| |
Media Lounge - Flick Sport Fishing - Nice One |
|
|
 |
Flick Sports Fishing is another blockbuster iPhone app crossing to the Minis program, thanks to Gameshastra. It's a fishing game which worked well with the iPhone's touch control system, so it might work with the PSP's analog nub. I thought from the start that I'd be reeling in fish by rotating the analog nub, and I was correct.
Flick Sports Fishing's graphics are highly praised in the iPhone world, and it also looks impressive on the PSP. The soothing graphics and the game's relaxed gameplay (neither an arcade type nor a hardcore Sim) make this game perfect for the lazy weekend. As a fishing game, this is good but not enough to convert non-fishing fans or act as a substitute to fishing itself (no video game should replace a physical activity, no matter what).
The game features a fully 3D environment and is the best-looking Mini I've seen yet. It surely benefits from its water animation. The lighting effects are gorgeous; you will be distracted by the lighthouse beams when they pass you. My favorite fishing site is "Lake Shiny," which features a very nice sunrise and foggy backdrop. But, it's the storm-struck "Waves of Doom" that will take everybody's attention.
The control scheme is well implemented, with no additional gimmicks to make your fishing difficult; it's very straightforward. You just press X and release it according to how much power you would like to provide (a meter bar will show up) in casting the line. You then wait for any fish, boot or treasure chest to take the bait. It usually doesn't take a lot of time before something grabs the bait, but sometimes it takes a while. In my case, though, if a minute passes without a catch, I'll just reel the line back in and press Triangle to access my tackle box and choose a different type of bait to use. It depends upon your bait what type of fish you will be dragging out of the waters. If you utilize the non-living baits, you will have to slowly reel back the line so that you can attract fish.
Once your line has been cast, a line of text will appear in the upper left corner telling you what distance in feet your bait is away from you. After a fish or something else grabs your bait, two meter bars will appear, and you have to rotate the nub in a clockwise direction to reel in your catch. The first bar is the line's tension; if the bar fills up, the line will snap. So you can't just total-recall your line carelessly, as you must keep everything in balance. The other bar is the fish's strength; it will diminish over time, so you just have to hold on. This may break the game to some fishing game enthusiasts because catching a fish is easy to master.
http://seattle.casualconnect.org/ |
 |
There is some sort of a campaign, in which you receive orders from a shady character. You are tasked to catch certain types of fish as you progress, but this quest system is mostly dependent on luck rather than skill, as waiting for a specific kind of fish simply takes some time. Good thing the game is easy enough on the eyes to convince you to ignore spending a big chunk of your time waiting for a roach to bite the bait already!
There is also a Tournament Mode. You can set your opponent, choosing if you want it to be human or the CPU. The Big Catch tournaments are time-based: you have to catch the greatest total weight in 3, 5 or 10 minutes. The Big Fish tournament is all about being the player who gets the biggest individual fish. There is a photo album for all of the species you've caught, and there is a tournament leaderboard.
|
 |
Flick Sports Fishing is a good game, graphics-wise and controls-wise. It's a good gaming experience, but it's too limited in what you do, and you may find yourself sleeping on the game. Nice one, but needs more.
Rating: 7/10
Mail us: sales@gameshastra.com |
|
|
|
|
|
