Action Bass

"Try It Once- You'll be Hooked"

Of all the types of import games that make it to these shores, you'd expect fishing games to really not do too well. Yet, the market for them seems to swell in ever increasing numbers, and we've even seen a fishing RPG (Legend of the River King) make it's way to the Game Boy Color. The Playstation has the most fishing games at the moment, and Take 2's $10 game Action Bass is the latest in a growing line of inexpensive Playstation software. A more than competent clone of Sega's Get Bass!, the game offers pretty much the same experience that the more pricey Dreamcast version does, minus the super-slick graphics. What's here isn't bad at all, though. The front end is loaded with an easy to navigate menu and option screen, and the actual game itself is a pretty much a solid, no-frills affair.

The game itself mimics most of what makes Sega's game so great, but you get the feeling that it's a bit too laid back. Both games don't have a lot of music in them, but AB seems almost too quiet for a game with ''action'' in the title. There is some voice in the game, and it also copies the odd announcer from the arcade and DC versions somewhat, but whenever you hear it, it breaks you concentration just a tiny bit. It's sort of like someone tapping you on the shoulder just as you land a big one. The controls are really simple and easy to pick up even if you've never touched a fishing rod before, and the manual is very good at explaining what each lure in your box can and can't do.

The analog stick controls are just right, but expect to take a few tries to snag a fish, even in the arcade mode- this game seems a bit trickier than it's more expensive counterpart. There's an arcade-style challenge and a leisurely free mode to play around with, and there's also a hidden bonus mode, making the game perfect for parties or closet fishermen looking for some cheap practice without getting up at 4am. You can even save your best catches to an Aquarium, and show off your big ones to your jealous, non-believing friends. Er...well, you KNOW what I mean!

The really good thing about this game is that it also supports the Playstation fishing controller that was released here a while back for Bass Landing. This made me smile because it showed that this wasn't a rushed to market cash-earner. All I need to do now is try this out with the controller to see how responsive it is. As it is, the Dual Shock works perfectly, and the vibration feature really gets a workout when you're fighting with a monster bass. The graphics are quite nice, with really beautiful reflection effects on the assorted bodies of water you'll fish on. Some of the skies seem a bit odd, but you'll be paying more attention to what's under the water, so it's no big deal there. The sounds are generally well done (casting and splashes are well represented), but again, everything else is so quiet in the game it's like fishing on the moon. All the nicer music is in the opening and menu screens, and while not the best game tunes out there, it won't have you running from the room in terror either.

The best thing I can say about Action Bass is that its super bargain price will most likely open up the genre to a whole lot of people who normally wouldn't pick up a fishing game on a bet (like yours truly!). Action Bass is a safe bet however, and another fine game from Take 2. Make sure to hook one of these before the lake runs dry!

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 12/24/02, Updated 12/24/02