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SPORTING CLAYS
Manufacturer: Wizard Works/Diversions Software (1998)
Price: $19.99
Genre: Trap shooting simulation.
System Requirements: Pentium 90 or faster, Win 3.1 or 96, 16 MB RAM, 16
MB HDD space, CD-ROM, SVGA graphics, soundcard.
... DESCRIPTION: Sporting Clays is (as the title implies) a trap shooting simulation. Advertised as "golf with a shotgun", Sporting Clays is a very attractive, fun to play product. As someone who would rather track down and shoot something living I was pleasantly surprised by this game. Initially I was thinking "Geez, how boring- shooting clay pigeons" but by the end of my first session I was saying "WOW!! This is cool!!" I believe that my initial response to the game is pretty typical of non-trap shooting folks- it does seem boring and drab (as far as a subject/simulation goes). Take it from me, it's as fun and challenging as even the best hunting sim- and helps you practice you shooting for "virtual" duck season!
Sporting Clays offers 10 fields of play, along with five clay types: Simultaneous (two clays released at the same time), Trailing (two clays thrown, with trailing clay thrown one second after the first), Report (second clay is tossed on the report of the weapon), Single (single clay thrown from any one trap) and Fur & Feathers (ground trap skips a clay along the ground, platform traps throw as a Report type clay). There are two shooting ranges (one spring and the other winter) each with five stations. In competition, players move from station to station in either a 50 or 100 clay per station tournament. The winner has the highest percentage of clays hit at the end. Each station has a different set up of trap locations so it's not the same thing from station to station.
... .The game is offers many options ranging from hints and helps, choke pattern, to gender voices. There is even a voice command option between "Go", "Ready" and "Pull" in order to call for clays! There is even a field editor which allows players to alter/create new shooting courses. Tournaments can be played by up to four players, each taking his/her turn at every station. The game even keeps track of a players life time overall scores.
When you are actually in a station, you find yourself looking over the course (nice graphics here) with shotgun lowered. By right clicking you call for a clay to be thrown from one of four traps. Once the clay has been thrown you must right click quickly to raise your weapon, firing with the left mouse button. It takes some practice to get used to double right clicking, then left clicking to fire. Clays are thrown at different speeds, angles and released at different intervals (making it hard to "time" the traps in relation to raising your weapon). If you raise your weapon early, you receive a warning. After four warnings a point is deducted from your score. As a player you control the speed of the game- the traps will not throw until you call.
.... All in all a VERY addictive game. I have played tournaments with my family (and won..heeheehee) and all have enjoyed the game. Since there is no "blood", it's great for kids- but not recommended for the little ones due to the amount of hand-eye coordination it takes. Frankly, just in the many times I've played the game I have learned a little more about this sport so you may find it somewhat educational.
THE SCOUTING REPORT:
THE PROS:
THE CONS:
Reviewed by Steven Ellis