Legend of the River King

"Natsume presents a Funky Fishing and Fighting fling"

This game is a very odd one in that it combines and RPG with a fishing game . The artwork is similar to Harvest Moon (Another Natsume game) and like the original Metal Gear , it was translated horribly ! But as long as all your fish are belong to us , you'll enjoy this game . It has the fighting element of an RPG , with animals such as snakes , eagles , bears , and the ferocious bumble bee ! There are over 20 fishes to catch over the 4 nice-sized levels . Now , let's swim over to the ''Non-intro part'' .

Sound/music 8/10

The music has a very calm beat and simple riffs (Look it up , virtuoso) and is perfect for a fishing game . When you cast into the water the music stops as to simulate the calmness of the water . Or maybe it's for you to concentrate and hear the fishes . Either way , you can easily turn on the music while fishing . The music during fights is fast-paced to compensate for the drama and excitement of an actual quarrel . As for sound effects , there is few . Although redundant , the sounds like the water running or the fish chirping are nice and fit well with the game's atmosphere .

Graphics 8/10

Even though it is a Gameboy game and you need the proper light , Legend Of The River King has nice smooth graphics in an almost static backdrop . The people's faces are clear and good , and the detail in useless areas is excellent , such as in the master bait shop (No pun intended) you can see items in the glass counter .

Story 9/10

The game has a good story , which starts out as a simple quest to help your sister . Along the way you end up catching fish for people and helping fight off enemies which leads up to catching the Guardian which can heal your sister . Along the way various events occur , sometimes requiring you to backtrack or even restart your game file . While the story line seems simple on the outside , it is actually complex underneath .

Fun Factor 10/10

While catching fish and punching animals doesn't sound like a barrel of monkeys , it gets very involved with the 8 different rods , countless bait , lures , and flies , and serious financial balancing . Catching all of the fish in the game results in a very nice secret which I will keep concealed until you find it yourself ! I guarantee you will have fun with this game .

Replay Value 7/10

The game will keep you glued for a couple of days until you actually beat the game . Once you do that you'll probably get all of the items . But once you do that all you have to do is fish . Fishing is the main concept , but it does get boring . Catching all of the fish gets you a good secret , but you can't really come back over and over unless you are REALLY excited about fish .

Overall 8/10

Weather you love RPGs with developed story lines or you like fishing games with different species and items , you'll like Legend of the River King . It covers a large range of gamers , and has a nice fun value involved . Even if you don't like this game , at least you will have a proposal gift for that special someone . Rings are overrated .

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 11/25/01, Updated 11/25/01