Simple
pleasures, simple fun. Fishing in real life is an enjoyable way to commune with
nature in a quiet setting on the lake. Fishing on a console system can also be
fun, even though it’s not outside. It’s a way to make that perfect catch and
have it recorded for history. Fishing on the Wii is
a great combination, as the interactive controls can be used to simulate the
fishing rod, which makes the experience seem more realistic.
Fishing on
consoles can take one of two approaches: Simulate real fishing, or dispense with
reality in favor of arcade play. Fishing Master is a blend of the two, with more
of an arcade flavor than a true simulated fishing game. The characters are
cartoon in appearance, and the overall gameplay is
reminiscent of the fishing found in games such as River King, Harvest Moon and
Animal Crossing, although it offers a more in-depth experience than in those
games.
There is
really only one main gameplay mode in Fishing
Master, although there is a multiplayer Battle mode. This is a single-player
campaign mode, where players will advance through the game by catching different
types of fish. From time to time, there are special challenges and also
tournaments. By catching fish and winning challenges, players will earn points
to purchase bait and other items in the store. Your pet dog will even find and
give you maps and bait!
The beginning
of the game starts with Grandpa demonstrating the basics of fishing. Once these
fishing techniques are down, it’s off to a fishing spot. The first fishing map
that is open in the game is the Kanto area. These areas all have several fishing
spots. The fishing spots are different in their basic appearance, but the
animated details are the same.
At each
fishing spot, the player will stand on a small area of land facing out to the
water. The player can walk a little ways from each end of the beach, and
different fish will be available in the different locations. The basic mechanics
of fishing are simple; players will cast by pressing the B button on the bottom
of the remote, flicking down with the remote, and then releasing the B button to
cast the line.
Hooking the
right fish requires using the right bait. This is where the campaign mode is
useful in that more and better bait is earned by fishing, so as to catch better
fish later. However, sometimes you still end up with just an empty can. Either
the remote or the nunchuk can be used to reel in the
fish once it is hooked. Using the nunchuk to reel
can get tiring pretty quickly, so we usually use just the remote to fish. There
is a meter on the screen which will show a scale depicting the range between the
fish escaping or breaking the line. Reeling in a catch is usually not too
difficult, but sometimes it can get a little tricky with big fish.
An arcade
element is added to this event by incorporating a “fighting” aspect to reeling,
where players will need to move their remotes left or right as directed by
onscreen directions. This will tire the fish out. If too many of these commands
are missed, the fishing is over. Different rods allow for more or less mistakes.
Once the fish is landed, a short animation showing the fish jumping out of the
water will show, and then a picture of the fish will be displayed. The size and
weight of the fish is listed. These pictures are large and detailed, and it is
fun to see what was caught. Most of these are real fish, but some of them are
fantastical.
The act of
casting, hooking and reeling in a fish is quite fun and satisfying. Fighting the
fish and bringing it in without the line breaking is challenging at times, and
then seeing exactly what was caught is neat. The dog even adds some excitement.
This dog is cute, and really helpful. He will cheer while players are trying to
land their fish.
At the end of
the day, players will head back home, where Grandpa will list the fishing points
that players have earned, as well as their new titles. A new day will dawn, with
more fish to catch.
Besides just
fishing, spend points in the store for rods and bait is a fun incentive to
continue fishing. The challenges and tournaments also contribute to this overall
sense of accomplishment. There is a bulletin board in the shop, too, which will
list interesting information about fishing, bait and fishing spots.
This is a game
that is single in purpose: fishing. There’s not a whole lot else besides
fishing, but it doesn’t really need anything else. We’ve all had fun with
Fishing Master, but my husband has literally spent hours with it. He’s played
other fishing games on different Nintendo systems over the years, and he rates
this one up with the better ones in terms of fun. However, he does tend to be
little obsessive about anything that offers gains in experience or points. As
this game as a whole is a one-trick pony, other players may enjoy shorter
sessions. And, the price has just dropped to $30! I can definitely say that
Fishing Master is worth that price, and is a great gift for the fishing
enthusiast in your family.
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Gameplay: 7.5
This
game is quite enjoyable! It’s all about fishing, and there aren’t any features
besides fishing. However, the fishing is enough and any fishing game fan will
have fun.
Graphics: 7.0
The
graphics are good, but not spectacular.
Sound: 6.0
The
music is average.
Difficulty: Medium
The
game isn’t hard to play, but catching all the fish is challenging.
Concept: 6.0
It’s
just fishing, but the overall design is good.
Multiplayer: 6.0
The battle mode
offers a multplayer game for 2-4 players. This mode is alright, but the single
player is more fun.
Overall: 7.5
Fishing Master is a
lot of fun, which is the point. There aren’t any extra bells or whistles, but
true fishing fans don’t need fancy. We are enjoying it, and the price is right
at $30. I can truthfully say that we’ve had more fun with this game than with
some more detailed and more expensive games. A good gift for dad this Christmas
season.
