October 25, 1999 Web posted at: 11:46 a.m. EDT (1546 GMT) by Dpad Destroyer, GamePro

From...

(IDG) -- Quiet the cynic in you and listen up -- this is a fishing game, and it's very, very cool. Yes, it's hard to believe, but Sega Bass Fishing will turn even the hardest hearts among you into a hardcore Dreamcast armchair angler. It's that good.

Get some bass

Against other bass fishing games (of which there are quite a few), Sega Bass Fishing snags the big one by making fishing easy and exciting. Sega stripped away the more annoying bits of realism and implemented the underwater fish-cam, so that you can see "The One That Got Away" before it gets away.

Fishin' ain't easy

Sega's optional fishing controller

As you progress in the game's Arcade or Original modes, you'll unlock new and more difficult lures, each of which requires different skills to hook fish. You'll only fish in one lake, Lake Paradise, but the lake is divided into inlets and lodges and coves, each requiring different strategies to win.

Even with the different lures and strategies, the actual fishing is very fun and very simple. You aim, cast, and reel. When you hook a fish, tense music rises from the background and the controller rumbles and vibrates as you fight the fish. Of course, that's only if you have a fishing controller... but you wouldn't try to play Sega Bass without a fishing controller, would you?

Sega makes bass fishing exciting by giving you some of the best graphics ever seen in a game, not just in a fishing sim. The water reflects the backdrop, the almost-real fish swim in realistic patterns and the time-of-day and weather settings are very realistic.

Soundwise, you'll fish to some funky background tunes and a pulse-pounding fight song that pops up when you snag a fish, and there's a funky voice that coaches you on how to bring in your bass. Control is a snap; you cast, reel, cast and reel. It's a very mellow experience, something you can do while you enjoy a frosty beverage and chat with your friends.

It's just fun.

The real dream cast

You might not believe it, but chances are you'll like Sega Bass Fishing. Play it with a fishing controller, play it with a friend. Play the Arcade or Original modes just enough to unlock new areas and lures, then turn on Practice mode and just fish the day away. It's just like a real fishing trip, except that it's really fun.

Graphics: 5.0
Man, oh man. These graphics make fishing a blast. That's worth a perfect score right there.

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Sound: 4.5
Funky tunes and fishing normally don't mix, but this time they do. The tension the music makes when you're reeling in the big one easily forgives the game's funky voice samples.

Control: 5.0
It doesn't get better than this. With the Dreamcast's fishing controller, the control is smooth and simple. You'll never curse the controller for losing you a fish.

Fun Factor: 4.5
No matter how fun you make it, fishing is still fishing, and some people just won't dig it. Still, Get Bass's simplicity makes it accessible to the masses, and for a mellow afternoon of just passing the time, Bass can't be beat.

Pro Tips

• For a good, mellow fishing trip, turn on the Practice mode, choose your time-of-day and weather, and just fish. There's no time limit, no competition, and you can use any area or lure that you're unlocked so far.

• Use the popper lure (once you've unlocked it) when you're fishing in fairly shallow areas. Try to pretend it's a bug on the surface. Reel it for a second or two, and make sure it's leaving a wake. Jerk the rod from time to time, and pause and let it float a bit. If you do it right, this lure will get you a fish almost every time.

• Aim your casts into areas where there are places for the fish to hide, such as next to piers or walls, or among stumps. Fish are more likely to hang out where they're not out in the open.

• When using the spinner bait, it will sink on its own unless you reel, at which point it will move at a constant depth. In deep areas where fish are hanging out on the bottom, drop this lure in and try to get them to come to a more shallow depth.

• When reeling in a fish, jerk the rod back hard to hook the fish, then reel 'er in. Stop reeling if the tension gets too high, and start again once the tension backs off a bit.

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