Gaming Target - Dreamcast: Sega Bass Fishing 2

Written by Bill Elder on July 18, 2001

First Impressions: I love fishing, and once this game comes out I won't get sunburn while I'm doing it.

When the Dreamcast launched back on September 9th, 1999 it came with a demo disc in the box. Included on that disc was a game entitled Sega Bass Fishing. Though I never actually played the demo of the game until weeks after receiving my system, as I was too busy with Soul Calibur's and other launch games, when I did happen to pop it in, Sega Bass Fishing was one of the first demos I played. I was immediately impressed; yet I never purchased the actual game. However, I do plan on buying the sequel.

The original Bass Fishing featured three modes of play: Practice, Arcade, and Original. Practice was pretty much what its name implied; you got to try out all of the different lures, locations, etc. Arcade Mode was where you were timed as you attempted to catch as many fish as possible and received bonus time for catches. In original, you faced off in bass-master tournaments and in all of these modes; the gameplay was more arcade than simulation. Though you had to choose the right lure and use it correctly, other then that, it was simply an arcade-oriented title.

The details on all the play modes for the sequel have yet to be released, but we do know that in Sega Bass Fishing 2 more mechanics will come into effect. You will have to check the time of day, temperature, and other weather effects in order to get that Уbig catch.Ф Those new additions to the gameplay should please both people who fish and the video game veterans alike. However, the same pick up and play type action will still be around to please the rookies.

The visuals in Sega Bass Fishing 2 should be ultra-realistic. I'm sure it won't be the most groundbreaking title ever; there aren't that many special effects and explosions in fishing games. Nevertheless, the fish and environments in the game will look true to life with other animals, such as frogs; will also be thrown in the mix to bring the realism up a notch.