Of course, worrying about such industry semantics needn't be an issue to the average consumer -- or even the fishing pundit for that matter. As it stands, Sega Bass Fishing was, and still is the ultimate fishing videogame. But that's not exactly saying much. While judging a game by its cover should never be an imperative when deciding on a purchase, one look at Bass Fishing's aesthetics is a sure sign of the mixed tackle bag (pun unfortunately intended) that awaits within -- enough to frighten even the most hardened 'gameplay over graphics' pundit. No two ways about it, Sega Bass Fishing is a ruggedly entertaining game.
This nauseating beauty runs more than fillet deep (pun unfortunately intended). Sure, the overall graphics leave a lot to be desired, even when considering the limits of Wii hardware. Shades of Sega's System-16 arcade hardware run subliminally prevalent in every poorly textured polygon and constricted environments, even with noticeable attempts at 'remastering' the visuals -- most evidently with fancy water effects -- for today's audiences. It also doesn't help that Bass Fishing's soundtrack is peppered with overenthusiastic rock music, perfectly tuned, in a shamefully nostalgic sense. Unfortunately, the option to throttle the similarly overenthusiastic announcer with a fishing line has sadly not been included in the Wii update. With all this in mind, when there is nary a plot to be following -- other than sheer unadulterated competitive angling -- Bass Fishing’s superficialities are unfortunately all that's left to hook players in (pun honestly not intended), and most likely what will cast the majority of potential owners away (pun unfortunately intended).
In case players forget the point of the clearly titled game they just purchased,
Sega provides an awfully punctuated regular reminder.
Sega provides an awfully punctuated regular reminder.
No, Sega Bass Fishing certainly won't be winning any awards as a hardware pushing powerhouse. Regardless, no doubt the hook, line and sinker (pun unfortunately intended) for the average Wii consumer will be the promise of waggle functionality -- a ramification of Wii game design that is not as scarily forced upon one's wrists with Bass Fishing as one would rightfully presume with a game of the sort. Admittedly, while players will try their darndest, the immediate 'intuitive' choice of using the Wii Remote as a makeshift rod, and the Nunchuk as a proverbial reel (much in the style of almost any other Wii fishing pastime imaginable), is no substitute for the Sega fishing peripherals of yore. Nevertheless, it works and feels better than the average Wii fishing mini game, mind. Available motions range from varying levels of tugs and angles with the Remote in response to on-screen (and annoying announcer) notifications. Meanwhile, the control stick manages movement of the player boat, with rumble and sound feedback rounding out the package. What differentiates Bass Fishing's controls above all from other like-minded titles is choice. Those concerned about muscle spasms from constantly having to manually reel the Nunchuk in mid-air, are also offered the option to switch over to a less manic Remote driven interface to save on those medical bills. Or looking like an utter twit.
Filling the lake with petroleum not only helps speed up catches,
but also saves time on cooking preparations afterwards.
but also saves time on cooking preparations afterwards.
The selection of control schemes is only marginally beaten by the four gameplay modes on offer. You've got your 'Arcade' option, with a race against the clock to catch a quota of fish, driven by a curiously addictive points system. 'Tournament', where the numerical competitive spirit of 'Arcade' is substituted for faceless names on a scoreboard. Second last, but definitely least, you've got your Practice mode, an exercise that makes no effort at actually teaching newcomers the mechanics of the game, nor offers engaging value to any other player type. It's also laughably made redundant by Bass Fishing’s 'Nature Trip'.
Indeed, this Wii exclusive mode almost makes up for the notable lack of new additions to the Sega Bass Fishing franchise. A strangely relaxing, almost hypnotising experience in atmospheric angling, Nature Trip does away with the superfluous details of scores and music, attempting to place the player as close as possible to a 'real' fishing expedition. Ambient sounds above and below the surface of the water become the bewitching leading lights, where players could be forgiven for relying on their self-professed fisherman instincts. Where the selection of lures, environments and times of times of day and season in Bass Fishing's other modes of play only marginally affected fish activity, they really come into their own in Nature Trip.
Oh ho ho, I'm not falling for that one again, Mr. Bass. You didn't say 'Simon Says'.
Nature Trip aside, the harsh reality of the rest of Sega Bass Fishing's perhaps unavoidable design choices are the obvious leftovers of its arcade era roots. The notion of catching fish against an unforgiving ticking clock is, more often than not, anxiety filled, especially when the bass just don't feel like biting in time. Hardly a worry, as the game's continue system itself is made near obsolete by its infinite usage and the lack of a coin slot on current Wii models. Moreover, when playing the never seen or heard from ranks of Tournament mode, its clear Bass Fishing could've benefited greatly from some Wii online functionality. Add in the most loathsome of all too frequent loading times for menu choices and area transitions, and you have sloppy design choices that border on the negligible to nigh on annoying, testing an easily frustrated player's patience.
Sega Bass Fishing, then. Treading familiar waters (pun unfortunately intended) with essentially the same game originating almost a decade ago, most players will have unsurprisingly not been waiting for this one with baited breath (pun unfortunately intended). But even with the numerous design and technical setbacks, the overall Wii makeover package proves the Sega Bass Fishing formula is not quite dead in the water (pun unfortunately intended). Rather, it’s an altogether flawed catch (Stop it, stop it now – Ed).
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