Sega Bass Fishing

by Sega

Product Features

• All new Dreamcast exclusive game modes
• Amazing AI = fish react realistically to changing conditions and lure types
• 8 unique fishing locations rendered in gorgeous 3D graphics
• 14 different lures - each with unique performance
• Compatible with Dreamcast fishing controller (sold separately) for the most lifelike experience possible

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00000K4BX
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 4.8 x 0.4 inches ; 1.6 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: October 6, 1999
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,328 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)

Product Description

Editorial Review

For those willing to take the bait, Sega Bass Fishing has an addictive gameplay hook that will reel in sporting enthusiasts and even a few hardcore gamers. This realistic 3-D bass fishing simulation shines with three distinct gaming modes, eight fishing environments, and 13 different lures.

Let's be honest here. Fishing simulation games aren't for everyone. Many hardcore gamers will likely bypass this title because they believe the genre lacks the instant gratification of fast-moving shooters. That's a shame. Though it might not be everyone's can of worms, Sega Bass Fishing does offer a subtle, highly addictive gaming experience that will challenge even the most seasoned of game veterans.

This isn't Quake, to be sure. But you'll need similar gaming smarts and strategies to succeed in this water-based sporting environment. It takes a skilled aim and a steady hand to hook and reel in the largest fish, which are surrounded by smaller, less desirable catches. There's nothing worse than casting your lure directly at a monster-sized bass only to have it intercepted by a meddlesome minnow. We encountered more than our share of near misses, which gives us virtual bragging rights to "the one that got away."

While some gamers will prefer the subtlety of free-form fishing sans time constraints, this game also features a fast-action arcade mode that requires the player to meet a minimum quota of catches before advancing to a new fishing environment. An optional Dreamcast fishing controller (sold separately) makes the task of catching these underwater critters all the easier. The controller, which also adds a realistic rumble when you catch a fish, is a highly recommended accessory for the ultimate home fishing experience. --Brett Atwood

Pros:

• Near-perfect translation from the hit arcade game
• Eight realistic 3-D fishing environments
• Three different game modes to choose from
• Great control with optional fishing controller (sold separately)

Cons:

• Game genre will not appeal to everyone

GameSpot Review

If you like the thought of fishing, but you don't like the act of getting stinky in the process, then Sega Bass Fishing might be right up your alley. Originally developed for the arcade, Sega Bass Fishing does little to hide its roots while attempting to offer the home consumer more in the process. For the armchair fisherman, it doesn't get much better than this.

Not to put too fine a point on it, but the whole point of this game is to catch fish. Big fish, little fish, small fish, super-big fish, it doesn't matter. In arcade mode, you have a set amount of time to catch a predetermined weight requirement of fish. Let's say you need to catch 5000 grams worth of fish. Whether you catch five fish that weigh 1,000g each, or one fish that weighs 5,370g is all up to your skill with the rod. Meet the weight requirement in the level, then move on to the next. There are four areas in all, three basic, and one secret. Fortunately for the novice, you can continue as many times as you like, so even if you run out of time, you'll never run out of continues. When you continue, you pick up exactly where you left off, so you don't have to restart each level. It keeps this game from being too frustrating, unlike some other fishing games (Reel Fishing comes to mind). Sadly, the arcade mode is what you would call "easy." So easy, in fact, that you'll likely beat the game on your first try.

For savvy fishermen there lies the consumer mode. In the consumer mode you explore a much greater selection of areas during different parts of the day, attempting to snag the biggest fish you can find. Your success in various sites will earn you secret lures, which will enable you to catch even bigger fish later on. This mode is not nearly as easy to conquer as the arcade mode, but you're not penalized either. You simply score lower on the rankings chart until your skills improve enough to move up. Interestingly enough, every lure in Sega Bass Fishing is exactly that, a lure. There is no live bait used in Sega Bass Fishing, which could have added to the experience. The downside with Sega Bass Fishing is that there is no two-player mode. While a split screen may not have helped matters, there could have been an attempt to offer a turn-based fishing competition, but that may be an idea for the sequel. Interestingly, the fishing game in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, was more of an afterthought than anything else, yet it featured fish that moved more realistically than the fish in Sega Bass Fishing.

Catching fish in Sega Bass Fishing is a rapid-fire affair. Being a port from an arcade game, this is certainly not the fishing equivalent of Deer Hunter, so there's no sitting in a boat for hours waiting for a bite. Instead, you'll be hooking fish after fish, while attempting to manipulate fish, line tension and rod height all at once. Line tension must be carefully monitored lest the line snap, while the fish's direction must be righted to decrease line tension. Of note, should you obtain the rod-controller, specially made for this game, be warned that it is definitely a mixed blessing. While the rod features force-feedback vibration, to simulate the thrashing of the fish, it does not offer any tactile-resistance in the reel, making the whole point seem watered down. It would have been nice to feel the tug and pull of the fish in the reel itself, rather than simply having a shaking rod. Namco did it successfully with the Ridge Racer Type 4 Jogcon, and it's a shame it didn't happen here.

