Let me start by saying that EA Sports’ newest contribution to outdoor games won’t appeal to non-fishers the way Hot Shots Golf appealed to non-golfers, but it’s a perfect fishing game. It’s aimed at fishing fans, but has enough fun elements to appeal to almost everyone. The graphics are great, but it’s the layout which takes Championship Bass to another level. Fishing games have typically been plagued by poor camera angles, ugly scenery, and ATM-like menu interfaces. Championship Bass does it all right, with a smart menu system, a killer tutorial, and some great in-game screens. A cool underwater camera tracks the lure, zooms in or out depending on how many fish are in the area, and follows a fighting catch to perfection.

Fish don’t make a lot of sound, unless you count desperate splashing noises. Championship Bass incorporates some mellow background music, but pumps up the volume when you’ve got a big fish on the line. I could have used one or two more songs in the soundtrack, but what’s there is nice.

Fishing is fishing is fishing. What I love about Championship Bass is that there’s more to the game than: Throw. Reel. Repeat. Along with several tournament modes and a Free Play mode, Championship Bass’ tutorial plays as multiple challenge levels, where a Trained Bass Professional walks you through unique styles of casting and reeling to catch big fish under different conditions. EA Sports should really have labeled this a tutorial, but the ‘challenge’ aspect means you can earn special lures by completing each level, and then take the lures into other parts of the game. The standard tackle box is full of options, and you can customize not only what you put on the line, but also the line weight, reel-type, and rod weight. Plus, you have the option of choosing color variations for each lure. Other than the Challenge Mode, the idea in each level is to fill up your bucket with the biggest fish before the weigh-in at the end of the day. Heaviest bucket wins; it’s that simple.

Each game plays from on board your trusty bass boat, and you’ll have the option to choose what lake you fish on, as well as the weather conditions, and time of year. The tutorial shows you how to modify fishing styles based on weather and season, which makes for more replay value. The boat handles okay, and the scenery looks nice going by, including some excellent water effects.

Difficulty in Championship Bass can be adjusted, and the main difference from level to level is how much effort it takes to attract a fish, how selective they’ll be about biting, and how likely it is for your line to break. On Easy difficulty, fish bite frequently and your lines hardly ever break. On Hard, you need to set line weight and lure type exactly if you want to land a big fish. Casting is also a learned skill, but the tutorial does a good job walking you through.

The programming for Dual Shock and analog is flawless in Championship Bass. This really makes the game more playable, because the feel of fishing is everything. From the drag on the line when a lure drags bottom, to the heavy jerks you’ll feel from a 20-pound bass, EA Sports did a great job. The casting controls for the standard controller are simple, and it’s hard to make a bad cast. Reel control is more difficult, and the combination of pulling analog sticks, pushing shoulder buttons, and hitting (X) will take most people some time to master. Once the fish bites, setting the hook is easy, but controlling the slack on the line and toggling between high and low drag also takes a junior button-jockey. The challenge of mastering controls makes Championship Bass unique among a generally boring genre of games. Just because fishing is known to be relaxing doesn’t mean a game about fishing needs to be stupid! I hope this game does well, because I’m pushing for EA Sports to bring out a Deep Sea add-on for PS2. Please, please, please!