This was one of my favorite games we’ve done so far. You may read that and wonder, “really? Monster Bass Fishing?” Yeah, really. Let me explain.
Google this game. Go ahead. I’ll tell you what you’ll find. Game entries in databases, a couple of screenshots and one (oddly entertaining) user review on GameFAQs. That’s it. That’s the entire presence of this game on the internet. And you know what else? Many of those databases are straight up wrong. Many of them list the publisher as the developer.
This was the first game where I had to play the game myself to find out all of the information about it. The credits confirmed which company actually developed it. It wasn’t a hard game to research on my own, GBA games are fairly easy to emulate, and this is a pretty mediocre game in the grand scheme of things, but it was exciting getting to put out actual, solid information on this game and be one of the first to actually do so! I do this show mostly just for fun and I write up these blogs as a stream of consciousness, more than anything else, but it’s good to know that I contributed something, however small, to gaming history.
2/4 – Monster! Bass Fishing
Hello and welcome. My name is Katosepe and I’ll be your host for today’s video game of the day.
Today’s game is the first game made by developer slash publisher Ignition Entertainment, Monster Bass Fishing for the Game Boy Advance. Ignition Entertainment has published a number of games, including many for developer SNK Playmore, but they are perhaps best known for their public and messy cancellation of the title Reich.
Monster Bass Fishing was released in 2002 and, according to the in-game credits, was made by just seven developers working with Ignition Entertainment. It is a humble fishing game with only a couple of modes, Free Fish and Challenge mode. Both modes allow you to choose one of five lakes and a location on that lake but Challenge Mode gives you a timer to see how many fish you can catch in 5 minutes. The game also features an aquarium where you can keep your top 6 fish for your collection.
Fishing is quite simple and consists of throwing your line in the water, waiting for a fish to take the bait, and reeling it in without breaking the line. You can also choose a bait for your line which help you catch certain kinds of fish at certain depths.
As a casual title, there was very little in the way of critical review but I was able to try the game myself so, if you’ll excuse the anecdotal review, this is from my personal experience with Monster! Bass Fishing. The graphics use a 3D style when out of the water that is rather impressive at first glance on the Game Boy Advance but it seems to be the same regardless of the lake or location players choose. When the line is in the water, the camera shifts to a side view which is inoffensive, if not particularly inspired. The game’s music is a MIDI version of a banjo but through the Game Boy Advance speakers, it was grating to listen to. Ultimately, the game lacked any real depth but may prove fun to someone looking for a casual, pick up and play fishing game for a few minutes. These days, I’m sure there are better options though.
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