arcade mode, which makes you get over a certain score with a limited amount of darts. The Arcade mode will also post your high score online, making this the most likely to go back to game mode.
The interface of the game is slightly odd in that you choose an avatar that looks like a Mii, except it isn’t a Mii. These characters aren’t customizable and I’m not sure if Nintendo doesn’t license or if this is just laziness on the part of the developer, but having the ability to use your already created Mii’s would have been an awesome feature.
The actual gameplay is lacking as well. The tilt and motion controls of aiming with the GamePad are stop on but using the analog stick to pull back and throw the dart doesn’t feel intuitive. This would have strongly benefited from Wii Remote Plus support, where you could actually make a throwing motion to throw the dart.
The Graphics in the game go for a crisp HD dartboard but the surroundings look like something from the N64. I did like the arcade cabinet of Chronos Twins that was thrown in as an Easter Egg, but with as simplistic as the game is, I expect to see the whole area textured as nice as the dartboard. The soundtrack is fitting, never trying to do to much but at the same time isn’t very catchy and playing the game on mute basically gave me the same experience.
The Recommendation
I had a better time with EnjoyUp’s previous titles then I did with Darts Up. The presentation was lacking, the controls felt bland and the overall experience was on par with what I would have expected from a mobile game. I do like this publisher and they have made sucessful games in the past, one bad seed doesn’t ruin their portfolio but I expect more from their next title. You won’t be missing much if you pass on this one.
