I’ve been testing the Target Darts Omni Auto Scoring system for the past few weeks, playing with myself and family locally, and the odd match online. It is an expensive system, but for darts fans and players looking to improve their game, it may be worth the investment. As a casual fan, I’ve found that a short game of darts is a great way to relax at the end of your day.
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The Target Darts Omni Auto Scoring System connects with the DartCounter app (Android or iOS). It’s quick and easy to put together, it attaches to your board via magnetic feet, but you’ll need to run the power cable to an outlet. Connect to Wi-Fi, run a short calibration and it’s time to play. I tested with Target’s Star Wars Millennium Falcon Surround and Dartboard ($200 or £150) and a set of Darth Vader darts ($340 or £250) – both wonderful Star Wars gifts for the fan in your life – but it should work with most boards and any darts.
The LED ring illuminates the dartboard beautifully. Four HD cameras accurately record the score of each dart thrown. The DartCounter app compiles comprehensive statistics on your play. You can configure all the match parameters in the app for a particular session, and there are also several practice modes and games, such as Around the Clock, where you have to hit each number in sequence and then Bulls-Eye, and Bob’s 27, where you start with 27 numbers and hit the doubles shown.
Online multiplayer is probably the biggest selling point, and you can find matches in the DartCounter app or create your own lobby. I never had any trouble finding a match and there were over 100 live matches going on whenever I checked. You get three free online matches every week. To unlock all the features, including tournaments, unlimited online games, more detailed stats and a master caller using your name, you’ll need to subscribe for $6 per month or $40 per year (£6 and £40 in the UK). You get a three-month free trial with the system. Local play is free, except for a few games (121 Checkout and HelveIt), so you don’t have to. need to subscribe.
I’ve played a lot of games over the past few weeks, but I had the most fun playing tournaments with my brother. When I was a teenager we had a dartboard in the garage and we spent hours throwing darts, but neither of us had played in years. After a lot of laughing and reminiscing about how inept we had become, our eyes met each other and things got competitive. I won a best-of-five classic 501 match, but then my brother beat me in Around the Clock (I got stuck on the bulls-eye).
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