Essentially what we've got here is a hardcore fishing game that needs virtually no instruction: the Wii remote is used as a rod to nab the little critters from their watery homes, and the nunchuck is used to reel them in. The goal: catch as many fish as you can in the time available, from your gaping huge monsters of the sea to adorable little young'uns. Essentially all the modes available follow the simple formula. In arcade it's a race for weight and time as you'll need to nab as many as you can, making sure the combined total is above the required amount. There's some variety in the location stakes, from your regular ickle pond to settling by a dam or under a bridge – all complete with some typical SEGA guitar-riff backing music, cheesy, but fun.

So, how do we catch fish? After finding a school swimming about, a quick flick of the Wii remote off goes your lure into the distance and we enter a first-person view of your catch swimming about. It hooks and struggles to take it's prize – you secure the reward, using the nunchuck to frantically draw fish in for the catch. To make things realistic, the fish are right annoying bastards. An on-screen tension display shows how much your line can take before breaking and letting your fish back into the wild, so don't pull or waggle too hard! Various different lures are available to help mix up the standard gameplay, useful for depths of water and catching the variety of breeds available. Some are ideal for rainy situations, others better to break out in the sun or when clouds engulf the stage. Each have completely different actions, sounds and reeling conditions, with more available as the game progresses. Eventually you'll find the perfect setup for your fishing needs as certain fish only respond to certain lures.

Fortunately the arcade experience is does have its rewards, with your it's-so-definitely SEGA announcer cranking up his vocal chords for some much needed feedback on your performance. "Good catch", "Excellent!", bringing some 90s Arcade sounds to the ears. To prevent frustration and splashing out more coins to insert when missing out on the requirements to progress, an instant continue allows for a saving grace: fail to compete the task and with a quick button tap the timer resets and you're back on course.

 

When we look at Sega Bass Fishing, you can see its budget roots sinking in, but it's not all bad. Visually, it's no Mario Galaxy or some beautifully rendered Finding Nemo, but it does have some SEGA charm and tradition in its design. Gone is the quirky polygon chap you pull the puppet-strings to fish, and instead there's a handsome up-to-date model in his place. The environment is well designed, from the clean and welcoming water engine to the nicely rendered fish swimming inside, there's a good level of detail. It's not the best visuals on the box, but doesn't hurt the eyes so much either – and with so much time needed to experience the fishing action – it's a good thing.

To mix up the gameplay and pad out the time to a more realistic level, minutes, types of fish and the levels can be played about for a unique experience and for those seeking calmer waters there's a slower-paced mode available: Nature Trip. For the true fishing enthusiast or the average-joe gamer, it's got some meaty options to play with. The time of day, weather conditions and fishing hole can be selected, affecting everything from what lures would be ideal to the types of fish that spawn. You can now take to the lake and fish at your leisure, without having to wake up at the crack of dawn for the perfect catch.

For the competitor in you, a tournament mode allows players to go head to head with virtual rivals by going through a series of 10 different events and securing the largest fish available. We start off by going against some beginners, all in good fun, and eventually make our way to the kings of the fishing world in a bid to be crowned the best of the best. Hyrule's fishing hole would be proud! It's a little tacky and seems a rushed add-on, but offers some much-needed competitive gameplay to spice up an age-old formula.

Despite being a budget game, SEGA Bass Fishing does have its fair share of flaws. Graphically, it's no visual atrocity, but a fresh lick of paint and some refinement could bring it to this generation. Fish physics are sound, and the general concept of reeling in seems sound, but some quirks at time can make the experience a little confusing. The main issue though, is the lack of multi-player support to lengthen the replay value and offer something different – after all, nothing beats the sensation of pummelling a human opponent with a big, smelly fish. Tis a shame you can't save and share your captures – Wii Message board support would have been fab.

 

Gameplay

7

Graphics

7

Sound

6

Value

5