Fisherman's Bait 2: Big Ol' Bass

"A Monster of a Fishing Game!"

Look. I suck at fishing. Not saying I hate fishing, but I'm REALLY bad at it. This game has got to take away all the frustration of real fishing. It gets rid of all the boring things in real fishing, like picking a good spot where the fish are biting, getting bait, putting bait on, and….patience! But the game manages to keep a reasonable amount of reality in it. It's just so much more fun though.

Gameplay:
Well…it's a fishing game. Nothing crazy here, but the controls are fairly simple and easy to learn. X button to cast, and when you're in the water, move your lure around by pressing X or using the Control Stick. Which brings up that subject, use the Control Stick for this game, just an overall better experience. When you have a fish biting (by the way, you can fully see the fish underwater, once your line hits water, the screen switches to the underwater cam) , you can press X and pull back on the Control Stick, or if it's a small fry you don't want, you can just not do anything and it'll usually swim off. Here is the most important part: In the middle of the game, before you cast, press Start, go to “Options” and turn Auto Reel on. Auto Reel lets you hold the X button, instead of rapidly pressing it to reel in a fish. This will save your thumbs. And that's about it for major gameplay controls. Seriously, when my sister was 6-7, she could play this game with ease. But it's still fun for anyone. Pressing L1 can bring up the different kinds of lures you can use, and they do actually make a difference. Lures like the “Popper” stay on the surface, and lures like the “Submarine” sink to the bottom. And it DOES help to change lures too, for some fish hang out around the surface, some on the lake floor, and some drift around in the middle. When you catch a fish, the game will tell you how long it is and how much it weighs. It also gives the fish a size rating if you're oblivious to how big the fish REALLY is. It ranges from Poor, then Small, Average, Big, large, Huge, and the biggest, Monster. The Main Story's missions usually send you out to catch a “Main Target” which is always the same, and you usually have to catch a certain amount of it in pounds. There's also two or more “Sub Targets” you also have to catch to complete the stage. There are either eight or nine stages. The ninth is debatable for there are no official sources claiming there is one, but the game constantly hints at it near end game, so it is quite possible. Each lake contains about six different fish, one being the Main Target. (in Story Mode) THE best thing about this game is in Story Mode, they don't have you catching the boring old Large Mouth Bass stuff. Most fish are fictional, save for a few. They're all so exotic and range from things like Patriot Bass Crazies, to Desert Roses to Diabos. Last thing to mention here is that this game has a two player mode. Let's two people fish at the same time, turns the screen into a split screen.

Story:
Again, it's a fishing game, so you shouldn't expect much. BUT, there is what most would call a Story Mode, entitled “World Monster Fishing”. You're a fisherman who is sent out to catch fish that range from rumored, to evil, to tasty, by the writer of the “Monster Fish” magazine, Jenifer Clam. The little missions she assigns you are comedic stories or mysteries that can't be solved until you complete the mission. For example, in one of the earlier missions, you're told that every person who catches this certain fish becomes cursed. Jennifer decides it'd be a good idea to send you to go find out. Some more stuff happens near end game, but that'd be spoiling. Overall, the story is nice in its charming little way.

Graphics and Sound:

The graphics are pretty nice for its time. The fish's colors are bright and vibrant and the water has fairly nice effects. There's a little choppiness around many fish or many big fish, but it's nothing that can ruin the game for anyone. Personally, I love the music in this game. The American lake's music is just epic, the Egyptian lake is ominous and creepy, and when you're fishing a certain Main Target in the Amazon you get a really awesome Spanish-like tune. The music is all the same for normal fish, but the Main Targets all get their own theme, which is cool. Of course, every stage also gets its own music. Not TOO memorable music, but you may find you're self humming it while playing. The sound effects are alright. Nothing special, but nothing bad either. Although the sound of my line starting to brake really rises the tension, especially if you've got a big Main Target on your hands!

Play time and replayability:
I have had this game almost since the release, and I have STILL not beaten it. Probably because I'm not sure if I already have beaten it! There's a bit of a rumor on the final stage, which requires you to complete quite the challenge so it could keep you playing for a long time. The replayability for this game is quite good. Sometimes I just pop it in again to hear Jennifer's corny, yet funny dialog. I just have a lot of memories and nostalgia with this game, so some may not find this game something to come back to three years later. But the game is just fun and easy, the fish are cool looking, and I just have an overall good time playing it.

Final Recommendation:
If you can get your hands on this game, buy it. You'll probably have to get it off of the Internet, or you can get it on PSP, but I still have it on the original PS. Worth the money, if it even costs a lot.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 06/29/09

Game Release: Fisherman's Bait 2: Big Ol' Bass (US, 11/24/99)