Hook a Trophy with Rapala Pro Bass Fishing
I recently got to play the iPod touch version of Rapala Pro Bass Fishing. I am a huge fan of fishing, but (in general) not of fishing games. Too many of them are far too arcade, like the horrendous "Flick Fishing" and not engaging enough. That being said, there are a few titles I actually really like, including the old Trophy Bass titles, Fishing Simulator, Real World Fly Fishing (by Pishtech) and, of course, the Legend of the River King for the Nintendo DS. I was hoping Rapala Pro Bass Fishing would be another titles I could add to my favorites, unfortunately I don't think that will be the case.
My favorite feature of Rapala Pro Bass fishing for the iPod and iPhone is the ability to drive your boat around. This may sound silly, but I did not expect this in such a game. I was thinking it would be more similar to games where you just click on different locations to fish, and were atomically taken there. Control is through the motion sensitive iPod, with accelerations, reverse and stopping handled by a throttle on-screen.
My biggest disappointment with Rapala Pro Bass fishing was how simple the fishing mechanics are. Sure, you have access to many different lakes, tournaments, lures, rods and reels, but the actual fishing a little weak. It basically consists of you casting out (aiming for these hideous red highlighted regions of water), then moving your iPod or iPhone in a few directions to add maximum "attractiveness" to your lure, and retrieving it with twirling thumb motions. Once a fish swims up and eats the lure, you set the hook, then reel it, being careful not to snap the line. The rod is very stationary during this whole period and doesn't feel that engaging. I've found more engaging fishing games on 10 year old titles like Trophy Bass by (now defunct) Sierra Games. Catching fish is almost boring, and really doesn't feel like the "hunt" in other games.
Sadly, the best part of Rapala Pro Bass Fishing is not the fishing, it's the wide range of lures, rods and reels available for you to choose from. You can purchase these using "points" you earn for catching fish and unlocking more through completing certain events and challenges. Rapala is a big name in the fishing industry and this game takes the opportunity to show off their huge range of products, namely, lures. The game itself is very polished-loading screens, cinematic, even the overall graphics have a very professional and quality feel to them. I was super impressed by the 3d models f the fish you can view in your "trophy room." The yellow perch model is insanely well done, really reminds me of the real thing.
In real life, I have several Rapala lures that I often use for fishing. They aren't quite as fancy as the JDM Japanese tackle stuff (like Lucky Craft, Megabass, Imakatsu and other brands), but they have some very popular models that work very well. They are usually priced fairly reasonably too, and you can find them at specialty tackle stores and Walmarts alike. Rapala has a great name for fishing tackle, it is just too bad that I won't be sticking with their attempt at a fishing game.
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Published by Phillip Chan - Featured Contributor in Technology
Angler, techie, gamer, student, and, of course-writer! View profile