Get the feel of realistic fishing... in your living room!

Are you an avid fisher or are you interested in fishing but have never tried it? No matter what your fishing experience, Sega Bass Fishing for the Nintendo Wii will have you fishing right out of your living room for hours on end!

Gameplay
The game is strictly arcade style. Don't expect a huge background story or highly developed characters. This is a fishing game! Actually, this game is based on the classic Sega Bass Fishing games released in the arcade in the late 90's and then later on the Dreamcast. Many of the levels are the same as the original, but are all completely re-rendered and upgraded. Being an arcade game, you jump right into the action as a young blonde dude fishing out of his boat.

Sega Bass Fishing has four modes to choose from in the main screen. They are: Practice, Arcade, Tournament, and Nature Trip. Practice mode is a great way to try out the controls or show your friends how to play without being pressured by a ticking clock. It is simple and easy, and lets you try to catch your first fish. Being so basic, practice mode is less exciting then some of the other modes I will describe.

Arcade mode is just like playing in the arcade. Its fast paced, timed, and exciting. You'll feel like you're in an arcade (except you don't have to spend a bunch of quarters). This mode is great for playing in a group because your turn can end fast and is challenging. And if you get a high score (based on pounds or number of fish) you can compare it to your friend's rankings.

Tournament mode lets you fish from 10 different locations in a ranked competition to score the most fish. This mode is the best when you are playing by yourself because it takes a decent amount of time and patience, as well as skill. As you advance in the tournament mode you can save your progress (You would definitely NOT want to play all 10 locations at once unless you have a lot of time on your hands!) As you move forward in tournament mode you have to meet minimum size/number requirements in order to be ranked. And your competition gets much harder, reeling in more and more in the harder levels. So you have to stay on your toes in order rank in the top of your class.

Last but not least, Nature Trip mode lets you fish without strict time limits and in a relaxed style. I find this mode to be very boring and haven't spent much time with it.

You can play all of the levels in many different conditions, which keeps the game different and interesting. The time of day affects where the fish are located and how they interact. And the season affects things like water temperature, which can have a dramatic effect on the fish locations, biting habits, and swimming styles. And of course don't forget the weather! You can play on sunny days or slightly overcast, or even while its raining.

The bigger the fish, the harder it is to get it in your boat! Once you've gotten a fish to bite, you have the challenging task of reeling it in. But be careful! Reeling too fast will put too much tension on the line and it can snap. But if you take too long you waste valuable time and the fish might get away. A good balance of speed and patience will help you catch the most fish.

The fish all behave very realistically, and it will take some time to get your technique down. Some fish like certain lures that others don't. And some fish prefer you to make it easy to catch the bait while larger fish need a challenge to be interested. You will get the hang of this after a while, which makes for a well balanced learning curve.

Unlockable Material
As you play in tournament mode, you have the chance to open up new levels, win trophies, and earn new lures for your tackle box. Its exciting to get new lures, because they all behave differently and are designed to catch a specific fish in specific conditions. The lures have different classifications: Top, shallow, mid or deep. You need to pick the right lure for the right location. Sometimes the fish will be in the lily pads or near the surface so you can use a top lure to draw them in. Other times they might be right on the bottom of a very deep chasm, so it is useful to use bottom crawler lures. Much of the fun of this game comes from unlocking new lures and trying them out in various locations.

Wii Remote Interaction
The Wiimote and the Nunchuck are the perfect combination of controls for Sega Bass Fishing. The Wiimote becomes your fishing rod, and the Nunchuck becomes your fishing reel. You cast you line just as you would if you were really fishing. First, choose the general area you want your lure to land by moving the C-Stick. Then, bring your rod (the Wiimote) back and then flick it forward, and the line will be cast. I find that it is a very similar motion to what I really use when I'm fishing. And when you want to reel your line in, you hold the Nunchuck like you would the reel on your rod and rotate it to bring in your lure. I was impressed by how sensitive the fine motions are with the nunchuck. You can reel the line in very slowly to attract a nearby fish or bring it in very fast to get it to your boat. You can also shake the Wiimote left or right to "knock" the lure sideways as an alternative way to attract fish. And don't underestimate the significance of hitting objects underwater. If you gently clink the lure against a concrete or metal structure you might be able to get a curious fish check it out!

The Downside
One downside inherent in all arcade games is the depth. In Sega Bass Fishing your goal is just that -- to fish. You don't develop your character or find out secrets about the game. Its simply a fast paced fishing game. So if you don't like fishing, you won't like this game.

The graphics aren't outstanding. You still get a feel of real fishing and its quite exciting to try to get the fish in the boat. But the fish themselves aren't very highly detailed. And there is only one character and he is unimpressive looking. So if you're looking for jaw-dropping special effects and mind-blowing graphics you've come to the wrong place.

One of the biggest faults in this game is that there is no multiplayer mode. Its still great to take turns and watch your friends play (best in arcade mode), but there's not a specific mode for multiplayer. Having a mode where you compete side-by-side with a fellow gamer would have added an extra edge to the excitement.

Summary
This is a great game for people who are interesting in fishing. I love to fish, so Sega Bass Fishing provided me with hours of realistic gameplay. Being an arcade style game, the overall structure is simple, yet if you think you'd enjoy reeling in a bunch of hard-to-catch fish, you'll like Sega Bass Fishing.