For many of us, fishing represents that last desperate option for preserving our survival if stranded on some desert island or in a remote forest. So, of course, leave it to the Wii to take some activity that we would only consider in the real world if our lives literally depended on it (the exception being our office hillbilly, who goes fishing on purpose) and turn it into a game that actually looks pretty interesting. In this case, Fishing Master.
Fishing Master is built on a simple but effective mechanic: pull back the Wii remote as you prepare to cast, then fling your arm forward while making sure to release the B button at the "apex" of your throw to huck your lure into the water. Then, once, you get a bite, yank back on the remote and start twisting the nunchuck just like it was a reel. There are a few complications thrown into the mix, like making sure the line doesn't get too taut or loose, or jerking the line back when a fish strays too far in one direction. Overall, though, it's easy to master, and the whole thing feels pretty natural.
But where the game goes from there, we're not sure, because we weren't shown much in the way of story or alternate gameplay modes. We do know that you'll be guided by your wise, bearded grandfather - which always beats creepy, handlebar-mustached uncle in our book - as you traverse all the islands of Japan in an effort to build your encyclopedia of fishies. You'll be able to take the money you've earned along the way and buy all sorts of equipment from the local shop, like the ever-important choice of bait. (And we do mean important, because we caught about five tea kettles before we realized we were using the wrong bait.)
Fishing Master looks like it could be an interesting experience, with a cutesy presentation that should help appeal to the youngsters. We can see they've got the fishing part down pretty well, but will it offer enough to drive us to achieve master status? We'll see when the game is released this September.
