Magic Darts





NES-4R-USA

Romstar(r)

Magic Darts(tm)

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The game of darts

The game of darts has a long and rich history. What began during the days of
the Roman Empire has evolved into one of today's most popular leisure games.
The original game began with a dart known to the Romans as a "pilum". A pilum
was ten feet long and made of iron. The target was a running man. As mankind
progressed, so did the game of Darts.

In Old English, dart translates as "daroth, daruth and dagger". But many
believe that the modern game of darts actually came from medieval archery.
King Harold of England was killed in 1066 at the Battle of Hastings when an
arrow pierced his eye.

Legend has it that the Pilgrim Fathers threw darts as they came to the New
World in 1620. They called the game "Butts". They threw shortened arrows at
the butt of a wine cask. The center of the butt counted for five points, and
the surrounding areas graded down to zero.

The first reference to darts as we know it today was in the early 1900s.
During World War II many soldiers played darts and brought the game to their
home towns. Darts rapidly spread to pubs and taverns. Tournaments and leagues
were quickly established.

In the 1970s the use of tungsten darts and corporate sponsorship for televised
dart competition brought the game into the home and hearts of men, women and
children worldwide.

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Dart weight

Most darts today are made from brass and tungsten. Darts made with tungsten
are smaller and heavier than those made only with brass. Nicker and copper are
alloys that are commonly used with tungsten. The percentage of these alloys
are reflected in the price of the darts.

There are three basic dart designs, the torpedo, the straight-barreled, and
the center weight dart. Regardless of the shape, a dart must not exceed a
maximum length of 12 inches or weigh more than 50 grams. Each dart consists of
a needle-type point, which is fixed to a barrel. Attached to the rear of the
barrel is a flighted stem which may consist of up to two separate pieces.

Our great-grandfathers threw wooden darts. The wooden darts is often called
the French dart, and you still see them used today. A distinctive feature of
the wooden dart is that the barrel and shaft are all one piece.

In Magic Darts you can select your dart weight. You can choose from Light,
Medium and Heavy.

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Start up instructions

- Insert the game cartridge into your NES(r). Turn on the power switch. You
should have the title screen showing.

- Press "Start".

- Select the type of game you wish to play by pressing either the cursor pad
up/down or the "Select" button. Press the cursor pad right/left to turn the
music off or on. Press "Start" to enter both selections.

- Choose your in and out rules by pressing either the cursor up/down or the
"Select" button. Press "Start". Refer to page 7.

- Select the number of players by pressing either the cursor up/down or the
"Select" button. Press "Start".

- Players 1 and 3 use controller #1 and players 2 and 4 use controller #2.

- Press the cursor pad right/left to display the character you wish to be.

- Press "A" or "Start" at the character you want to be.

- Enter your initials by pressing the cursor pad up/down to the select the
letter. Press "A" to enter the letter.

- Select your dart weight by pressing cursor up/down. Press "A" to set.

- You can either start the game or select extra players at this time. To begin
the game, press "Start" now. To add extra players, press the cursor pad up/
down to select Extra Players. (Refer to page 8 on Character Selection if you
need additional instructions for the watch mode characters.)

- So go ahead... ENJOY!

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Rules for each game mode

There are six games to choose from. Each game has slightly different rules.

301
All players start with 301 points. The first player to reach 0 wins. Each dart
score is deducted from the player's score. If you go under zero, the bust rule
applies. The bust rules states that you must get the points you need without
going below zero. For example, if you need 32 points and hit 35 - you bust.
Sometimes it is called being "too hot". Your score would revert back to 32.
Each player is allowed a maximum of 20 sets of darts each.

501
Same rules as the 301 game except the players begin with 501 points.

701
Same rules as the 301 game except the players begin with 701 points.

Count Up
In count up, players compete for the high score. Each player gets eight sets
of darts.

Round the Clock
In Round the clock the players must hit numbers one through ten. The first
player to hit all numbers in the sequence wins.

Half it
Players begin with 40 points. Players have three chances to hit the assigned
numbers to add to their own score. If the player is unable to hit all assigned
numbers, their point total will be cut in half. The player with the highest
score wins. The assigned numbers are 16, double ring, 17, 18, triple ring, 19,
20 and the bullseye.

All score are kept electronically and are displayed in the right upper hand
corner of the screen.

In and out rule

If you choose to play a 301, 501 or 701 game mode, you will be asked for your
choice on Open and Double Settings. Your choices are as follows:

Open in, open out
This means that the player can hit any number to begin and end the game.

Open in, double out
This means that the player can hit any number to begin but must hit a double
ring to end the game.

Double in, double out
This means that the player must hit a double ring to begin and end the game.

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How to execute your shots

When the player's turn is up, a dart will appear at the bottom of the
dartboard and a lighted box will shift back and forth below the dart. Press
the cursor left and right to determine the position you want to start from.
Watch the guage moving back and forth. This gauge controls the curve of the
dart. Stop the indicator at the angle you wish to throw the dart. Press the
"A" button to lock these settings.

Next an angle gauge will appear by the player's hand on the bottom of the
screen. The gauge will be moving up and down. This gauge determines the aiming
arc of the dart. Press the "A" button to lock this setting.

The power gauge behind the player on the right bottom will begin to move up
and down. The higher the lighted bars, the more powerful your throw will be.
Press the "A" button to lock this setting.

At this point, the game will throw the dart. You can see the dart in both 2-D
and 3-D views.

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Character selection

There are twelve different characters to choose from:

TOM - player A
BOB - player B
ANN - player C
SUT - player D
JOE - Expert Male
MAX - Macho Man
LEE - Kung Fu
ROM - Robot
LIZ - Expert Female
KEN - Ninja Dude
RIO - Monkey
EBE - Alien

You can override the character's name to reflect your own three initials. Note
that Tom, Bob, Ann and Sue are available as player characters only and cannot
by selected as extra players.

If you wish to have extra players, you can select this feature before you
begin your game. To select the watch mode players, simply move the cursor pad
right/left and press "A" to set your selection

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Trick shots

Every nail thrower has his trick shots. Magic Darts has some trick shots too!!

See if you can answer the following questions:

1. Have you been able to figure out which characters have a trick shot?
2. Do you know what their trick shots are? Try looking at the extra player
watch mode for hints!
3. Do you know how to make those trick shots?
4. Have you ever seen a fly buzzing around the board?
5. Have you ever hit the fly when it's buzzing around? You will be surprised.

Remember... PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT!