More Exciting than Reel Fishing

Being raised in the generation of Action Movies and First Person Shooters, fishing doesn't usually thrill me as much as those other activities. You can sit there for hours in intense heat trying to attract a fish. I'm just not into the quiet outdoors, but Sega Bass Fishing brings the high points of fishing into a single disk.

My sister had the honor of being one of 2000 millenium dreamers. At Innoventions I had a chance to play many of the new dreamcast games avalable. The one that kept me coming back was Sega Bass Fishing. I never attempted it without the rod, so my opionon isn't exact yet.

Graphics:4.5
The graphics are pretty clear for what I was expecting. Several lures are available that are original, unique, and life like. The surrounding environment are quite detailed for a fishing game. Sewer pipes semerge above some waves and fish outlines break the surface.Underneath the lake is just as sharp and realistic. The water is murky and are affected by the time of day. The fish themselves are pretty much similar in looks. They have many different animations and are mostly look different in size. The fish do look great though.

Control:5.0
The Fishing Rod Controller looks just as it sounds. It's shaped just like a reel/handle of a fishing rod. The trigger buttons and the D-Pad are absent, but there aren't supposed to be used in fighting games. On the right-hand side is that reel you rotate to pull in the fish. The control stick is in the center surrounded by the ABYX buttons. My poor left handed sister had trouble reeling in a fish, but she prefered to watch anyway. When reeling in the fish, a built in rumble pak jumps and hops when line tension gets tight or the fish is getting away. But in the game the controller is fast and efficent. The game will tell you to twitch the reel and things like that.

Sound:3.5
The sound is simply pretty lame and annoying with "WOW! It a Large size one!" There is nothing to say.

A.I.:4.0
A new catogory I invented, The A.I. is okay. The weather can affect the fish behavior and reactions. The fish aren't picky. Al of the lures make them strike adding little stradegy besides how deep they go. The small fish will attack the line at once, but the big fish don't really seem to care as much.

Overall, even if you don't like fishing, you'll love Sega Bass Fishing. It's a perfect translation and it's more exciting than "REEL" fishing!