Legend of the River King: Mystic Valley for Nintendo DS

Most fishing video games feature cheesy, unrealistic views of the water and get old pretty quickly. Very few have any sort of story line, let alone serious addiction factor. I love angling but I usually ignore fishing video games. However, Legend of the River King: Mystic Valley, is different. I've sunk many hours into the game and I still haven't beaten it. Why spend so much time on a fairly 'cutesey' and 'childish' game for the Nintendo DS?

Legend of the River King: Mystic Valley puts players in the role of a boy who loves to fish and must catch the fabeled 'River King" to cure his sick sister. Not exactly the most realistic of story lines, and the anime-style graphics are not going to attract the Bubba Bass Fisher crowd. It was released in 2007 by Natsume and offers single player and multiplayer options (using the Nintendo WiFi).

Fishing is accomplished by casting out the line near schools of fish, being careful not to cast ontop of them or risk spooking the fish. However, unlike most fishing video games, you never see a fake, 3d view of the fish in the water before you catch it. Instead, your view is more similar (albeit from a top down view) of the water as you attempt to attract and catch fish. However, once you hook a fish, you see it in the water, from an underwater view, along with bars showing the line tension. Reeling in is accomplished by spinning the stylus on the touch screen. Players spend most of the time discovering new fishing spots by completing different quests and competitions, interacting with the various NPCs in Mystic Valley, and just trying to catch the many different types of fish found in the area.

I grew up fishing in small ponds and streams, much like the different zones seen in Mystic Valley. One of my favorite things about the fishing experience is to discover new, off the beaten path, places to fish. It's a quest for adventure and discovery, always looking for a shang-ri-la of fishing spots that keeps me walking around the riverbend. Google Earth really helps with this and has led me to find amazing fishing opportunities. Something about this spirit of discovery is seen in Legend of the River King. I don't mean to artificially inflate the game (it certainly is not a replacement for real fishing) but the creators surely got the exploration part of fishing in the game correct.

Of course, most people will wonder why I have yet to beat the game. I've been quite focused on just trying to catch every different species of fish available in each 'zone', instead of working super hard on advancing the storyline. The game isn't too difficult, but some of the fish will tire even the most experienced gamer. My record is currently a 11ft monster catfish, something I'm quite proud of!

If you need a fun break from the boredom of everyday life (when you aren't fishing), try Legend of the River King for Nintendo DS.