As an all-around title for the everyman who might own a Dreamcast, Sega Bass Fishing is a non-threatening, lightly challenging little game that should keep fishing fans more than happy with its placid, lakeside offerings. For the hard-core gamer this is nothing more than a rental, but if you jones for the great outdoors on a more than regular basis, this may be the gumdrop for your sweet tooth. --James Mielke
--Copyright ©1999 GameSpot Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of GameSpot is prohibited. GameSpot and the GameSpot logo are trademarks of GameSpot Inc.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very addictive, play one game and you're hooked!, November 18, 1999

By A Customer

= Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Sega Bass Fishing (Video Game)

I'm not a fisherman, but after playing this game, I feel like I've been fishing my entire life. The game play is so addictive that I find myself playing this game more than any other in my Dreamcast collection(which includes NFL2K, and NBA2K!). My wife bought me this game and the Fishing controller, and I can't put it down. It is great, just buy it and get hooked.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for the off season, March 22, 2000

By A Customer

= Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Sega Bass Fishing (Video Game)

Graphics Overall, the graphics are great. The fish movement is very realistic; fish lunge towards the surface to pick off bugs floating around, and they dive down to the bottom to suck up crayfish. It's as though you're watching a nature show that shows them in their natural habitat; they interact with their environment so well. Sometimes though, there are some minor clipping problems. One time I was fishing at the Palace, when a fish disappeared under the sandy bottom. A few moments later he came out of the sand like one of the monsters in Tremors and grabbed my lure; I couldn't help but laugh. Sometimes, though, the fish get stuck on an obstacle such as a wall or a pole and can't get around it. The graphics are great though, especially in the ending.

Sound The sound is pretty good, with a good announcer. When you get a bite, it yells out "Hit!", prompting you to set the hook. Once you accomplish this, it announces, "Fish!". As you reel the fish in, the announcer tells you which way to move the rod to ease tension ("Turn the rod left", "Lower the rod", etc.) Once you bring the fish in, the announcer judges it with such as phrases as: "Aww, small one" or "This one's huge!". The sound is great; the music, on the other hand, is overall mediocre and seems for the most part out of place. Some of the music should never be anywhere near a fishing game, but there is one track of music that is great (I think it is from the Cave or the Falls).

Gameplay The gameplay pretty much consists of selecting a spot, casting, and reeling it in. To catch fish, though, you must work a little harder; you have to find where the fish are hiding and present the lure to them correctly. If you don't do it right, they won't bite it. This is all easy though, if not too easy. Overall, the underwater camera is great for allowing you to see the fish, but sometimes you get a bad angle; for example, sometimes it shows a side view and you can't see behind the lure, sometimes the camera goes overhead even when there are no fish below you, and sometimes the camera shows the surface of the water even though you aren't using a topwater lure, and you can't see underwater.

Control The input is excellent in this game. The standard controller works perfectly well (especially with the analog trigger buttons), but the fishing controller is even better. The lure responds to your touch so well that you might think you are actually out on the lake fishing. Great control seems to be a trend in all the Dreamcast games I've played. I hope it keeps up.

Replay Value This category is the only place the game lacks. Sure there are three modes: Arcade, Original (tournament), and Practice, but they all have virtually the same objective. Arcade mode pits you agains the clock; you try to catch a certain amount of total pounds within the given time. If you don't though, you have unlimited continues and you resume right where the time ran out. You even keep the fish you caught before time ran out. It's impossible not to beat Arcade mode unless you don't continue or you quit. Original mode is slightly more challenging. You are ranked by total pounds against computer opponents in up to five stages for four tournaments. As you progress, you get new lures but the game gets harder. In each stage, there is a morning, noon, and evening time period in which you fish for four hours game time (about 5 minutes realtime). Sometimes it can be very hard to catch fish in such a short time, but once you learn the stages and know where the fish lie, you should have no trouble beating the computer. The tournaments get progressively harder by having a minimum size or allowing you to keep only a certain number of fish. One of the cool things thrown in is the secret lure you get once you reach the final tournament. I'm not going to give it away here, but way to go Sega! The ending is great, with excellent graphics, but beating the game leaves you wishing there was something else to do, such as a new mode. The main thing that hurts the replay value is a lack of multiplayer. It would be great to do a tournament against your friends. It wouldn't have to be split-screen; instead, you could switch off. There could even be a mode like Mario Golf's slot mode where you get only three random lures to use against your friends. A multiplayer mode would definitely be a great enhancement for this game.

Overall I must say that I am somewhat biased because I am an avid fisherman. I recommend this game for all fishermen, and it can be fun for everyone else too, but others might want to give it a rent first because it doesn't have good lasting value unless you really like it. If you buy it, definitely consider the fishing controller; it is slightly expensive, but it is worth it if you plan to play it a lot.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Great Game, But A Little Short, December 12, 1999

By A Customer

= Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Sega Bass Fishing (Video Game)

This game is definetly one of if not the best fishing game on the market. The graphics are absoulutly stunning, especially the fact that the scenery is reflected off the water. This breathtaking fishing trip takes you through 3 different modes of play including 5 fishing tournaments and all the while gaining 6 extra lures to add to your starting collection of 7. The fishing controller really adds to the mix I wouldn't recommend playing without it. The only problem I have with this game is that the gameplay is a little short. You can play arcade mode which is four levels and origanal mode which is 5 tournaments, but after that theres nothing. It just doesn't hook you and keep you coming back for more. In conclusion though I would recommend buying this game if you are a fishing game kinda person it is the best fishing sim on the market, but if your a serious gamer you'll want to buy the fishing controller too, without it it's not all that fun.