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Bass Landing
Score: 72%
ESRB: Everyone
Publisher: Agetec
Developer: ASCII Entertainment
Media: CD/1
Players: 1
Genre: Miscellaneous/ Sports

Graphics & Sound:
Bass Landing, featuring the unique fishing rod controller, has surprisingly good graphics. As a matter of fact, the graphics are one of the only redeeming qualities of this title. I found the environmental graphics to be accurate and detailed. Trees looked like trees, and the water looked like real water. Even the fish look good, (that is, if you can catch one). Some of the objects, like the depth finder, could have been made better by cleaning up the graphics a bit, but for the most part, Bass Landing has good 32 bit graphics. Not only were the graphics accurate, but the sounds were life-like as well. Sometimes all it takes is the addition of good graphics and sound effects to make a game. Unfortunately, it takes descent gameplay to support the rest of the game to pull out a winner. Bass Landing has at least half of the requirements. If you're looking for a good-looking, realistic, novel fishing game, look no further. If you want a fun one, you better go fish somewhere else.

Gameplay:
What we do have is plenty of options. Bass Landing has 3 modes of play, including 7 different tournaments. You get to choose from 14 different lakes, and you're able to attempt to land 14 different species of fish. As far as rods, reels, and lures go, try about 50 different combos. Combine that with the fishing rod controller and you have yourself a great game right? I wish it were so. As a matter of fact, the most fun I had with the game was driving my bass boat (which acted more like a speed boat) around the lake, running into things.

The game is just too realistic. You drive around, cast and reel a few times, then start over. I found very little action at all in this game. Maybe they forgot to put the fish in there. And what's up with the first person view. I want to see the fish attack the bait, not the tip of the rod and the waves on the water. A little more arcade, and a little less difficulty could have made this one perfect.


Difficulty:
This is the most realistic bass fishing game that I have ever played. Have you ever been bass fishing? If you're good, you catch one or two fish an hour. Well, guess what - this game is just like that (in tourney mode). I found it very difficult to land the big ones (or even to hook the small ones). I'm afraid they made this one a little too real. Bass Landing is a game that I really want to love, but it's just too hard to be fun.

As far as the controls go, it's a piece of cake. The fishing reel controller makes the mechanics very simple - it's only the gameplay that makes this one difficult.


Game Mechanics:
Okay, let's talk about the controller. It's great. Perfectly like fishing. Motion sensing casting and real reeling makes this a realistic novel approach. The analog pad is in the center of the reel, creating a thumb release button. If you're not careful, you can even produce backlash. I love the way the controls worked with the game and really helped to make it a bearable experience. Between the look and feel of the game, the controller, and the boat driving, I'd say that it's not a bad rent.

-Storm, GameVortex Communications
AKA Jeremy Kelso

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