If you’ve ever wondered why people like fishing, Sega Bass Fishing will answer your question. It brings the best parts of fishing–the excitement of the chase with the fish–and excises the long, boring stretches.
With four modes, it will be hard to get bored with this game. The first, arcade, is timed, 2 minutes fishing in four areas in one of three courses of play. The SBFA Amateur Tournament tests the player against other characters in a chosen area in a certain amount of time. If the player weighs in as one of the top 10, then he can continue playing the tournament. The last couple, nature trip and practice, are virtually indistinguishable but pack a large number (396) of scenarios. The player has to pick 1 of each of 11 areas, 4 seasons, 3 times of day, and 3 types of weather; any of which could change the behavior of the fish and how easy it is to reel.
The gameplay is fantastic, with the Wii remote as the rod and the nunchuk as the reel. First, the player picks a bait and then chooses a spot to cast towards. Through a matter of shaking and twisting the Wii remote to pretend the bait is real, the fish will usually bite. This is where the fun begins, as the player fights and twists and reels to get the bass back to the boat. One of the best parts of this game was that, if the player isn’t sure how to lessen the tension, it will say it, but if the player is doing fine, it will be silent.
The scenery is pretty basic, and the character on screen doesn’t do much other than comment on the size of the bass caught. As to the music, it’s relaxing without being sleep-inducing.
My only problem with this game is that there isn’t a multi-player so that friends could compete head to head.
As an enthusiastic fisher myself, this game is a great substitute for when I can’t just “go fish.” Even if you’re not a fishing fan, you might just love it!
