Official Website

Platform: PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameBoy Advance, PC CD-ROM

Genre: Outdoor

Number of Players: 1

There are things that I’ll admit that I’m just not any good at. Fishing is one of those, but the video game industry throughout the years has at least given my some type of skill, though not in the real world. Back when the Super Nintendo still reigned supreme, there was one fishing game that was a favorite of just about anyone who found enjoyment in casting a digital line, and that was Super Black Bass. Over the years though, I haven’t touched a fishing title, especially not on the latest generation of systems, but it’s high time to see just how the sub-genre has evolved over the years.

Rapala Pro Fishing marks my first excursion into the digital domain of fishing, and quite a bit has changed. Like any sports game, there’s not really a story to tale, unless you want to make up something about the one that got away, but fishing games now have come quite a long way. Rapala offers a number of different options for fans and I found that for me, the best option was to start with the Free Fishing Mode to get a feel for the game.

A number of real world locations are found in this mode (as well as Tournament) to give you the best possible pseudo-fishing experience. From two different sections of Lake Okeechobee in Florida to California’s Sacramento River, Half-Moon Lake in Alaska and the Amazon, you’ll have a dozen different hot spots that you can cast your line into, though some of these will need to be unlocked in order to fish them, but that’s part of the fun. There are different characters that you can select as well, though I didn’t notice any real difference with any of them; it’s all just cosmetic.

Once on the water, you can navigate your boat to whatever spot you feel is going to be best, but you’ve also got a guide who has come out with you. Either turn on his commentary or leave it off, it’s up to you, but he will give you some god advise from time to time that might pay off in big ways. Rapala gives you a tackle box full of different lures that you can use as well as information as to what they are best used for. Skitters, floaters, countdowns and even Shad Rap’s are all on hand as well as different rods and line are all at your disposal, though you will find some that can only be used under certain conditions.

Learning to cast actually was one of the biggest challenges for me, and it’s not simply a matter to pressing X. The game mimics what you would actually do in real fishing, and it’s a matter of pulling the analog stick back, then thrusting to forward quickly as well as release the line. This definitely takes some practice to get used to, but if you find you’re just terrible, you can turn on the Easy Cast which makes everything easier. Once the line hits the water, you different options to view the gameplay; you can either go with an in-water look or simply from the boat.

If you’re in the water, you will see the line as you reel it in, and make sure that your drag line isn’t set to low either. There’s nothing worse than snagging a big one and then having it get free because there is too much slack on the line. In this mode, you will also see when your lure has gained the attention of the fish. From the boat, you merely see your character moving the rod, and this does make the game a bit more challenging since you don’t have the luxury of trying to get the lure right by the fish. Once you’ve caught one, then the true struggle begins. You will need to reel the line in obviously, again making sure there isn’t too much drag, and you’ll also need to make sure to move the rod in the appropriate direction so that your catch doesn’t get away. It’s not always easy though. Lines can break, fish can release the bait, there’s the slack issue to deal with, but if you are in fact successful, you can put the fish in your livewell.

When you feel that you’ve truly got the hang of Rapala Pro Fishing, you can take on the Tournament Mode. In this mode, you are placed in the different fishing locations and given an objective; certain fish of a given weight, and there’s a time frame to be concerned with as well. Other than these factors, the game plays identical to the Free Fishing Mode. Besides these options, you can get a wealth of information about the locations that you are fishing at, you can change the weather and time of day, learn more about the fish, the lures, or even get some tips on fishing in general.

The replication of the fishing spots are very good, though there are a few things I would have liked to see included. You can’t maneuver your craft under trees much of the time, at least ones that are low hanging, and doing something like hitting another boat in the water actually doesn’t move it. There are some nice ambient effects thrown in though, such as fishing near a housing development and hearing the workers hammering nails or working with power tools. The fish look very good; not only in the water, but once you get a chance to look at them in the live well. I did notice that there were times that the polygons seemed to break at time, especially underwater, but not too often. The game though could benefit from a much better camera, and there are times that the viewpoint gets thrown off and it can take a moment to get a bearing on the game again.

Rapala Pro Fishing is a very good fishing game, though it can take a while to really grow accustomed to doing your own casting instead of relying on the Easy Cast. Despite a few minor flaws, Rapala Pro Fishing is as close to the real thing as you can get, though some would say that video game fishing is no replacement for the real thing. That’s all a matter of opinion, and I’m much happier doing some armchair casting than dealing with hours on the water where I might not catch a thing. And, with such a low retail price, this is definitely a good title to reel right into your front room.
 

 -mike-