Game Reviews

Fishing Superstars

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Fishing Superstars
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| Fishing Superstars

While I'll stoically defend to the death my reputation as an 'action' gamer, there's a secret part of me that yearns for decent fishing simulator.

A relaxing sports game against tranquil backdrops, with only the gentle splash of lapping water for company, sounds like the perfect way to relax after a day spent blasting aliens in the face.

Fishing Superstars fulfils precious few of these criteria. Instead, it's a freemium arcade title in the mould of Sega's beloved Bass Fishing that hooks you in with some easy catches before gutting you for every penny you have to progress further than prawn-filled ponds.

Line and sinker

Basic fishing is, helpfully, quite straightforward to grasp. A tutorial tied to in-game quests (like using a new bait or executing a perfect cast) guides you seamlessly through the essential skills.

After selecting your bait and rod, you have to cast by swiping to aim your rod and then flicking your device - with more powerful movements sending your bait farther, and catching better fish in the process.

Once you get a nibble, you flick your phone back before reeling in by spinning a touchscreen icon. The main challenge then comes from keeping the line from getting too slack or too taut, either of which extreme will irritatingly allow your prey to survive and flourish elsewhere.

The game contains some titanic tussles, but the low-res visuals and limited animation - you don't even see the fish come out of the water - make this feel like an upscaled Java title.

Out of water

Meanwhile, the actual fishing in Gamevil's title often seems to take a back seat to endless RPG-lite opportunities to customise your avatar and gear.

It starts off as a mildly tedious diversion, but once you start trying to unlock later levels - and more elaborate sites (Deep Blue Hole sounds promising) - you need to buy better bait, rods, and clothing.

Yes, you can rack up some cash by grinding back through completed sites and ticking off missions, but this saps precious energy. This leaves you with the choice of either paying for more energy through IAPs or waiting for it to slowly recharge.

We dread to think how much it costs to unlock the highest level courses, although the $99 packs of Stars suggest that it's not the cheapest endeavour.

If you're a patient fish fanatic and you're willing to get involved with the bizarre secondary task of growing fish you've caught in an aquarium to sell on, you might stick with Fishing Superstars. Everyone else will be looking for a better catch for their cash.

Android version reviewed.

Fishing Superstars

There's a lot of content to tackle in Fishing Superstars, but you'll need to have a lot of patience or a bait box stuffed with cash to make the biggest catches
Score
Paul Devlin
Paul Devlin
A newspaper reporter turned games journo, Paul's first ever console was an original white Game Boy (still in working order, albeit with a yellowing tinge and 30 second battery life). Now he writes about Android with a style positively dripping in Honeycomb, stuffed with Gingerbread and coated with Froyo