SEGA Bass Fishing (Wii) Review

SEGA's first entry into the Wii fishing market is a port of their old classic SEGA Bass Fishing. The mini-games included in titles like The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess has shown gamers some exciting potential for the genre on the Wii. So does ...

SEGA’s first entry into the Wii fishing market is a port of their old classic SEGA Bass Fishing. The mini-games included in titles like The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess has shown gamers some exciting potential for the genre on the Wii. So does this game make well on that potential and how does the classic arcade game perform against modern standards?

SEGA Bass Fishing has 15 locations, four kinds of bass and 20 lures, all of which are adhere to their real life counterparts. The bulk of the game takes place in fast paced arcade mode and the tournaments in tournament mode. Additionally there is a practice mode and a nature trip where you have control over location, season, weather and time of day. Rudimentary leaderboards keep track of high scores and large bass.

Lures are unlocked seemingly randomly when catching bass while playing in arcade and tournament modes. Arcade mode will have the player go through four locations, each at different times of day as to emulate a day out fishing. A time limit is set (but can be extended without penalty) and catching fish extends time. Tournament mode is made up of seven different tournaments, each more difficult than the last. Here the player must abide by time limits and tally up the total weight of fish to score points, which ultimately decide your position on the leaderboard and the trophy won. Practice and nature trip modes are easy going with no ultimate goal.

The game’s presentation and level of polish are both absolutely atrocious. The list of shortcomings is long: the graphics are ten years old and do not provide true widescreen support, there is only one playable character, repetitive dialogue, it is only one player, the menus are plagued with loading messages and there is no tutorial on how to play. To add insult to injury you cannot drive your boat, instead choosing where to fish by simply gliding horizontally across a very restricted area. All this leaves the game with very little to praise.

Selecting the right lure and utilising it properly to attract fish is the only appealing element in an otherwise unappealing game. This reviewer discovered newfound appreciation after playing the game with someone whom knew how to fish properly. Using the right lure and technique revealed the limited appeal this game might have for anyone who enjoys the real thing.

The mix of gameplay and controls are intuitive and a lot of fun. The Wii remote and nunchuck are used to emulate a fishing rod and reel respectively and the game can also be played using a special fishing rod shell for added immersion and enjoyment. Additionally the game can be played with a single Wii remote without nun-chuck using the A and B buttons to reel.

Casting the line involves a disappointingly simple shake of the Wii remote, which fortunately is not a mistake repeated throughout the rest of the process. Luring in bass by jerking the lure with the Wii remote and winding with the nun-chuck in a manner to attract fish is executed with competent analogue control. The fight begins when the bass bites and you raise the remote rapidly to hook it. Tilting the Wii remote left, right, up and down will alter the rod’s and by extension the bass’ behaviour, all the while winding in by shaking the nun-chuck as fast as you can, except when line tension threatens to break the line.

You can improve your chances of hooking bass by making sounds (like hitting the lure against objects), using the right jerking technique for the particular lure and choosing the right lure colour. Where the bass are depends on the season, time of day and weather, all of which ultimately effect water temperature. Once a bass is hooked you must lead the rod into the direction the bass is swimming to help alleviate line tension. Combined with a time limit that extends after each catch and some very hungry bass, the game generates a very commendable and entertaining pace for the arcade and tournament modes.

Ultimately however this game is a large disappointment and misses potential by a wide girth. It can be thoroughly entertaining in short, relaxing rounds but lacks the production value and depth to be taken seriously. Its limits in content and value mean it will not appeal to the very large majority of Wii owners. Outside of its enjoyable and solid controls and fishing gameplay there is nothing left to applaud. It just barely manages to be one of best fishing experiences available for Wii, simply because of the equally poor quality of competing fishing titles. SEGA Bass Fishing is exclusively for fishing enthusiasts and fans of past SEGA Bass Fishing titles.